Great article, Lydia. Jesus used allegorical stories to make his points, so whether some things in the Bible are allegorical or historical is a moot point, the important thing being the lesson we derive from those stories. Jesus said God looks on the heart, so whether or not the atheist who forgives goes to heaven is not my concern. Only God knows his heart, and my sentiment is that a persons whose heart is right with God is much closer to being a Christian than the person who only pays lip service to a religion but is devoid of love and mercy.