On Vengeance and Forgiveness

Okay, now we're going to talk theology/philosophy. Given the common grounding but divergent views of this group, I think this will be interesting.

Please excuse the sober post, but I was sparked to thought by this news item, on the murder of Jessica Lunsford, a young nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, and buried alive.

Earlier this week, I was watching with my parents Larry King. He had as his guest, Cindi Broadus, a woman who suffered severe chemical burns when someone dropped a bottle of sulfuric acid onto her car - from a freeway overpass. When asked, she said that she forgave her attacker.

Now, I have to say Ms. Broadus is a better person than I am.

I (and I imagine all of you) have been taught that we should forgive trespasses against us, that "vengeance is mine, saith the Lord." That the desire for payback is wrong, and unproductive.

I think I could forgive a trespass against me - it's my place, and my duty. But what about attacks against your loved ones? Family and friends? I would find it very hard to forgive an attack against my sister, or my parents. I would think it would be even harder were the victim my wife or children. (No, I don't have a wife or children. Why do you think I post so much?)

Is my forgiveness required? I wasn't hurt, but someone I loved was. Or is it okay to descend like an avenging angel and exact retribution?

My thinking is, what do you seek to do to the perpetrators, and why? If you seek to hurt them in order to "make them pay," that's wrong. But if you seek to stop them from hurting others, and are willing to use force to do so, that's okay. But that's an extreme case. More likely, law enforcement will handle the bringing them to justice. Am I under a duty to forgive in this case? Again, I'm a third party here, in that I was not harmed, but someone I love was. (I can see the argument why, as justice is being served, assuming they are convicted and reasonably sentenced.)

Please discuss in the comments. Feel free to (politely) debate.