My Book About God — Page 47
47 provided that your forgiveness results in reformation and does not encourage him to commit even greater crimes. If you are kind to a thief, he will surely continue to steal from other people or may even kill for money. So by being kind to him, you in fact become unkind to society. You are also unkind to him by encouraging him to com- mit further crimes and making him a hardened criminal. It is evident, therefore, that the exercise of mercy and kindness requires prudence and wisdom. Let me tell you a story, which my mother told me when I was a child. Once a habitual thief, who had turned into a mur- derer, was brought to trial and condemned to death. As was the custom in those days, he was granted his last wish.