Does God forgive Pol Pot?

That was the question posed by one of the men at our Christian Outreach dinner Saturday night.  Scott started the evening by sharing his testimony and how he accepted Christ after becoming a successful architect but still not feeling peace in his heart and instead feeling a longing that something was missing.  Afterwards, Tim Baker (a.k.a. Tim 2) shared the gospel with the audience of businessmen and community leaders.  The rest of us each sat at a separate table and explained why we were here in Cambodia all week and did our best to answer any questions anyone at our table raised about Christ and Christianity.  One of the questions that was asked was, “Does God forgive Pol Pot?”

From 1975-1979, an estimated 2 million people were killed in Cambodia under Pol Pot’s murderous Khmer Rouge régime.  I imagine it must be difficult for a new believer or someone just hearing the Gospel for the first time to grasp the concept that someone so evil could be completely forgiven so quickly…with no punishment?  To be quite honest, I myself started to question this just last week as I was quietly walking through the Tuol Sleng genocide museum and looking at all the human skulls, torture exhibits and photographs of what went on inside that horrible place. 

But was this man asking this question hypothetically, or did he perhaps have someone specific in mind? Was he honesty curious about Christianity’s basic tenants, or could he have had some secret he was concealing?  It is well known that the Khmer Rouge easily recruited young boys into their Communist ideology because teenagers are naturally rebellious and have a universal disdain towards “the establishment.”  Therefore, anyone presently in Cambodia over roughly 50 years of age would have been in their teens to early twenties from 1975-79 and could have easily been a member of the Khmer Rouge.

So, instead of asking “Does God forgive Pol Pot,” maybe this man still feels ashamed and was secretly asking “Will God forgive me for the horrible things I did under Pol Pot?”  I would imagine that if this man was a former Khmer Rouge soldier, it must be extremely hard for him to believe that he is worthy of God's total, unconditional forgiveness.  Of course, this is all purely speculation on my part, but you have to wonder.  It’s not very far outside the realm of possibility.

I would also imagine that if this man was a former Khmer Rouge soldier he must believe that what he may or may not have done from 1975-1979 shouldn’t be judged as harshly as what Pol Pot did.  After all, he was merely a rank & file soldier following orders whereas Pol Pot was the supreme commander – Brother Number One as he was called.  A lot of Nazis used that defense after World War II.  For some reason, to us sins seem like they should have degrees; and I’m sure the Cambodians are no different.  We think, “What I did wasn’t as bad as what he did.”  We assume a murderer is worse than an adulterer who is worse than a liar who is worse than someone who only thinks bad thoughts.  But in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus  says that not only those who kill, but also those who are angry and say evil things about others are guilty of sin…the same degree of sin.

But the way God views it, they are no different.  Pol Pot is just as guilty as the rank & file soldier who only killed one or two or three people.  He is just as guilty as the soldier who didn’t want to kill but was in fear of his life if he didn’t obey orders.  In fact, Pol Pot was just as guilty as me and the worst thing I ever did was… (you didn’t seriously think I’d list something, did you?).  And, if you’re reading this, Pol Pot was just as guilty as you.  And that’s a very hard concept to come to terms with.  How can that be?  We all want God to forgive our sins, but certainly not forgive someone like Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot, right?  Are they just too evil to "deserve" forgiveness?  Nope!  In fact, in God’s eyes, Pol Pot is just as guilty as us; and luckily, another concept just as hard to comprehend is that Pol Pot can be just as forgiven as you or me!