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to see a Priest to confess?

I was raised Catholic, and do believe in God....but think that some of the Catholic traditions are out of whack (for lack of a better word). A good example of this is....why do I need to see a Priest and confess...and then do as he says to be forgiven (show penance), when the bible says:

ROM 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is
with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to
shame."

God will forgive me as long as I trust in him and an sorry in my heart and soul. What is the point of confession in church then?

2006-11-28 08:51:57 · 21 answers · asked by nottashygirl 6 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

21 answers

Good for you! Many Catholic traditions are out of whack with the Bible.
No, you do not need a priest. In fact, the book of Hebrews is all about how we don't need priests anymore because Jesus is our ultimate priest.
You confess your sins to GOD not a man. Only God can redeem us.

2006-11-28 08:55:05 · answer #1 · answered by . 7 · 4 2

The confession of sin is to be between you and the person you have sinned against and then pray to Jesus for forgiveness, if you have sinned against your own self and or God, then this repentance is between you and God. No priest or pope can forgive sins. You see some of the blasphemy of the Catholic Cult, get into a evangelical church and learn what Jesus is really all about. Religion cannot save you, just saying that you believe there is a God will not save you, being a good person will not save you, a rosary bead is a joke to God and has it's roots in paganism. Mary is not the Queen of Heaven and not a co-redemptrix, she cannot give anything, she can't do anything. There is only one who hears and answers prayers, Jesus.

2006-11-28 09:00:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Only God can forgive sins, confess to him and you'll be forgiven. A priest can't forgive you cos he's not God. And God wants nothing in return for you being forgiven, just the fact that you have said sorry is enough.

2006-11-28 08:56:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

I do believe that God will forgive you if you are sorry about what you did and try not to do it again, I was raised a catholic as well but I don't feel the need to go and confess my self to a priest so I completely agree with you.

2006-11-28 08:56:16 · answer #4 · answered by AleOmar 6 · 1 1

Protestants mistakenly think that Catholics confess to priests. They do not -- the priest is a witness as you confess to God. Back when I was a Catholic, I was taught that if you are about to die and there is no priest, a good act of contrition will cleanse your soul. If that is true, I don't understand why you need a priest either -- except as an advisor and witness.

Penance was the first of the sacraments that I chucked on my way to becoming an agnostic.

2006-11-28 08:55:53 · answer #5 · answered by Ranto 7 · 1 1

I am also Catholic and have asked the question several times myself. One answer and the one most religious people will give, is that the priest is supposed to sort of be a connection with God. But the one that I have sort of settled on it that I think that if you cannot admit your sins to someone, then, even if you say you are, you are not really sorry and do not want forgiveness. But I do understand you question, and it is a good one.

2006-11-28 08:59:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

Not one of those verses has anything to do with confession.

Confession of sins to the priest goes back to the Jews, and to Jesus, and preserved by the Catholic Church, has always been part of Christianity. Not one Protestant has ever been able to prove when the Church ceased this practice.

Here is proof the Jews confessed their sins:

Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.

Num. 5:7 - this shows the historical practice of publicly confessing sins, and making public restitution.

2 Sam. 12:14 - even though the sin is forgiven, there is punishment due for the forgiven sin. David is forgiven but his child was still taken (the consequence of his sin).

Neh. 9:2-3 - the Israelites stood before the assembly and confessed sins publicly and interceded for each other.

Sir. 4:26 - God tells us not to be ashamed to confess our sins, and not to try to stop the current of a river. Anyone who has experienced the sacrament of reconciliation understands the import of this verse.

Either Jesus gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins, or He didn't.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

James 5:16 - James clearly teaches us that we must “confess our sins to one another,” not just privately to God. James 5:16 must be read in the context of James 5:14-15, which is referring to the healing power (both physical and spiritual) of the priests of the Church. Hence, when James says “therefore” in verse 16, he must be referring to the men he was writing about in verses 14 and 15 – these men are the ordained priests of the Church, to whom we must confess our sins.

Acts 19:18 - many came to orally confess sins and divulge their sinful practices. Oral confession was the practice of the early Church just as it is today.

Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5 - again, this shows people confessing their sins before others as an historical practice (here to John the Baptist).

If you are not Catholic, you miss out on this beautiful sacrament. It is not a torture chamber of guilt and shame like in Hollywood movies. It is a deep dive into the love and mercy of God. Often we are strengthened and rejuvenated beyond description.

If you are not Catholic and you have never had a complete explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation taught to you, then its not fair to criticise it.

To claim that confession of sins is not in the Bible is just plain blindness.

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html
.

2006-11-28 09:12:49 · answer #7 · answered by Br. Dymphna S.F.O 4 · 4 1

Biblically it says,
2 Cor 5:17-20, James 5:13-15, Mt 18:18, Mt 9:2-8, Jn 20:23.

Tradition agrees with the written word on this.
The Magisterium agrees with the written word and Sacred Tradtion on this.

Go to a priest.

2006-11-28 08:55:46 · answer #8 · answered by Lives7 6 · 2 1

As im sure you know, since the beginning of time we have been called, by God, to ask forgiveness, not only to be forgiven by God but by those you have offended as well as yourself. The bible tells us that repentance is not only with our hearts but with our mouths as well. Through Judaism and Christianity the Church has always given us a way to confess our sins to one of Gods representatives on earth (high priest, rabbi or nowadays a priest) and perform a sort of penance.
By doing this we give ourselves time to think upon our sins (a examination of conscience) and forgive ourselves. When we are ready to offer our sins to God and turn away from them through repentance we then can confess these sins to one of His preists on earth (and God at the same time as this is a prayerful process) The priest will listen to your confession and forgive you in the name of God (He is allowed to do this as he is a disciple of Christ, called by Christ and when Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on the first Disciples He gave them the power to forgive sins, “whoever sins you retain they shall be retained and whoever’s sins you forgive they shall be forgiven” ) The priest is also forgiving you in the name of the Church, naturally as you have sinned against God you have also turned from the teachings of the Church and need to acknowledge this so as to receive forgiveness from all those who have been offended by your sin but obviously first and foremost that is God.
Please Try and read Scott Hahn’s Lord Have Mercy, before you make your decision, It is completely about your question and from a completely biblical point of view, you will benefit richly from this book I’m sure.
Peace be with you

2006-11-28 23:04:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Why do you suppose Jesus Christ breathed upon the first priests of His Church, indicating a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and then told them "whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them"? What does this passage mean to a Protestant? Jesus specially empowered priests to forgive men's sins, but priests are not supposed to exercise that ministry? Why did Jesus give them that power then? James tells us that there are sins leading to death (mortal sins), and sins not leading to death (venial sins). He tells us that venial sins can be forgiven by a simple prayer, just between us and God, but that mortal sins cannot be forgiven that way. James knew this very well, since he himself was one of those Christ had empowered to forgive the mortal sins of men in His name. If you knew the Bible you would understand the Church that compiled the Bible, and the fullness of Christianity as practiced in that divinely founded Church. But you cannot know the Bible apart from the Church which alone has full authority to interpret it, the biblical pillar and foundation of truth. Manmade religion forces you to "guess" what the Scriptures might mean, and the doctrinal chaos of Protestantism demonstrates just how often such guesses are wrong.

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2006-11-28 09:08:38 · answer #10 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 3 1

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