Forgiveness and 'Spin Sorrow'

For Jews, Forgiveness Isn't Always Cut and Dried

Ansley Roan compares the Jewish concept of forgiveness with the spate of recent public apologies from such headliners as Mel Gibson and Senator George Allen, in this week's full text RNS article, linked above.

Quote:

Public apologies by public figures are often driven by public opinion, said L. Gregory Jones, dean of Duke University's Divinity School.

"It's what I call `spin sorrow,'" he said. "It's a public relations spin to construct a carefully worded apology that often says something like 'I'm sorry people's feelings were hurt.'"