Footnote

a However, Jehovah does take other factors into account when weighing forgiveness. For instance, if a wrongdoer is ignorant of God’s standards, such ignorance may lessen the burden of guilt. When Jesus asked his Father to forgive his executioners, Jesus evidently was speaking of the Roman soldiers who put him to death. They ‘did not know what they were doing,’ being ignorant of who he really was. However, the religious leaders who were behind that execution bore far greater guilt​—and for many of them, no forgiveness was possible.​—John 11:45-53; compare Acts 17:30.