Forgive my ignorance, but to me Confession is a way of being able to get away with anything scott free.
My understanding is that whatever you have done wrong, you go and confess your sins, receive your penance of however many Hail Mary's and you are then free of your sins in the eyes of God.
Is this correct and, if so, does this mean that people actually need not to accept any responsibility whatosever for their actions - they will be absolved upon confession?
2006-06-15 15:16:01 · 4 answers · asked by LadyRebecca 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Confession is one of the seven Sacraments. It is a Sacrament of Mercy and of Love. It is not magic, or mechanical. What matters most is the true sorrow for having committed one's sins. If one is truly repentant for one's sins, then that is the essence of Confession. If one is not, but just goes to the priest to be "magically" absolved, then he will get nothing out of it. Remember, God sees what is inside the human heart. We can only truly be repentant of our sins if we have the firm desire not to commit them again. Of course, this does not mean that we won't -- we may fall again into sin -- but at least there should be a firm desire, at the time of confession, to refrain from all future sin.
It is a Sacrament of Mercy. God forgives us, even when man cannot sometimes forgive. God's merciful Love is infinite. But He wants us to co-operate with Him. Our co-operation is our firm resolution to turn away from sin, and our sincere sorrow for having sinned.
We go to a priest not because a man can forgive sins. Only God can do this. But Christ (who is fully God) entrusted this Authority to forgive sins to His ministers through His Church. The priest is absolving you IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST. He becomes Christ for you in the confessional. His personal holiness is not the issue here. What matters is that he is absolving you in Christ's person. He has that Authority. It was given to him by his bishop, who in turn received it through apostolic succession (handed down from Christ to His apostles to their successors, the bishops).
So next time you go to Confession, remember that love is at the core of the sacrament: the infinite love of Christ for you. He is transmitting that love to you through His Church in the Sacrament of Confession. That is why it is also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation: it reconciles the sinner to Christ.
2006-06-16 16:41:30 · answer #1 · answered by uiogdpm 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Confession prepares the way for forgiveness. It's in the Bible, I John 1:9,. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Confession prepares the way for worship. It's in the Bible, Nehemiah 9:3,. "[The Israelites] stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshipping the Lord their God."
Confession prepares the way for reconciliation and fellowship. It's in the Bible, James 5:16,. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
Confession makes success possible. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 28:13,. "A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance
Confess to God not to man, only God can forgive you not a priest.
2006-06-15 22:24:54 · answer #2 · answered by thomas c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just another way for a emotional up lifting
2006-06-15 22:19:18 · answer #3 · answered by scruett 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
who the hell gives a rat's rear end,I don't give a damn that's for sure.
2006-06-15 22:20:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋