A New Type of Confession

I rarely blog about religion on here because I never have much to say. I’m a practicing Catholic with some modified views, but I saw this news story and video on my Yahoo! news feed and thought it would be interesting to see what you all think, religious or otherwise.

This article was posted today and was discussed on ‘Good Morning America’ because today is Holy Thursday, when most Catholics attend confession. The full article and video can be found here. It discusses online confessions and even a ‘Catholic Center’ which has been formed in a mall for Catholics to receive confession during a shopping trip. Confession is an age old tradition dating back to the early modern period (when people had to buy indulgences!!), and has been done a certain way for years.

The Catholic church has taken a lot of changes, some which I disagree with, and some that I agree with but I’m not sure about confessing sins in a mall. I keep thinking about other people who ARE NOT Catholic or religious in any way. It’s not fair that they should have to feel uncomfortable in a mall because confessions are going on next to their favorite clothing store. I see what priests are trying to do, but it seems a little invasive.

Also mentioned, End The Secret, a website where people can post their “secrets” and confess them. The pastor of The Life Church runs the site (this is not a Catholic church, note, not that that matters).

I’m not sure what I think about confessing sins online. It seems more like the sins on the End the Secret website are more like a religious version of Post Secret, but if it can help people feel better, then what’s so wrong? I think it’s a great start to get people more comfortable with confessing their sins, but I don’t think confessing online is a surefire way to be absolved. It might be because I’m Catholic and we do things the “old” way, but I think if you’re that concerned about your sins you should go into a church and confess it.

For the record, I go to confession maybe once a year, but I’ve always felt comfortable going into my church and doing so. You can be anonymous or you can go face to face, which feels more like a conversation.

I thought this would be an interesting post to see what you think. Discuss, but keep it clean. And if you reply and want to discuss, respect everyone’s opinion.

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Although I am not Catholic, I have always been fond of confession. I think I agree with you - confession in the mall is a little… different. I wouldn’t think it would make others uncomfortable (or maybe it would), but I think they would take it as a joke and offend those actually going into confession. At least, that is how it would be treated in my area.

Confessions online? Not my idea, either. I guess I’m old-fashioned. Even though I’m not Catholic, I would prefer the same old way.
Brandi
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Gosh, I haven’t been to confession in years. My younger sisters and my mother went yesterday though…

But yeah, confession in a shopping mall? That sure is not, traditional?

I don’t know.. Not my cup of tea,I guess.
Randi
Im not even sure if we have confessionals over here. I know that my Nana didnt and the churches I went to as a child didnt have them. I think they’re a good idea, it’s nice to get a weight off your shoulder.
Belinda
the weirdest part to me of it all is that soon, it will be normal. do you know what i mean? … like it won’t even be a controversial / opinionated subject. that’s so strange.

i personally think confession (even though i’m not a catholic) is very intimate and should be kept intimate & sacred. *shrugs*
kalen
I’ve never been a big fan of confession - I think I went only twice, once on the First Reconciliation they make you do before your first Communion and before Confirmation when they make you go as well, ha. I think more people would do it if it were also online, but it wouldn’t really be the same unless it was “in person.”

I don’t see a Catholic Center in a mall to be bad - whether confession is held in a church that they drive by or in a storefront they walk by at the mall, I really don’t see why anyone would be offended at just seeing a place of worship. Plus, it’s not offensive to have religious stores or other religious symbols in a mall, like a Christmas tree, Santa, or a menorah.

Where I live, there are some congregations who don’t have churches (not Catholic, but other Christian denominations), so on Sunday mornings they rent out spaces in places like school auditoriums or even Movie Theaters, lol
Sasha
I don’t really have a religion, hence why I never really talking about it. Perhaps, I could say that I’m agnostic? Not sure if that’s the right word to use.

I can’t even confess to my own parents, let alone doing it in public. lol
Brandy
I always wondered what confession would be like. I’m what they would label a protestant Christian so I have no Catholic roots. Different religious rituals are interesting!
Marsadie
Have you seen this site where people confess their sins anonymously? http://iconfessmyself.blogspot.com
anon
Looked through your tagged posts and came across this.
I’m Catholic, have always been. I now call myself Christian because I’m against quite a bit in the Catholic religion. I went to the same little Catholic school from K-graduation, and lots occured. As a child I was innocent about it all, but as I got into high school, things became clearer to me. I think it had more to with the people in our church rather than the religion itself, but it was a little of the religion as well. As a child, we were taught we’d go to hell if we didn’t go to confession, we’d go to hell if we sinned too much, we’d go to hell for tis and that, and were even told that consuming the Eucharist more than once a week is a sin….umm, there are little old couple that go to mass every single dat… I doubt God will punish them in the end for that. Anyway, maybe that’s the way they taught us as small children, to make us God-fearing? But still, not a very good approach, religiously. Then came the time for First Holy Communion at age 7 (where I was touched inappropriately by the priest during the photographs). It was awkward but as a child I thought “he’s a priest, he’s good, he can do no wrong.” That priest was the media frenzy, now-imprisoned Rudy Koss who was famed for liking little boys, and many boys I knew were victims of him and are now wealthy due to it. I wish I knew to confess my side, but as a girl it’d probably have been not so convincing (lol). Then came time for Confirmation, which in lamens terms is when you confirm before God “Yes! I want to be Catholic!” But at my school we were told “You MUST go through Confirmation. If you don’t, you will still study it all the way through, you will stay at school while we are on retreat, you will be overloaded with work, AND receive 0’s for all the work you did.” So we were being punished if we decided we didn’t want to remain Catholic??? School’s fault. I did Confirmation… I was still young and dumb to it.
But my eyes were opened around 11th grade when the priest and school principal pal’ed up (rumors that they were having a fling… not so sure.) But both hated my class with a passion (a class of about 16). They went to extreme lengths to get into our personal and private lives, even by setting up a meeting/’interview with each of us individually. One girl was told “You must not love your mother” another girl was told “Do you think you are the cause of your parents divorce, and that’s why your dad isn’t a very good softball coach now?” Stupid shit like that. It went on and on in so much detail. I basically lost faith in the religion due to people like that. But I also never believed in the “You MUST go to confession for your sins to truly be forgiven by God.” No, I believe I can confess my sins in my bedroom, in my car, on the street, etc. It doesn’t matter where I am, God hears me. And it’s between me and God; the priest is not the middle-man, he is not my connection to God, as Catholics are taught he is.
I have nothing against Catholics (my whole family is, except my older sister and I share the same views). Time and time again I have to remind my mother that I am NOT antichrist… but that I just don’t consider myself Catholic anymore, I am Christian. But my mother (who was Baptist until she married my dad) tries to be a strong, devout Catholic and it’s hard for her (and my dad and his family) to think there is any other belief system out there. Catholicism seems like a cult to me, but again, that may be due to MY church and the people in it. But there are just certain things we are supposed to believe/say/pray that I don’t agree with.
I am Christian… I believe in everything I’m supposed to… God, Jesus Christ, the holy Trinity, the Bible, prayer, forgiveness, faith, etc. I am very spiritual, just not “religious”.
Okay, sorry for the long rant! lol
itsjustme
I usually don?t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. beautiful ?
Opi G
I can’t wait to start dating online. This looks like just what I was looking for!
Richard T
Hi there I like your post
John R.