I mostly agree with you, Musket. Regarding forgiveness being subjective - I guess my answer is I suppose it depends on what one means by forgiveness. Also think there is both a more abstract notion of forgiveness that is philosophically based, and a more personal concept that impacts one emotionally, and is applied to personal relationships. Those personal relationships may vary from tenuous to very close, but certainly effect our behaviors toward others that fall anywhere within the realm of our personal circles. One of the main variables may be at what distance is knowing or knowledge of a person and their circumstances distant enough to not be experienced as personal, combined with what was/is the nature of that relationship, the personal harm done or not done, and one's intimate knowledge of the either the person or the circumstances that surrounded the transgression - not to mention the nature of the transgression.

Maybe Jeri said it best early on in this thread.