Moijea: It's nice that you are so forgiving; it shows something about your character. However, this animal, for goodness sake, should have died much, much sooner. I'm a Christian yet don't put much stock into the whole bedside asking for forgiveness after a life of murder, perversion, and evil that has never been addressed and forgiveness has never been asked before. How is he even in his right mind? He is not on account on of his brain tumor. EVEN NOT IN HIS RIGHT MIND he was trying to get a law HE WROTE ABOLISHED JUST A FEW DAYS AGO so another leftist can get appointed!!! This animal has the blood of so many babies on his hands and played a real role in America's third-world affirmative action state we're in right now. He is to blame for huge parts of the 60's civil rights nonsense.
In my opinion, he deserved the chair.
You are right. In the Natural scheme of things, he was one of the worst of the worst. HOWEVER, we are NOT to judge the sin of others, we are to let G-d be the Judge of each man, because only He and He alone has the capacity to forgive such things, and the Holiness to justify it. Remember, we are ALL sinners, and Mr. Kennedy's sin against the unborn is no worse than our gossiping, IF we do that. THAT is why we must let G-d be the Judge, and not us. And I have NO doubt that HE is up to the challenge.
For instance, President Nixon did some pretty awful things in his lifetime, BUT one thing he DID do right, was send Golda Meir the help Israel needed when they needed it. For THIS, I believe the scales of G-d's Justice will balance in Nixon's favor. But very, VERY few folks see it that way here on earth.
Moija,
I mostly agree with you but basically people are judged based on their deeds, and public deeds are judged more severely than private misdeeds, and great people are judged more severely than simple people.
I have no problem judging people who openly and flagrantly violate the laws of G-d. There is a command to rebuke a sinner, and if they do not change their ways that we must cut him off. Ted Kennedy was an open and flagrant violator of the laws of G-d and he was not changed by any rebuke he received.
Jewish belief about repentence is a bit more based in deeds than in thoughts. A true penetant will not continue to sin after he has admitted that it was wrong to do it.
We just entered the month of Elul. This is a propitious time for Jews to ask for forgiveness for sins they have done. They should ask for forgiveness for the sins they committed against a fellow, and for sins committed against the L-rd himself. The 10 days between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur culminate the Teshuva period and we all confess the sins we committed personally and communally.
In poor Teds case he was playing the role of Satan, the holy prosecutor, and now he will be serving him in Gehinnom.