Summer Scientific Reader Poll #3: Confession

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Wednesday, August 15. 2012

Summer Scientific Reader Poll #3: Confession

Do you ever feel the need to confess your sins? To confess them to somebody else, other than in prayer or ritually in church (as in "Forgive us our trespasses")?

It is difficult in life to live without accumulating one's share of sins of commission, omission, sins of character, sins of unkindness, sins of arrogance, sins of self-centeredness, sins of cruelty, sins of self-indulgence, lies, thefts, personal flaws and weaknesses, and sins of passion or stupidity. These things burden our souls.

Pastor says "Lay it all at the foot of the Cross," and quotes Christ: “Go, and sin no more.”

People with serious religious aspirations often engage Spiritual Directors as guides. That's a serious and daunting business but I have heard that it can be a life-changing journey.

Do our readers sometimes feel the need to confess and, if so, to whom?

Posted by The Barrister in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 13:59 | Comments (19) | Trackbacks (0)

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Sadly, I'm getting too old to be good at the sin thing. Lust, avarice, envy, and such are just too much work. I can manage sloth, but I haven't the energy to confess it.

#1 chuck on 2012-08-15 14:25 (Reply)

Yes. To my Sponsor.

#2 jwg on 2012-08-15 14:39 (Reply)

Never, never, never confess. It will be used against you.

God and I know. That's enough. Why burden anyone else?

#3 twolaneflash on 2012-08-15 14:46 (Reply)

Every day. Throughout the day, when light is shone on my sin, I try to immediately confess it, go back to 'square one' and start fresh. If possible, I try to correct or repair any harm I've done to anyone or to myself in the process. It's the only way I can avoid carrying around a black cloud. I'm not into ritualized confession; I don't think it's sufficient. The need to be truthful and contrite requires more, for me personally.

#4 mizbish on 2012-08-15 14:46 (Reply)

Hmmm - What an odd post. As a Catholic, I have enjoyed this wonderful act of Confession all my life. It's quite cleansing and leads one to a more optimistic and positive approach in life.

Anyone here every tried it?

HIring a Spiritual Guide - like on Craig's List?.....sounds like crazy to me. Get thee to a Catholic Church wehre you can have a very intimate and meaningful confession pretty much any time you need one.

#5 kathteach on 2012-08-15 15:26 (Reply)

Confession to a Catholic priest, preferably one that you know well, is the most effective weight loss program I have ever tried. I would never, ever confess to any of my evangelical friends... it would only be a matter of time before someone is up in front of the congregation explaining everything they know and asking everyone to pray for me...

#5.1 Featherweight on 2012-08-15 15:45 (Reply)

I agree, Featherweight. Having a personal confessor, a priest you can trust and work with over the course of many years is a gift. I don't avail myself as often as I should but I'm getting better at it.

Which reminds me.....

#5.1.1 KellyM on 2012-08-15 17:08 (Reply)

Besides the Classical confession every week, our Deanery has confessions in Lent & Advent, where all the Priests are available for Confession in one church on one evening. They make the rounds of all the parishes. There's a Penance Service, with appropriate readings, followed by individual confession, where each priest is settled in a different part of the church, and everyone lines up for one or another. The organist plays something suitably quiet for the next hour or two. I never care which Priest will hear my confession, because I believe the Holy Spirit will guide me to the Priest & advice I need. I have had very helpful confessions this way- both in my confession of sins, the absolution from them, and some thoughts from the Priest to help me overcome my despair, or anger, or whatever my sin may be. PS - I'm no youngster, most of the sins of my youth have been burnt out of me - I make a pretty boring confession, I think! Susan Lee

#5.1.1.1 Susan Lee on 2012-08-15 18:16 (Reply)

I never really worried about it too much when I was younger, but now I am thankful for the opportunity as a Catholic to make amends and start new, and let go of the guilt and regret that come from knowing that you've made a mistake and it has consequences. There is a good Jewish tradition that deals with making amends.

I heard a great homily a couple of days ago where a priest quoted the Bible: "Let not your heart be troubled", he said that it is up to us to follow that command and not let our hearts be troubled. God doesn't want us to just be troubled, he wants us to learn and move forward.

#5.1.2 LP on 2012-08-15 20:08 (Reply)

I've never used the Sacrament of Confession although it's available in my Denomination. On kathteach and featherweight's recommendation I might.
Years ago I experimented in a little group pyschotherapy where I didn't feel any confession required was either difficult or helpful.
In the more adventurous spiritual disciplines I've been involved in the directors did not wait for confession but pointed out my faults anyway. This may sound horrendous but it wasn't because they were wise and honest.

#6 Caedmon (Link) on 2012-08-15 16:15 (Reply)

I accuse myself of the following crimes:

I seduced Party members of both sexes. I’ve been to the Proletarian areas. I deliberately contracted syphilis in order to spread the disease to my wife and other Party members. Together with other agents, I have counterfeited banknotes, wrecked industrial machinery, polluted the water supply, guided Eurasian rocket bombs to targets on Airstrip One by means of coded radio signals.

I stand here, a victim of the inﬂuence of Emmanuel Goldstein, guilty on all counts.

I’m glad I was caught. I was mentally deranged. Now I am cured.

I ask only for you to accept my love of our leader. I ask only to be shot while my mind is still clean.

#7 Ray on 2012-08-15 17:01 (Reply)

An interest in truth is both entertaining and amounts to constant confession.

Some confessions then are worth listening to.

#8 rhhardin (Link) on 2012-08-15 20:09 (Reply)

As a practicing Catholic, regular, sincere confession is part of my regular routine. I also have accountability partners that I talk to on a regular, almost daily basis. Never has one of my sins been used against me, as one comment suggested. Confession is liberating and invigorating...RJV

#9 Ray V. (Link) on 2012-08-15 20:44 (Reply)

As a Presbyterian (PCA) I confess to the Lord every morning. Confident that all of my past, present and future sins were forgiven at the cross.

#10 Aschoef on 2012-08-15 21:10 (Reply)

Having fallen short of the glory of God I am the real deal, a dyed-in-the-wool, bona fide sinner. Now the stain of my transgression is more than just skin deep, it goes all the way down to the bottom of my soul. I bear the scars of the sins of my father to boot. Ergo, every blessed thing I do is a sin. Even confession, which is just another raggedy-assed attempt to save my damned self from the fires of perdition. Confession? You just read my confession.

#11 Jephnol (Link) on 2012-08-15 21:25 (Reply)

Though there's dispute about 'who' it will be, I'll have my discussion with the keeper of the gate, should there be one.

No mortal source here to which I would confide.

My love, maybe, but we all hold secrets.

#12 XRay on 2012-08-15 22:38 (Reply)

"Do you ever feel the need to confess your sins?"

Define sin. It all depends on what your definition of "sin" is. (Thank you for that line, Bill Clinton)

To answer your question, I feel no such need, and if I were so inclined, it would not be to anyone close to me.

#13 Agent Cooper on 2012-08-16 05:02 (Reply)

I too have concerns about the sanctity of confession and the leak proofiness of confessors. One slip of the tongue by a member of the johnny-come-lately, priestly caste and I can imagine the whole town tittering as they share fruit from the tree of knowledge. No, I've decided to adopt a form of animism, which allows me to confess my spiritual burdens to inanimate objects. I tried this for a while in front of a mirror, but its ability to anticipate my every thought unnerved me. After a period of trial and error though, I found the spirits at the bottom of a bottle to be the most agreeable in receiving my confessions; they're endowed with the gifts of forgetfulness, courage and beauty.

#14 Jephnol (Link) on 2012-08-16 06:43 (Reply)

1) If its bad, don't do it...

2) If you feel bad for doing 'something', apologize sincerely, and move on - more severe, do the jail time piously...

3) Sin is subjective, especially to the Political class and Leftists

4) Life is way too short to get hung-up on the faux-pas in life, Live, love, and move on....

#15 Fred Zeppelin on 2012-08-16 13:41 (Reply)

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Wednesday, August 15. 2012

Summer Scientific Reader Poll #3: Confession