History Main / GoAndSinNoMore

--> Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

** If there is ever a case of debate over including a formerly [[TokenEvilTeammate Evil]] SixthRanger and [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Tommy Oliver]] is around, he will be a solid vote for the new member's inclusion (Kat, who replaced Kimberly as the second Pink Ranger, and [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Trent Mercer]] are notably vouched for by Tommy). Usually his justification is that he was given a shot when he was in the same position. Most antagonist [[SixthRanger Sixth Rangers]] in Power Rangers get this treatment.

* Done to [[spoiler:the corrupt police chief]] in ''Literature/TheCavesOfSteel'' by Creator/IsaacAsimov. Instead of arresting [[spoiler:the chief]] for the [[spoiler:(accidental, as it turns out)]] murder of a pro-robot, pro-space travel scientist, Elijah and Daneel tell [[spoiler:him]] to rally support for robots and space travel among the Luddite "Medievalists" he worked with. Daneel uses the exact words "Go and sin no more" as Elijah had told him the story of the TropeNamer before.
** ''Literature/TheNakedSun'' has a similar ending: the blame for the murder ends up falling on the person who manipulated events in order to cause the murder to happen, instead of the person who actually struck the killing blow.

* SubvertedTrope in ''[[Literature/SwordOfTruth Wizard's First Rule]]''. Richard forgives [[spoiler:his brother Michael]] for everything he did to him. However, Richard still has him beheaded as he does not forgive him for crimes he committed against others, feeling he doesn't have the right to. While reasonable, Michael doesn't get to have a trial, either.

* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': {{Justified|Trope}} at the end of the prequel ''Clariel''. [[spoiler:Clariel uses BlackMagic in desperation to get revenge on her parents' murderers, goes DrunkOnTheDarkSide, and becomes an UnwittingPawn of two malevolent spirits, yet pulls a near-HeroicSacrifice to subdue them at the end. Because of this, her friends help her escape into exile with [[BroughtDownToNormal her magic bound]] rather than let the Queen execute her. She genuinely means to live a simple life in the woods, but it's her StartOfDarkness as the legendary sorcerer Chlorr of the Mask.]]

* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': {{Justified|Trope}} at the end of the prequel ''Clariel''. [[spoiler:Clariel uses BlackMagic in desperation to get revenge on her parents' murderers, goes DrunkOnTheDarkSide, and becomes an UnwittingPawn of two malevolent spirits, yet risks her life to try to subdue them at the end. Because of this, her friends help her escape into exile with [[BroughtDownToNormal her magic bound]] rather than let the Queen execute her. She genuinely hopes to live a simple life in the woods, but it's her StartOfDarkness as the legendary sorcerer Chlorr of the Mask.]]

* This is a plot-point in ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''. [[spoiler:Comstock'd sinful past of war-crimes and heinous acts against Native Americans led to him deciding to accept a baptism in order to wash away his sins and become a new, virtuous man. However, he misinterpreted the "Go Forth and Sin No More" line to mean "you are now ''unable'' to sin no matter what you do" instead of "stop sinning, you asshole". This led him to commit even ''worse'' acts, believing [[TautologicalTemplar they were virtuous acts just because he was the one doing them]]]].

* This is a plot-point in ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''. [[spoiler:Booker's sinful past of war-crimes and heinous acts against Native Americans led to him deciding to accept a baptism in order to wash away his sins and become a new, virtuous man. However, he misinterpreted the "Go Forth and Sin No More" line to mean "you are now ''unable'' to sin no matter what you do" instead of "stop sinning, you asshole". This led him to commit even ''worse'' acts, believing [[TautologicalTemplar they were virtuous acts just because he was the one doing them]]]].

* In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions to set up {{MortonsFork}}s: if the question was answered the one or other way then Jesus could be accused of either not following Jewish religious law (e.g. about helping people) or secular Jewish law (e.g. the Sabbath); and answering yet others (e.g. about taxes) could also mean trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus' specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Creator/RembrandtVanRijn Rembrandt's]] painting of [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the trope namer]][[note]]You can see the full picture [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_025.jpg here]][[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Rembrandt's painting of [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the trope namer]][[note]]You can see the full picture [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_025.jpg here]][[/note]]]]

The villain has either been defeated or acknowledges the error of his ways. He surrenders to the hero, [[GetItOverWith expecting to be killed]] or punished in some other way. Instead, the hero lets him go, telling him to repent for his crimes by doing good deeds. \\
This usually turns the villain into TheAtoner and sends him on a RedemptionQuest. \\
May overlap with ThePunishmentIsTheCrime in cases where the hero decides that the villain has been sufficiently punished by his [[HeelRealization own]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone remorse]] or other [[HoistByHisOwnPetard harmful]] [[LaserGuidedKarma consequences]] of his deeds. \\
Time may eventually subvert this, and show that the hero really intended CruelMercy, or worse, [[PacifismBackfire the villain may just go doing more sin]]. On the other hand, if RousseauWasRight, then the villain may very well reform themselves and become a force for good in the world. \\
This is a common tactic of TheRedeemer. \\
The {{Trope Namer|s}} is a story in ''Literature/TheBible'' in which UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} releases an adulteress rather than stone her to death (which would have been common at the time). Easy, then, to see why the hero who bestows this mercy is often a MessianicArchetype or AllLovingHero.\\

* The TropeNamer is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery from]] ''Literature/TheBible''. In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions in attempts to set up {{MortonsFork}}s: if the question was answered the one or other way then Jesus could be accused of either not following Jewish religious law (e.g. about helping people) or secular Jewish law (e.g. the Sabbath); and answering yet others (e.g. about taxes) could also mean trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus' specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\
In this instance, Jesus was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. He wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' was written on the ground was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], an educated guess as to what non-random thing it might have been is that what Jesus wrote were the names of those asking the question - a direct reference to the words of Jeremiah:

** This was - as the people of the time were certainly familiar with Jeremiah - a not so subtlle way of telling the ones asking that by instrumentalising God to set up a trap they, also, had strayed from the word of God and should be ashamed of themselves (and hence should also be punished, according to their own logic). After obviously pointing the accusers at this, Jesus invites anyone who thinks it is not applicable to:

** When Jesus [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumes writing]] afterwards one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the earlier reminder of the symbolic meaning of names written in the dust, and more of giving the would-be accusers [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they did. After the crowd had dispersed, Jesus[[note]]who according to Christian tradition ''could'' have cast said stone[[/note]] told the accused that if no one else had condemned her on those terms, then neither would He; and to [[TitleDrop go and sin no more]].

* The ''Film/{{TRON}}'' fic ''Fanfic/ThroughADiamondSky'' features a bit more literal case than most. The villain's {{Dragon}} has second thoughts and switches sides to help the heroes and captured Isos. She fully expects Flynn to de-rez her, but Flynn has other ideas, giving her a directive to seek out other Programs and Isos who are in danger of losing their way like she did, and finishing it up by quoting the trope namer.

** This was - as the people of the time were certainly familiar with Jeremiah - a not so subtlle way of telling the ones asking that they, also, had strayed from the word of God and should be ashamed of themselves (and hence should also be punished, according to their own logic). After obviously pointing the accusers at this, Jesus invites anyone who thinks it is not applicable to:

In this instance, Jesus was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. He wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' was written on the ground was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], an educated guess as to what non-random thing it might have been is that what Jesus wrote were the names of those asking the question - a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

In this instance, Jesus was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. He wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' was written on the ground was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], an educated guess as to what non-random thing it might have been is that Jesus wrote the names of those asking the question - a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

Time may eventually subvert this, and show that the hero really intended CruelMercy, or worse, [[PacifismBackfire the villain may just go doing more sin]]. On the other hand, if RousseauWasRight, then the villain may very well reform themselves and become a force for good in the world.

This is a common tactic of TheRedeemer.

The {{Trope Namer|s}} is a story in ''Literature/TheBible'' in which UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} releases an adulteress rather than stone her to death (which would have been common at the time). Easy, then, to see why the hero who bestows this mercy is often a MessianicArchetype or AllLovingHero.

In this instance, Jesus was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. He wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' was written on the ground was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], an educated guess as to what non-random thing it might have been is what Jesus wrote were the names of those asking the question - a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

** When Jesus [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumes writing]] afterwards one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the earlier reminder of the symbolic meaning of names written in the dust, and more of giving the would-be accusers [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they did. After the crowd had dispersed, Jesus (who according to Christian tradition ''could'' have cast said stone) told the accused that if no one else had condemned her on those terms, then neither would He; and to [[TitleDrop go and sin no more]].

** This was - as the people of the time were certainly familiar with Jeremiah - a not so subtlle way of telling the ones asking that they, also, had strayed from the word of God and should be ashamed of themselves (and hence should also be punished, according to their own logic). After obviously pointing the accusers at this, Jesus invites anyone who thinks it is not applicable:

** When Jesus [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumes writing]] afterwards one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the earlier reminder of the symbolic meaning of names written in the dust, and more of giving the would-be accusers [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they did.\\
After the crowd had dispersed, Jesus (who according to Christian tradition ''could'' have cast said stone) told the accused that if no one else had condemned her on those terms, then neither would He; and told her the trope name.
* If you identify "the hero" in the page description with {{God}}, you'd have a fairly accurate representation of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Christianity}} Christian]] doctrines of repentance and salvation.

* The TropeNamer is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery story]] in ''Literature/TheBible''. In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions in attempts to set up {{MortonsFork}}s: if the question was answered the one or other way then Jesus could be accused of either not following Jewish religious law (e.g. about helping people) or secular Jewish law (e.g. the Sabbath), and answering yet others (e.g. about taxes) could also mean trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus' specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\
In this instance, Jesus was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. He wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' was written on the ground was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], there are several educated guesses as to what non-random thing it might have been. It's speculated that what Jesus wrote were the names of those asking the question. This would be a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

** This was - as the people of the time were certainly familiar with Jeremiah - a not so subtlle way of telling the ones asking that they, also, had strayed from the word of God and should be ashamed of themselves (and hence should also be punished, according to their own logic). After so obviously pointing the accusers at this, Jesus then invites anyone who thinks this is not applicable:

** When Jesus [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumes writing]] again after this one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the reminder of earlier of the symbolic meaning of the accusers' names written in the dust, and more of giving them [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they did.\\

* The TropeNamer is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery story]] in ''Literature/TheBible''. In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions in attempts to set up a MortonsFork (details of different laws of the land conflicting with one another, whether one should pay taxes, etc.): if the question was answered one way then Jesus could be accused of not following religious law or the law of the Jewish people, and answering the other way would mean trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus' specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\

* The TropeNamer is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery story]] in ''Literature/TheBible''. In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions in attempts to catch Him in a MortonsFork (details of different laws of the land conflicting with one another, whether one should pay taxes, etc.): if Jesus answered one way then He could be accused of not following religious law or the law of the Jewish people, and if He answered the other that would get him in trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus's specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\
In this instance, He was asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. Jesus wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While ''what'' He wrote was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander random drawings]], there are several educated guesses as to what non-random thing it might have been. It's speculated that what He wrote were the names of those asking the question. This would be a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:
--> Oh Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed,[those who stray from your word] shall [disappear in shame, they shall cease to exist like names that were] written in [the dust], because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
** This was - as the people of the time were certainly familiar with Jeremiah - a not so subtlle way of telling the ones asking that they, also, had strayed from the word of God and should be ashamed of themselves (and hence should also be punished, according to their own logic). After so obviously pointing the accusers at this, He then invites anyone who thinks this is not applicable:

** When He [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumed writing]] again after this one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the reminder of earlier of the symbolic meaning of the accusers' names written in the dust, and more of giving them [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they did.\\

* The TropeNamer is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery story]] in ''Literature/TheBible''. In Literature/TheFourGospels, Jesus is frequently asked questions in attempts to catch Him in a MortonsFork (details of Jewish or Roman law that conflict with one another, whether one should pay taxes, etc.): if He answered one way then He could be accuse him of not following religious law or the law of the Jewish people, and if He answered the other that would get him in trouble with the occupying Romans. Jesus's specialty was famously to TakeAThirdOption.\\
In this instance, He is asked if a woman caught in adultery should be stoned for it. Jesus wrote or drew something in the dirt [[EccentricMentor instead of answering]]. While what He wrote was lost to history and thus [[SubvertedTrope comes off]] as [[CloudCuckoolander cloud cuckoolanderish]], there are several educated guesses as to what non-random thing it might have been. It's speculated that what He wrote were the names of those asking the question. This would be a direct reference to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

** When He [[ObfuscatingStupidity resumes writing]] again after this one has the notion that ''now'' it's less of the reminder of earlier of the symbolic meaning of the accusers' names written in the dust, and more of giving them [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight a chance]] to leave in some form of quiet - which they do.\\
After the crowd had dispersed, Jesus (who according to Christian tradition ''was'' without reproof) told the woman that if no one else had condemned her then neither would He, and told her the trope name.