Why does everyone here seem to believe that we Catholics need only confess and sins are forgiven?

Question

Some believe that even sins such as murder, rape, fraud, or theft require only confession and prayer for forgiveness, this is NOT the truth we are also required to confess to the authorities and to face the punishment due or make ammends depending on the offense.
This is a requirement for absolution. Where do you get these ideas?

John 20

23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Answer 1

People don't really take the time to get to know any religion but their own it seems. I guess they just listen to the myths and assume they are the whole truth.

Answer 2

Hello Debra. Protestants think Catholics believe this because judging from the behavior and attitude of most Catholics, this is what is seen. I don't know about murder but I have seen many Catholics who sin hard and heavy on Saturday night while blithely saying 'Oh well. I'll go to confession tomorrow and it'll all be right.'

I was married to a Catholic and got to know many of the faith very well. In fairness most know murder is not forgivable but fornication and drunkenness is.

Answer 3

Because with some exceptions it is true.

Priests WILL NOT ABSOLVE anyone who comes and tells them they RAPED or MURDERED someone. That is true.

But if some guys comes in and says he had sex with his girl friend, they give him pennace and tell him it's all COOL, but don't go and sin again.

They don't know who he is (well maybe they do, but the CAN'T tell him they do!)

You're NOT going to have a very good religion if you tell someone

Look, you had sex outside of marriage. That's wrong. It's a sin. It's going to take years, decades and even then God may NOT forgive you and you MIGHT not be in the book of life because of this.

Who would stay with that religion!

In Protestant Religions they say that generally, but it's a DON'T ASK, DON'T tell thing.

Yeah, the Minister knows that you had a baby 5 months after he married you.

Don't ASK, Don't TELL

According to Jesus, even if you got married it's still FORNICATION and you have a BELMISH on your record.

In MY view of religion ONLY GOD can absolve you and only on GOD's TERMS.

That's what I would tell people.

Does your PRIEST tell YOU that when you go to confession.

Does he say, hey, It's up to God, maybe he'll forgive and maybe he won't!

My view is GOD looks at your ENTIRE LIFE. If you're a phoney, he may not let you in, but it's up to HIM!

God sets the rules, not a Pope, not a Priest, not a Minister, not Jesus.

GOD sets the rules.

You're IN the book or you're NOT!

Now, under MY view DO YOU STILL want to be a Christian!

Would you STILL be a Christian EVEN if GOD might say, TO THE LAKE OF FIRE WITH YOU!

I don't do things for rewards. It cheapens the experience!

Answer 4

we don't think a pass to be God nor can we worship something or every person yet God, subsequently it is not an idol. Jesus suggested for the apostles to forgive sins, the clergymen are the successors of the apostles subsequently the authority is given to the clergymen to act in character Christi. Jesus by no potential suggested to pass directly to Him for forgiveness. Priestly confession is the only way Jesus taught to admit ones sins. The clergymen are a servant classification and not an exalted place. the Pope as such is the backside of all humanity because of the fact the servant of God and His flock. The blessed mom of God is precisely as we are saying she is. The Bible confirms that she is Jesus' mom. there is not any longer something incorrect with honoring her and giving her appreciate. The Bible says that she is the main blessed of all humanity. The Catholic Church did no longer help Hitler. In 2000 years of the Church it has by no potential replaced a doctrine nor will it ever substitute. The Catholic Church don't think contained in the will of works yet as a replace we coach that we are saved by potential of grace by using faith. we don't coach the heresy of antinomianism like maximum Protestant sects nor the heresy of religion on my own. no longer something the Church teaches contradicts the Bible or any of the coaching of Christ the two by potential of act or observe. God bless In Christ Fr. Joseph

Answer 5

Probably because as children some of us misunderstood the concept of confession, taught to us by the nuns. As children we have a very short attention span, and though we were constantly reminded that we must confess our sins,and were taken into the church and taught how to say the confession, we , as children though we memorized the words, didn't understand or take in the full rules of sinning and confession. The one thing that us children always remembered, was if you were going to Hell if you didn't do something ,you did it, and if you were going to Hell if you did do something, you went to confession and tried not to do it again. But being mortal , and in these times, it is almost impossible to achieve. The sister's drummed confession into my mind so deeply, that I thought you had to go to confession every time you went to church, and I thought that if I went to confession I also had to have sinned, so every week I would try to think of a tiny sin I could confess, and sometimes would think of two or three, to mix it up. During one confession, the Father asked me why I kept repeating the same sin, after confessing. I said," I'm sorry Father but I was running out of ideas." He asked what I meant,and I said," I know I have to come to confession every time I attend mass, but I don't sin ,so I tried to think of some small ones so I could come to church." The Father just chuckled and said that confession was only for when I really sinned, and that I could come to mass without having sinned or gone to confession. I think you are good with God for a while,my son. He did have me do penance for lying , however innocent it was. But then , I thought, boy all the people in church must think I'm a real bad little boy. Not to mention what my parents thought.
So sometimes, children, when asked by kids of other religions what Confession was and why they went, probably got a ton of varied answers,that stuck with these kids and stayed with them through adulthood. Not being Catholic, they would believe what a Catholic told them , cause they knew they weren't lying or they'd have to go to confession. So idea can be formed that simply. Some of us remembered the parts about Venial Sin and Mortal Sin, some the wrath of the nuns, some didn't take in anything but went to confession if their parents did. So most confusion starts within the misinterpretations of the children in the religion, being passed on outside the church.
The thing I never understood, and still don't understand, is why do we have to confess our sins to the priest? We are taught that God is everywhere, that you can talk to God and pray to God at home or anywhere,and he hears you. Then why can't we confess directly to God and promise not to sin again,and say however many Our Fathers and Hail Mary's we think it requires. I always thought of it as, calling the operator to have them connect you to someone, when you can dial direct. Does the prienst have a list of how many of each , we have to say for each sin in the world and if we don't say the correct amount we're in trouble? I confess to God directly as he is always in my life and listens to and answers my prayers.

Answer 6

Whom do you serve? God or man? God tells us to repent of our sins and not to a mortal man, you call a priest. You who are catholic point fingers at others,yet do not follow the word of God by confessing to a mortal man who cannot and does not have the athority to absolve or forgive anyone's sins.

I am a former catholic and am very very familar with the teachings of the catholic church. They do not teach the true word of God. The have their own doctrine. They are guildy of changing God's word which God tells us strictly not to. I also know that God will make us pay in the flesh for the sins we commit even though we have repented and have been forgiven. Our sins will not be remembered in heaven, for those we have repented of and have go to those of whom we have sinned against and asked them for forgiveness..

Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

You also must be born again in order to enter into the kingdom of God, and your Catholic church does not teach that at all.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You must accept Jesus as your savior, and your religion does not teach this.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Just remember that when you are pointing your finger at someone, you have three more fingers pointing at your self.

Answer 7

Where did you get the idea of "absolution?" I know it wasn't the bible. When you choose catholic teachings over the bibles teachings, you're breaking the first commandment, but don't worry just confess and pray for forgiveness and you WILL be forgiven! Silly us, believing the bible over man made catholic rules.

Answer 8

why do you confess in the first place?
your sins are between you and God, why must a child-molesting sinner need to know them in order for God to forgive you?
and who forgives the priests' sins?

Answer 9

I don't get why they confess to a priest, he can't do anything for them. I'm also with that one guy to, I don't know they think Mary is Holier than Jesus.

Answer 10

If you have the ability to do ANYTHING to make yourself acceptable before Almighty God then Christ would have dies in vain. If you believe that then you are no Christian you are a cultist!!! Jim