Couple beaten by sons: 'We forgive them'

[Cicero]

I wonder if the kids are still the beneficiaries on their life insurance policies.

[WOT?*]

Sept 20, 2015 10:44:07 GMT -5 Cicero said:

I wonder if the kids are still the beneficiaries on their life insurance policies.

You may still love them and you may forgive them because God and religion and blood but...yeah, if you want the money to go to the kids, lock it up tight in a trust. And if the circumstances of your death are questionable, that money goes to charity, stat. And let your kids know that they should be very certain that you die at a very, very old age, happy and healthy, of natural causes and bruise free.

I could forgive but there is no way I would ever forget.

[borinquen57]

I always feel odd about stories like this. You beat your parents just for the insurance money?  I can see maybe self-defense after abuse (maybe) or something but assuming none of that is going on, how does a child get so screwed up that they think it's ok to kill their parents to get a payday?   :?

[ECB]

Great, forgive them if that's what works for you. But I hope they protect themselves!

[cville]

This actually makes me feel more ambivalent about the cause of beating in the first place. I mean, obviously wrong, but if you're the kind of person who needs to declare your "unconditional" love "for the glory of God" in a press conference right after leaving the prison, it makes me inclined to think it may not all have been about insurance money but may also have stemmed from a weird home life. I'm suspicious of people who are overly showy in their religion. This is probably flameful.

Also, love of a child isn't the same thing as unconditional love or as forgiveness. You try to kill me for my money, I'm going to be looking at you sideways at least until the bruises heal, if not forever.

[miniroller]

Ditto cville! Their response automatically makes me suspicious of the family's home life
And as a Christian, I'm feeling weird about the projection of their religion as a mainstay of their primary response. God doesn't condone automatic forgiveness, at least not in my biblical interpretation. He teaches that he'll forgive upon a change in thought, speech, & behavior. And I follow the same pattern, which is in no way reflected in these parents' wholehearted acceptance.

[borinquen57]

Sept 20, 2015 11:30:31 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

Sept 20, 2015 11:25:02 GMT -5 borinquen57 said:

I always feel odd about stories like this. You beat your parents just for the insurance money?  I can see maybe self-defense after abuse (maybe) or something but assuming none of that is going on, how does a child get so screwed up that they think it's ok to kill their parents to get a payday?   :?

Maybe this is something I don't understand because I don't have kids, but I wouldn't be forgiving anybody that beat me with the intention of killing me for insurance money. 

I absolutely adore my girls, but I couldn't get past something like this. I'm sure I'd still love them, but shit, you tried to end my life! Just, no. 

[gpw]

Nope. *sits next to cville*

[iammalcolmx]

They didn't just beat them, they poisoned them AND left the gas on so they could burn the house easily.

[sfy]

K. What I think is that these people poured their whole lives into their children and when faced with the fact that they raised murdering sociopaths who could spend their best years in jail, they couldn't handle it. I think this is more about ego than forgiveness, that they are embarrassed and that they just want them to be able to get on with the great lives they tried to provide for them. Rather than throw up their hands and admit they failed and their kids suck, they want to support them and get them back on track, even though the track was a sham.

Or they're vengeful bastards who want them sprung loose so they can beat the hell out of them and claim self-defense. I wouldn't be mad at that, but unfortunately, I don't think that's what's happening. Damn fools.

[5thofjuly]

Sept 20, 2015 15:17:37 GMT -5 borinquen57 said:

Sept 20, 2015 11:30:31 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

Maybe this is something I don't understand because I don't have kids, but I wouldn't be forgiving anybody that beat me with the intention of killing me for insurance money. 

I absolutely adore my girls, but I couldn't get past something like this. I'm sure I'd still love them, but shit, you tried to end my life! Just, no. 

I especially don't forgive you 10 minutes after you do so.

[CrazyLucky]

Sept 20, 2015 11:48:49 GMT -5 cville said:

This actually makes me feel more ambivalent about the cause of beating in the first place. I mean, obviously wrong, but if you're the kind of person who needs to declare your "unconditional" love "for the glory of God" in a press conference right after leaving the prison, it makes me inclined to think it may not all have been about insurance money but may also have stemmed from a weird home life. I'm suspicious of people who are overly showy in their religion. This is probably flameful.

Also, love of a child isn't the same thing as unconditional love or as forgiveness. You try to kill me for my money, I'm going to be looking at you sideways at least until the bruises heal, if not forever.

Someone stole all the AC units from my church this week.  The news interviewed my pastor and asked him what he would do if the thieves walked into church.  He said, "I would thank God for the opportunity to tell them 'You are forgiven!  God loves you!'"  He is an awesome pastor and just an incredible man.  Perhaps worshiping with him for the past ten years has made me less suspicious of people who proclaim their faith so readily.

I'd still love my kids after this, but it would take me a while to forgive them.  I would definitely be changing the will though!