I'm not sure an apology for murdering my family would be heard without a lot of anger and resentment. Other concepts such as revenge, retribution and other sentiments would likely also come to into play regardless of sincerity.

You make a good point about the snarky critique though. Having looked through a few of the dead comments on this post, a lot of people are very rigid about sensitivity training. There are a lot of parallels with SJW causes in how this is being approached.

(I am not equating those parallels with the validity of sensitivity training, only the rabid nature of the defence against criticism thereof I have seen).

Yeah, and the proper response to that killer is not, "you apologized incorrectly". It's just completely irrelevant. The later half of my post assumed you are ready to forgive.

The Amish have industrial strength belief in the power of forgiveness. The mind boggles at the power of their belief. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/02/amish-shooti...

Think carefully. Is there anybody who you have known who has wronged you or those you care about in such a way that, even if they were to apologize to you, you might not accept the apology if it failed to move you?

Sure, the folks quoted in the article might be irritating in tone, but the concept is not without considerability.

No. If I'm ready to forgive someone I do it. If I'm not, I don't. I'm not going to put someone through some stupid kind of eloquence litmus test when I decide whether to accept their apology.

Not even...say..looking you in the eyes?

If so, that's weak, man.

What's weak is being swayed that someone is deserving of forgiveness by their words if I don't feel that in my heart. Sorry if that was sarcasm.