Many people can not even fathom the horrors and treatment that the Jewish population had to suffer throughout the Holocaust. Simon Welch, a holocaust survivor, had one experience that he would never forget. While working near a hospital, he was asked by a German soldier for forgiveness for his wrong deeds. Whelsiver did not give an answer, but many people have given their opinions and words on how they would have handled the matter. One of the many to discuss their thoughts is Harry James Cargas. Cargas was born on 18, 1932 in Hamtramck, Michigan. In the early 1950’s, he served in the Korean War. Later, he returned to his home country and attended University of Michigan to learn American Literature and English until 1958. Ten years later, he would complete a Ph.D at St. Louis University in English. His studies would influence him to write his book Daniel Berrigan and Contemporary Protest Poetry. Cargas then teacher at St. Louis university. In 1970, Cargas worked at Webster College, today called Webster University, where he would lecture about the holocaust, literature, writing, and religious studies. Other notable achievements include being the first Catholic ever appointed to the International Council of Yad Vashem and publishing a book in 1976 titled Harry James in Conversation with Elie Wiesel. Cargas was married to Mildred Rieder Cargas and had six children, Unfortunately, Gargas died at the age of 66 on August 18, 1998. Acevedo 2 Harry truman Cargas described his own take on what he would do if he was in Simon’s delima.
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Cargas begins by stating that he would want justice along with forgiveness because in his opinion, they exists along together. He then questions whether he or anyone could withstand whatever backlashes occur from justice. Cargas states his opinion by asking a reductio ad absurdum, “Should Adolf Hitler be forgiven?” Cargas informs the reader that Adolf Hitler held a ceremony to celebrate the Catholic population. This ceremony is questioned whether it was a charitable cause or if its true intentions were to continue the act of anti semitism. Cargas brings up the point that like forgiveness, reasons and actions can be misunderstood and misunderstood by the forgiver. Some things things that are done for charitable reasons could just as easily be done out of arrogance. Cargas also believes that those who ask for forgiveness set themselves below the and even gives power forgiver. Then he questions who is he to forgive because he cannot be compared to those who were harassed in the concentration camps and ghettos. He brings up the side that forgiveness is a virtue and it completes a person’s spiritual wholeness when someone forgives someone who wishes to be forgiven. However, some things just cannot be forgiven and the scenario that Simon went through is an example of one of those times. He begins clpsing his discussion by saying “For me the question is not can we forgive Karl or should we forgive Karl, but dare we do so?” He does not wish to hold Germans fully responsible for what they have done but he does nonetheless. Finally, he concludes by saying that if God wishes to forgive Karl, then that is God’s decision but he will not forgive. If I were in Simon’s predicament, I would have not exactly forgiven the SS Officer but acknowledge that he recognizes that he has done wrong and is trying to forge a good deed even if
Cargas begins by stating that he would want justice along with forgiveness because in his opinion, they exists along together. He then questions whether he or anyone could withstand whatever backlashes occur from justice. Cargas states his opinion by asking a reductio ad absurdum, “Should Adolf Hitler be forgiven?” Cargas informs the reader that Adolf Hitler held a ceremony to celebrate the Catholic population. This ceremony is questioned whether it was a charitable cause or if its true intentions were to continue the act of anti semitism. Cargas brings up the point that like forgiveness, reasons and actions can be misunderstood and misunderstood by the forgiver. Some things things that are done for charitable reasons could just as easily be done out of arrogance. Cargas also believes that those who ask for forgiveness set themselves below the and even gives power forgiver. Then he questions who is he to forgive because he cannot be compared to those who were harassed in the concentration camps and ghettos. He brings up the side that forgiveness is a virtue and it completes a person’s spiritual wholeness when someone forgives someone who wishes to be forgiven. However, some things just cannot be forgiven and the scenario that Simon went through is an example of one of those times. He begins clpsing his discussion by saying “For me the question is not can we forgive Karl or should we forgive Karl, but dare we do so?” He does not wish to hold Germans fully responsible for what they have done but he does nonetheless. Finally, he concludes by saying that if God wishes to forgive Karl, then that is God’s decision but he will not forgive. If I were in Simon’s predicament, I would have not exactly forgiven the SS Officer but acknowledge that he recognizes that he has done wrong and is trying to forge a good deed even if