The car he was driving had skidded off the road and flipped over in a ditch. The woman who was with him had been seriously injured. No charges had been laid and no one had ever said that it was Tony's fault. "But," Father Tony explained, "I was sure that everyone secretly blamed me and thought that I was a bad driver. I wanted to prove to the world – or at least to myself – that I knew what I was doing behind the wheel. I started driving faster and more recklessly, just to show that I could handle a car. I reached the point where none of my friends would ride with me. Then that happened," he said, pointing to the picture. "I was in the hospital for a long time. I'm lucky I came out alive. "While I was in the hospital, an evangelical minister used to come and visit me. He said my problem was that I was a sinner who was refusing the Lord's forgiveness. At first I just thought he was crazy. But I had a lot of time to think while I was lying in traction, and I began to think that maybe he was right. I knew I had never forgiven myself for the accident that paralyzed Rachel. As I lay in that bed, I began to see that because I hadn't forgiven myself, I kept doing more and more stupid things. I wanted to punish myself or to prove that what I did wasn't really that bad. The accident was the starting point for one long line of failures. I started to see that unless I found a way to put that accident behind me for good, things would just keep getting worse." "So what did you do?" “Since I didn't know what else to do, I started to pray for forgiveness." Ouray had been leaning forward listening intently, but when Father Tony mentioned prayer, he slumped back into the chair and recrossed his arms. "I should have known that's what a priest would do." “I wasn't a priest then, Ouray. In fact, I wasn't very interested in God. I was just a university student who didn't like the way his life was going and who wanted to do something about it." “Yeah, but what could prayer do?" “Among other things, it could change my attitude in a way nothing else could." And that was the beginning of Ouray and Father Tony's friendship. Father Tony helped Ouray to understand that forgiving yourself isn't easy, but since everyone messes up sometime in their life it's something everyone needs to learn how to do. "Everyone has two choices," Father Tony said. “They can refuse to forgive themselves, like Judas, and be remembered forever as failures; or they can accept forgiveness and forgive themselves, like Peter, and become better people because of their mistakes." Ouray didn't change overnight. His tough act had become part of who he was; he couldn't just drop it. Eventually, however, he did stop looking for punishment everywhere he went. He also stopped doing things just to prove himself, and he became better at accepting his own failures and the failures of others. I guess you could say that Ouray eventually decided he would rather be like Peter than like Judas. Reflection Questions 1. Why couldn't Ouray forgive himself? 2. When is it hardest to forgive ourselves?
The car he was driving had skidded off the road and flipped over in a ditch. The woman who was with him had been seriously injured. No charges had been laid and no one had ever said that it was Tony's fault. "But," Father Tony explained, "I was sure that everyone secretly blamed me and thought that I was a bad driver. I wanted to prove to the world – or at least to myself – that I knew what I was doing behind the wheel. I started driving faster and more recklessly, just to show that I could handle a car. I reached the point where none of my friends would ride with me. Then that happened," he said, pointing to the picture. "I was in the hospital for a long time. I'm lucky I came out alive. "While I was in the hospital, an evangelical minister used to come and visit me. He said my problem was that I was a sinner who was refusing the Lord's forgiveness. At first I just thought he was crazy. But I had a lot of time to think while I was lying in traction, and I began to think that maybe he was right. I knew I had never forgiven myself for the accident that paralyzed Rachel. As I lay in that bed, I began to see that because I hadn't forgiven myself, I kept doing more and more stupid things. I wanted to punish myself or to prove that what I did wasn't really that bad. The accident was the starting point for one long line of failures. I started to see that unless I found a way to put that accident behind me for good, things would just keep getting worse." "So what did you do?" “Since I didn't know what else to do, I started to pray for forgiveness." Ouray had been leaning forward listening intently, but when Father Tony mentioned prayer, he slumped back into the chair and recrossed his arms. "I should have known that's what a priest would do." “I wasn't a priest then, Ouray. In fact, I wasn't very interested in God. I was just a university student who didn't like the way his life was going and who wanted to do something about it." “Yeah, but what could prayer do?" “Among other things, it could change my attitude in a way nothing else could." And that was the beginning of Ouray and Father Tony's friendship. Father Tony helped Ouray to understand that forgiving yourself isn't easy, but since everyone messes up sometime in their life it's something everyone needs to learn how to do. "Everyone has two choices," Father Tony said. “They can refuse to forgive themselves, like Judas, and be remembered forever as failures; or they can accept forgiveness and forgive themselves, like Peter, and become better people because of their mistakes." Ouray didn't change overnight. His tough act had become part of who he was; he couldn't just drop it. Eventually, however, he did stop looking for punishment everywhere he went. He also stopped doing things just to prove himself, and he became better at accepting his own failures and the failures of others. I guess you could say that Ouray eventually decided he would rather be like Peter than like Judas. Reflection Questions 1. Why couldn't Ouray forgive himself? 2. When is it hardest to forgive ourselves?
Social Psychology (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Chapter1: Introducing Social Psychology
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RQ1
Related questions
Question
PLEASE READ AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ATTACHED :))
Expert Solution
This question has been solved!
Explore an expertly crafted, step-by-step solution for a thorough understanding of key concepts.
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps
Recommended textbooks for you
Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780134641287
Author:
Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:
Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780393639407
Author:
Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis…
Sociology
ISBN:
9781305503076
Author:
Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780134641287
Author:
Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:
Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780393639407
Author:
Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis…
Sociology
ISBN:
9781305503076
Author:
Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien…
Sociology
ISBN:
9780134477596
Author:
Saferstein, Richard
Publisher:
PEARSON
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780134205571
Author:
James M. Henslin
Publisher:
PEARSON
Society: The Basics (14th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:
9780134206325
Author:
John J. Macionis
Publisher:
PEARSON