Most Americans have a desire
for more forgiveness in their lives, but they are more critical when choosing
who to forgive, according to a new survey.
Sixty-two percent of
American adults said they need more forgiveness in their personal lives, and 94
percent wanted to see more forgiveness in the country, according to a study by
the Michigan-based Fetzer Institute.
“Americans express a
near-universal desire for a more loving and unified world,” said the “Survey of
Love and Forgiveness in American Society,” released Oct. 28.
Researchers found that even
though the U.S. is composed of people who are usually forgiving, more than half
of Americans said there are situations where people should never be forgiven,
including abuse, sexual crimes, murder and other intentionally committed
crimes.
The survey found that a
majority of Americans also believe forgiveness is conditional: 60 percent said “forgiving
someone would first depend on the offender apologizing and making changes.”
Most people said they sought
the advice of friends and family rather than religious leaders when grappling
with issues of forgiveness, while one in four said they did not know where to
go for help with spiritual needs, and a third of them struggle with
spirituality.
While most Americans are not
running to churches and religious leaders for guidance with forgiveness and
other personal issues, 60 percent said they are more spiritual now than they
were five years ago.
These findings were based on
an online survey conducted by StrategyOne, which was taken Aug. 4-15 by 1,000
U.S. adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.