Some of the Obstacles to Forgiveness in a Secular Society

U radu se ne prikazuje zasebna teorija oprosta iz neke strogo sekularne znanstvene discipline nasuprot onoj teološkoj (pod pretpostavkom da je to uopće moguće). Naprotiv, rad analizira prepreke i poteškoće u razumijevanju oprosta, a s njime i pomirenja, proizišle iz osnovnih obilježja suvremene kulture i stavova pojedinih građana. Terapeutska je kultura, uz naglašavanje individualizma, marginalizirala teološko shvaćanje oprosta, a s njom povezana tendencija natjecanja u viktimizaciji, čvrstim konstruktima žrtve i počinitelja, onemogućila je poslijeratnu obnovu društva. Uz to, terminološke nejasnoće oko pojma oprost javljaju se kao oblik samoispunjavajućeg proroštva, proroštva one vrste koja potvrđuje vlast pogreške. Nakon predstavljanja nekih obilježja modernog društva, nadasve terapeutske kulture i s njome olakšanog natjecanja u viktimizaciji (stradanju), rad analizira određene terminološke nejasnoće vezane za pojam oprosta. Zaključno je predstavljena teorija nadređenog identiteta koji slabi nepropusne konstrukte identiteta žrtve i počinitelja, čime olakšava procese oprosta i pomirenja, a u cilju poslijeratne obnove zajedništva.The paper does not present a separate theory of forgiveness from a strictly secular scientific discipline as contrary to a theological one (presuming it is possible at all). On the contrary, the paper analyses the obstacles and difficulties in understanding forgiveness, and with it reconciliation, arising from the basic features of contemporary culture and the attitudes of individual citizens. Therapeutic culture, with an emphasis on individualism, has marginalized the theological understanding of forgiveness, and its associated tendency to compete in victimization, the rigid constructs of victim and perpetrator, made post-war reconstruction impossible. Besides, terminological vagueness about the concept of forgiveness appears as a form of self-fulfilling prophecy, a prophecy of the kind that affirms the power of error. After presenting some features of modern society, especially the therapeutic culture and with it facilitated competition in victimization (suffering), the paper analyses certain terminological ambiguities related to the concept of forgiveness. In conclusion, the theory of superior identity is presented, which weakens the impenetrable constructs of the identity of the victim and the perpetrator, thus facilitating the processes of forgiveness and reconciliation, with the aim of post-war renewal of communion