Question for Catholics?

Question

After you confess your sins to your priestt do you feel liberated from sin?

Did not Christ do away with our sins at the cross? Did he not do enough that you have to go get forgiven by a mere human?

please don't take this as an insult, rather an exortation to come to God and rejoice in the knoweledge that our sins have been forgiven. God bless you !1

i've read some great post. really interesting. Thank you I was somewhat ignorant of many facts about this topic. Thank you

Answer 1

Not only because he died for our sins means we are free to do and act how we want, we still have the simple rules to abide by.

I don't believe in confessing to a priest, I don't see the point, I was born and raised a catholic, even though my mother is Jewish. If you have a confession to make, then make a simple prayer and tell God what you have done, after you get that out of your chest, then you will feel at peace

Answer 2

Many Protestant churches believe "Once saved, always saved"

It's interesting because we are accused of being able to do whatever we want and then confessing it to a priest and therefore being able to do it once again. But that is the exact thing many protestants believe. If you're once saved, always saved then you can never lose your salvation or your entrance into heaven because Jesus died for our sins and paid it in full.

The Catholic's understanding is Jesus died for our sins and now we must partake in that sacrifice. "Jesus died for the sins of all men" not "Jesus died for all men's sins." There is a difference. When we enter the Sacrament of Confession, we are using the means Jesus has given us to find true forgiveness. We know when we enter the confessional and confess that we are wholely being absolved of our sins.

Can you? Truly, one hundred percent know that what you confess to God in your mind you are being forgiven for?

You state "Did he not do enough that you have to go get forgiven by a mere human?" but remember, Jesus, the Son of God was born as a mere human. He wasn't made a prince, he wasn't made a king, he was born in swaddling clothes in a manger and yet he is King.

Remember David, the mere human who fought against Goliath and succeeded.

Mary, the mere human who was kept from sin at the moment of her conception and bore our savoir. She was so strong and yet just a weak human woman.

Remember Peter, the Prince of the Apostles and the weakest of them all. And yet God raised him up and made him the rock of our foundation, the back to which our Church was formed upon.

You say a mere human and yet it is the mere humans God has always chosen to work through. In weakness there is strength and God loves to see our 'mere' humanity.

I'm not insulted, I do hope you are truthfully searching for an answer as most will just look for the answer they wanted even though there might be only one that agrees with them out of fifty.

You're wrong though, about our sins have been forgiven. Our sins have been paid for with the highest price, the death of our Lord. It is our responsibility to confess our sins to those Jesus has appointed (the Apostles and their successors) and accept His never waivering love.

Answer 3

If Jesus did away with sin at the cross, why do we sin?

First, Jesus exhorted the apostles that what they hold bound on earth shall be held bound in heaven. If the Apostles did not have the authority to forgive sins, what was Jesus saying here? Or do you believe that Jesus only meant these instructions for those individuals, and that authority to die out with the men he appointed? Catholics believe that that authority has been passed down from the original 11 through the priesthood to today. The Apostles were mere humans as well.

Second, not only does the priest serve in a church role, he also serves as a representative of the community. When you sin, you do not sin alone, with no effect on others. The priest, in essence, serves as surrogate for the community at large.

I think you have some misunderstandings and mis-information about the role of the ministers in the Catholic Church, but there are many opportunities available for you to learn the truth about Catholicism. I hope you will take advantage of them and learn that Catholics are as much "come to God" as other Christian denominations.

Answer 4

All churches have their own way of confessing their sins. Many protestant churches confess their sins in prayer at the beginning of church service. Catholics also do that but we also have confession to get advice. Though, Christ died for our sins, you cannot deny that people today are still committing sins. The reason for confession is rooted in Apostolic succesion which the church has and respects. Like the apostles, priests have the same authority they had. Jesus gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins in his name so priests who are successors of apostolic succession also have that authority.

John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

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.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

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

These are the reasons we have confession. Do not think that because Christ died for your sins, you are sinless or at no risk of going to hell. Hope you had a Merry Christmas.

Answer 5

Yes, I think many of us in fact do feel liberated. And I won't go into why we do it, because someone has already answered that very well. Christ did die for our sins, but this doesn't mean we can go around sinning all we want and say to ourselves, oh it's okay, Jesus died on the cross for this and that. One must repent.

Answer 6

by the time I'm out of there, I'm wanting full flagellation for a penance, and I'm just waiting for the order. Having to say a few prayers seems kind of anti-climactic for me.

I'm not sure what you mean by the cross there dude. Christ gave this power to man to forgive sins. "What you retain on earth will be retained in heaven." and all that sort of thing. And that time he healed the paralytic: "they were amazed that God gave the power to forgive to men"

Answer 7

Yes Christ died for all our sins on the cross. The forgiveness won by Jesus is dispensed through the sacrament of confession, where the blood of Jesus cleanses the soul from sin.

After the Resurrection Jesus gave his apostles his own power to forgive sins. it's in the gospel of John 20:22-23

Answer 8

Forgiveness is by believing that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again. It all happened at the cross, and it is finished.

The Babylonian pagans had a "confession" to keep tabs on what people were doing. The catholic cult continues this nonsense, since catholicism is a Babylonian pagan cult anyway.

Answer 9

Catholics who go to Confession are going to God to seek forgiveness:

Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

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?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.

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

The Necessity and Practice of Orally Confessing Sins
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).

1 Tim. 6:12 - this verse also refers to the historical practice of confessing both faith and sins in the presence of many witnesses.

1 John 1:9 - if we confess are sins, God is faithful to us and forgives us and cleanse us. But we must confess our sins to one another.

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.

Baruch 1:14 - again, this shows that the people made confession in the house of the Lord, before the assembly.

1 John 5:16-17; Luke 12:47-48 - there is a distinction between mortal and venial sins. This has been the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, but, today, most Protestants no longer agree that there is such a distinction. Mortal sins lead to death and must be absolved in the sacrament of reconciliation. Venial sins do not have to be confessed to a priest, but the pious Catholic practice is to do so in order to advance in our journey to holiness.

Matt. 5:19 - Jesus teaches that breaking the least of commandments is venial sin (the person is still saved but is least in the kingdom), versus mortal sin (the person is not saved).