Updated July 21, 2021 779 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Lent and coronavirus (what is this?) are two excellent reasons to talk about repentance.
This topic is very important for Russian culture; it runs like a red thread through all Russian literature.
Today we will talk about how to write an essay on the topic “Repentance”.
Repentance is...
The concept of “repentance” is closely related to the theme of sin and repentance. It relates to the phenomena of spiritual life and is cognized in the system of moral coordinates.
Repentance is a person’s awareness of his imperfection, bitter regret for his actions and the desire for spiritual renewal.
In a word, in order to feel remorse, you need to experience a feeling of deep guilt, sincere regret about what happened . Only after this will a desire arise in the human soul to improve, to start a new life.
In Christianity, the main cleansing action for the repentant is the Sacrament of Confession.
By confessing his sin to God, a Christian expresses the will to say goodbye forever to bad thoughts and deeds that led to sin. He not only admits what he did, but also vows not to return to it in the future.
Deep, sincere repentance transforms a person’s soul, completely changing him.
Everyone can experience this state, but for some, to realize guilt, it is enough to listen to the voice of conscience, while others need a push from the outside world, some kind of retribution in the form of an event indicating that it is impossible to go further along the same path.
Active repentance - freedom from responsibility
A. SAVKIN A. Savkin, candidate of legal sciences. In the very recent past, there were often criminal cases in which persons who honestly spoke about the crime they had committed and showed active repentance were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, while criminals who did not admit their guilt were subjected to less severe punishment or avoided responsibility altogether. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the provisions of Art. 75, providing for exemption from criminal liability in connection with active repentance. According to Part 1 of Art. 75 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a person who has shown active repentance may be released from criminal liability if he has committed a crime of minor gravity for the first time, i.e. an act for which a punishment not exceeding two years of imprisonment is provided. Such a person may be released from criminal liability for committing crimes of another category in cases specifically provided for by the relevant articles of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In Art. 75 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the concept of “active repentance” is defined as a confession, assistance in solving a crime, compensation for damage caused or another way of making amends for the harm caused as a result of a crime (naturally, in cases where the damage can still be compensated and the harm can be made up for). Two or more signs of active repentance must be considered in their totality, their unity, interconnection and interdependence. The presence of only one of them is no longer understood as active repentance, but as a separate circumstance mitigating responsibility. Each of the signs of active repentance is a confession, assistance in solving a crime, making amends for the harm caused by the crime, in accordance with paragraphs “i”, “k” of Part 1 of Art. 61 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is a mitigating circumstance. The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation also provides specific legal guarantees for mitigating criminal liability in the event of active repentance of the person who committed the crime. According to the provisions of Art. 62 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, if a person has a set of mitigating circumstances that constitute active repentance, and there are no aggravating circumstances, the term or amount of punishment cannot exceed three quarters of the maximum term or amount of the most severe type of punishment provided for by the relevant article of the Criminal Code. According to Art. 64 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it is also possible to assign a more lenient punishment than provided for this crime - in the presence of exceptional circumstances. These can be either individual mitigating circumstances or their combination, i.e. active repentance. In addition, when assigning punishment upon a jury verdict on leniency (Article 65 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which a person who has shown active repentance may deserve, the term and amount of the punishment cannot exceed two-thirds of the maximum term or amount of the most severe type of punishment provided for crime committed. If the crime committed is punishable by death or life imprisonment, these types of punishment are not applied. Punishment for a person deserving special leniency is imposed according to the rules on imposing a punishment more lenient than that provided for the commission of this crime (Article 64 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation highlights rules on the release from criminal liability of persons who have shown active repentance and participated in illegal armed groups (note to Article 208 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation); persons who have committed crimes related to drug trafficking (note to Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), as well as crimes related to the manufacture of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices (notes to Articles 222, 223 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Persons who have actively repented in the cases specified in the law are subject to release from criminal liability if they have committed high treason, espionage (note to Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) or giving a bribe (note to Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). A person who participated in an illegal armed formation is exempt from criminal liability provided that he voluntarily ceased participation in it, surrendered his weapons, and his actions do not contain elements of another crime. According to the law, the conditions for exemption from criminal liability for persons who have committed crimes related to illegal trafficking in weapons or drugs include their voluntary surrender of the items specified in Art. Art. 222, 223 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A person who gives a bribe is exempt from criminal liability if he voluntarily reported giving a bribe to an authority that has the right to initiate a criminal case, or if there was extortion of a bribe by an official. For committing high treason or espionage, a person is exempt from criminal liability if he voluntarily and timely reported to the authorities or otherwise contributed to the prevention of further damage to the interests of the Russian Federation and if his actions do not contain another crime. The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for exemption from criminal liability for other crimes, in particular, for kidnapping, if the person voluntarily released the kidnapped person (note to Article 126 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), in the case of commercial bribery, if the person voluntarily reported the bribery to an authority having the right initiate a criminal case, or there has been extortion against him (note to Article 204 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Persons who participated in the preparation of an act of terrorism are also subject to exemption from criminal liability if they, by timely warning the authorities or in another way, contributed to the prevention of the crime (note to Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In the event of hostage taking, a person is released from criminal liability if he voluntarily or at the request of the authorities released the hostage (note to Article 206 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In accordance with the note to Art. 307 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for the first time provides for the exemption from criminal liability of a witness, victim, expert or translator if they voluntarily, during the inquiry, preliminary investigation or trial, before a verdict or court decision, declared the falsity of their testimony, conclusion or deliberately incorrect translation. A mandatory condition for exemption from criminal liability in the above cases is the manifestation by a person of one form or another of active repentance. The essence of active repentance lies in the fact that the person who committed the crime admits his guilt and repents of his deed not only in words, but also confirms this with specific actions and deeds. Active repentance is the unconditionally positive behavior of a person, as a rule, after committing a crime. It is expressed in the totality of a person’s active actions and is not limited only to the moral and mental state of the person who committed the crime: self-experience and self-condemnation are not enough here. The behavior of the person must be active and expressed outwardly. You can judge a person and his behavior only by the actions he has committed (performed). At the same time, active repentance is undoubtedly characterized by deep inner feelings, regret about what was done, full admission of guilt and truthful testimony, awareness of the social danger of the act, and a negative assessment of what was done. It can be caused by such feelings as shame, conscience, awareness and understanding of responsibility for the crime committed, civic duty, one’s own critical assessment of one’s behavior, as well as respect for public rules of behavior, morality and law. Active repentance can also occur as a result of illness, reluctance to lose previous relationships and connections in the work team and subsequently be left alone, or lose the trust of loved ones. Often, repentance is caused by such motives as fear of punishment, the desire to be freed from criminal liability or to mitigate punishment, which becomes the result of an understanding of the rules of the law and beliefs on the part of law enforcement officers. The subject of active repentance is a natural, sane person who has reached the legal age for criminal prosecution for committing a specific crime. Naturally, this may be the person who committed the crime, and not his “representatives,” relatives and acquaintances or strangers. Positive “post-criminal activity” must take place on the part of the person who committed the crime, or be carried out with his active participation. The personal nature of participation in such activities is necessary. At the same time, in some cases, the subject of active repentance cannot commit such actions himself (for example, being sick or arrested) and has the right to entrust them to third parties, but at the same time he himself must show appropriate initiative and activity. The subjective side of active repentance is the mental attitude towards the socially useful “post-criminal acts” committed (conscious motives, feelings and emotions). A necessary element of active repentance is voluntariness, which presupposes that a person has freedom of choice in a specific situation. If admission of guilt and repentance occur under the influence of mental or physical violence or illegal methods of investigation and inquiry, then such repentance is forced. In this case, it is by no means evidence of a genuine awareness of guilt and repentance for what was done and does not entail incentive measures provided for by law. Often in this category of cases, subsequently (in court) defendants refuse to admit guilt and repentance that took place during the preliminary investigation. With active repentance, the subject is aware of the nature of the actions he committed and wants to prevent the consequences of the crime and make amends for the harm caused. At the same time, repentance can also occur with incomplete control of consciousness and will by the guilty person (in the form of an affective behavioral act), without awareness of the corresponding criminal legal consequences. Such behavior does not lose its legal significance and must be taken into account when individualizing responsibility. The object of active repentance is a specific criminal act, caused property, material or moral harm. The content of the object of active repentance is determined by the composition of the object of the corresponding crime, as well as the nature of the socially dangerous consequences that have occurred or may occur. The object of active repentance can be not only harm included in the crime as a constructive sign of its objective side, but also other harmful socially dangerous consequences that lie beyond the scope of the crime. The objective side of active repentance is the specific actions from which it is composed, their consequences, the causal relationship between actions and consequences, as well as the time and method of performing actions. The objective side of active repentance may include: giving evidence of an admission of guilt and repentance for the crime committed; confession; preventing the harmful consequences of a crime; active assistance in solving crimes; making amends for the harm caused. At the same time, failed attempts to make amends for the harm caused and prevent a criminal result should also be considered signs of active repentance. Active repentance must be distinguished from self-incrimination, as well as from a kind of erroneous active repentance, which consists in the fact that a person repents of committing an act that formally falls under the elements of a crime, but is actually not criminal. Such repentance can occur, for example, in case of road traffic accidents committed not through the fault of the driver, in the process of action in conditions of necessary defense or extreme necessity. Often, persons who have committed a crime, trying to avoid deserved punishment, imitate active repentance. By admitting their guilt and repenting of the crime committed, such persons do not objectively confirm their regret for what they have done. In this regard, the fact of active repentance, as a set of mitigating circumstances, is undoubtedly subject to careful study and proof during the preliminary investigation and in court. In practice, cases of active repentance may occur even in the absence of certain signs of it, for example, when the suspect did not have time to confess and was detained at the crime scene. However, even in this case, the suspect can show active repentance, fully admitting his guilt and repenting of his deeds, voluntarily making amends for the harm caused by the crime and actively contributing to the investigation. Speaking about the time of realization of active repentance, it can be noted: it takes place, as a rule, after the end of the criminal act, and in some cases at the stage of the completed attempt. The methods can be very different. The only condition: they must only be legal and legitimate. Repentance can occur at any stage of the criminal process. Active repentance, in my opinion, can manifest itself both before the guilty party is exposed and after evidence is presented to him of committing a crime. However, depending on the stage of the criminal process at which it took place, repentance will be assessed differently by the investigation and the court, and will have a different impact on the degree of criminal liability and the degree of punishment. LINKS TO LEGAL ACTS
“CRIMINAL CODE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION” dated June 13, 1996 N 63-FZ (adopted by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on May 24, 1996) Russian justice, N 12, 1997
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How to write an essay on the topic “What is repentance”
At the beginning of your essay, it’s a good idea to remember quotes (what is this?) about repentance. You can choose your favorites here: Based on them, write a few of your own theses (how is that?) that set the tone for the conversation.
For example: “Repentance is necessary in order to wash away the dirt that has stuck to it from the soul. Just as they wash windows in the spring, they cleanse the heart with tears of repentance. Then it becomes clear and transparent like glass.”
In the second paragraph (the main part) you need to illustrate your points with examples from the literature .
Remember the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Sholokhov, Rasputin: all the suffering egoists and reflective characters , all the heroes with a “break” and a “wormhole”. All of them, as a rule, regret something. Otherwise there would be no point in talking about them.
In the last paragraph, draw a conclusion about why repentance is given to a person. The essay will look more advantageous if you say a few words on your own behalf .
For example: “I also felt guilty more than once. I am ashamed of one of the actions that turned my life upside down. Perhaps, if I had not said rash words then, my friend would still be around.”
Examples of repentance from literature
Now let's see how the theme of repentance is reflected in literature. The arguments found (what is this?) will decorate our essay and generally allow us to find support in this issue.
The work that immediately comes to mind is F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “ Crime and Punishment .” Everyone knows its plot, connected with the murder of an old pawnbroker by student Rodion Raskolnikov.
Using this example in the essay, we must remember that Raskolnikov did not commit a crime out of self-interest. For him, it was important to “transcend”, to break the prohibitions imposed by religion and public morality. The young man thought that he would change society by destroying one of the useless (and even harmful, in his opinion) creatures.
However, the spilled blood weighed heavily on his conscience (how is that?). Raskolnikov became ill, breaking the laws of humanity within himself. He realized that he had no right to control other people's lives. Thoughts about what he had done and his acquaintance with Sonya Marmeladova gradually made him repent.
Raskolnikov found the way to God through sin, the severity of retribution and hard labor.
In every work of Dostoevsky there is an example of repentance. If you have not read Crime and Punishment, pay attention to the novel The Brothers Karamazov .
Three brothers Ivan, Dmitry and Alyosha, as well as their illegitimate paternal brother, lackey Smerdyakov, are indirectly involved in the murder of their father, Fyodor Karamazov. The detective background of the story is complicated by the fact that at some point each of the brothers begins to feel guilty for what happened.
A man of reason, Ivan conducts conversations with the devil, trying to understand whether he loved or did not love his father, could or could not commit murder. The motif of duality, characteristic of all of Dostoevsky’s work, is used.
The temperamental Mitya, whose character personifies the extremes of the Russian soul, also feels repentance: he was his father’s rival in love and more than once wished his death in his thoughts. Even the younger brother, novice Alyosha, feels his involvement in this terrible death: he could not prevent the evil.
Only Smerdyakov, whose hands committed the murder, does not feel remorse: he is too primitive for this. The interweaving of penitential motives creates a unique kaleidoscope of Russian characters.
Finally, a classic example of repentance can be considered the episode of the meeting of Onegin and Tatyana in St. Petersburg in Pushkin’s novel “ Eugene Onegin ”.
Having rejected the love of a young girl, Eugene leaves the village for the right to remain free. Many years later, seeing Tatyana as a brilliant married lady, he calls his freedom “hateful.” Evgeny is bitter to realize that the time when he was loved has passed, that Tatyana will not break the vow made at the wedding.
Pushkin says nothing about the hero’s feeling of guilt before the murdered Lensky. The novel remained unfinished, and therefore Onegin’s character, even in the last chapters, does not seem deep enough.
But Eugene’s renewed view of the world, his capacity for love, tell us about changes in his soul and sincere repentance.
Why is it important to admit your mistakes?
In the human mind, the idea that he can be mistaken, that he can make a mistake, gives rise to the most severe resistance, which is easily explained by the mind being overcrowded with cognitive distortions, as if shouting: “You are right, so do not take into account any arguments that indicate the opposite.”
The following are common cognitive distortions:
– confirmation bias (people tend to pay attention and remember only those data that support their views, other information is simply ignored);
– illusion of truth (a person believes that he understands and evaluates an event more correctly and more intelligently than others);
– anchoring or anchoring effect (when an individual relies excessively on one piece of information and forms his own views solely on such information).
However, the ability to hear outside opinions, take them into account, and rethink one’s own position can qualitatively improve one’s life.
People who are willing to reconsider their own views and are capable of genuine repentance are less likely to worry and are less likely to suffer from depressive moods.
What is repentance and why is it necessary? This is an admission of bad deeds committed and regret for one’s own misdeeds. Of course, admitting mistakes alone cannot change the past, but it can help cleanse the soul. This is important for the possibility of personal self-improvement.
That's what repentance is in a nutshell. This is something without which personal progress, growth, and self-development will be impossible.
