Does Confession Help Us? (priest, ritual, punishment, salvation, grace)

[Lightkeeper]

A confession doesn't have to be to God, it can be to a person.

[Gunga_ann]

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you might be healed." (James 5:16)


Jesus told the apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:22-23)

[SoulTYPE]

Jesus spoke a lot of common sense, lol.

[Irenicas]

Personally, I believe that confession, on anything but a psychological level is worthless. f you cannot forgive yourself, what does it matter if another does? Do right, sturggle with your own guilt, forgive ourself when it is right to.

As for public confession. Stupid damn idea if you ask me.

[SoulTYPE]

OMFG, you are so correct, Irenicas. A valid point indeed!

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Irenicas

Personally, I believe that confession, on anything but a psychological level is worthless. f you cannot forgive yourself, what does it matter if another does? Do right, sturggle with your own guilt, forgive ourself when it is right to.

As for public confession. Stupid damn idea if you ask me.

Interesting statement because you list your religion as buddist. I was thinking about the worth of connfession to a God that is all knowing and realized I may have missed the point.

Confession may be, (forgive my ignorance christians) a way of self-actualzation by articulating the exact nature of your confession. God may already know but by actually saying it maybe man defines it in concrete rational terms that he can see instead of the abstraction of the said infraction that exists in his head that has not been rationized with words.

I am thinking that confession is a meathod of self-actualiztion and that the point is not telling God what he already knows but defining the parameters that the sinner experienced when the said sin was committed but not defined in its totality.

[Gunga_ann]

Originally Posted by robtex

Interesting statement because you list your religion as buddist. I was thinking about the worth of connfession to a God that is all knowing and realized I may have missed the point.

Confession may be, (forgive my ignorance christians) a way of self-actualzation by articulating the exact nature of your confession. God may already know but by actually saying it maybe man defines it in concrete rational terms that he can see instead of the abstraction of the said infraction that exists in his head that has not been rationized with words.

I am thinking that confession is a meathod of self-actualiztion and that the point is not telling God what he already knows but defining the parameters that the sinner experienced when the said sin was committed but not defined in its totality.

That is a good way of putting it. Yes, God knows we sin. In Reconciliation we want to be forgiven, with our whole heart. We say that we sin and God forgives us. It takes a load off of us, God forgiving us.

[Lightkeeper]

Originally Posted by SoulTYPE01

Robtex has a valid point.

Confession to God, as silly as this expression may sound, is much like a blow-up doll.
The blow up doll does nothing, but it is all in the user's MIND what the doll resembles.
In this case, a believer's confession to God has the same effect. The confessor tells God his sins, and in his MIND, God has forgiven the believer. I can elaborate on this if asked.

The doll is physically there. So are you saying God is there, but does nothing. I don't think confession has anything to do with the response of anyone, it has to do only with the act of confessing.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by robtex

One catholics (your listed religion) worship an omnipotent God so what are you telling him that he does not already know?

and two, Salvation in Catholism relolves around accepting Jesus as your savior for sins in your lifetime....the theory of original sin...within that context would it be fair to say inasfar as the dogma of the Catholic church that the responsiblty (ie orginal sin and Jesus gift to the world) transfers that responsiblty away from the sinner (man) and towards Jesus in exchange for the acceptance of his gift and belief in it. With that in mind isn't it two completlely diffent theories to use confession to accept responsiblties for actions and than say Jesus died for the sins accepting responsiblty for them?

Hiya robtex, thanks for your post. A few things:
#1 Confession is not a matter of telling God something He does not know. Confession is more about accepting and admitting our sinful behavior. If a child breaks something, say by horseplay in the house in front of his/her parent, an admission of guilt is not needed.... the parent witnessed the action. Confession is akin to the child admitting and accepting responcibility for his/her actions. To admit that he/she was acting inapropriately by horsing around in the house and showing a personal growth by being sorry for the action.... not just because he/she got caught, but because they know the behavior was incorrect and they are sorry that it upset the parent.
Confession is part of the sonship of Christian believers. Confession revolves around the LOVE of God for the sinner, and the imperfect love that we have for God as believers. We ALL sin......... how could this be if we love God so much? Confession is God's way to restore us to a grace filled relationship with Him.

#2 The penalty of Original sin is removed by baptism.... it does not necessarlily involve faith in Christ (infant baptism). Christ has done the "work" for us on Calvary. Salvation is about the relationship between the Father and us, his adopted sons and daughters.... this is possible only because of the blood of Christ that was shed for all mankind.
You are confused in thinking that the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross insures our salvation and makes confession redundant..... Christ has opened the door to heaven, but we are still working out our salvation in "fear and trembling" and confession is a wonderful part of that work.

Peace be with you,
Scott

[SoulTYPE]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

The doll is physically there. So are you saying God is there, but does nothing. I don't think confession has anything to do with the response of anyone, it has to do only with the act of confessing.

Twist my words around then.

I said LIKE a doll. I didn't mean the EXACT same thing. And no I wasn't implying that "God is there, but does nothing". I was realating it in the sense that both the doll and the confessor are alike, the results of both the doll's purposes and the results of confessing to God, are defined by the doll user/confessor.

Ah what's the point of even bothering to try and explain. Probably get another warning, sure you'll find something in there.