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To atone means to take responsibility for and extinguish the guilt incurred by one's wrongs.
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Not make them go away and put back the pieces as if they (the wrongs) were never perpetrated - but to accept fault and responsibility thereby removing the guilt.
If it were possible for one to reverse any wrongs they perpetrated, I'm sure that would be expected, but, since that is generally not a possibility, it is not a requirement in the normal definition of the term.
[ January 27, 2003: Message edited by: Aratlithiel ]