God forgive your sins, why do you have to confess them to a Priest?

In the Sacrament, which Confession (John 20:23) to a priest is, you receive God's grace, God's actual presence in you. This grace helps you overcome sin to fight the daily spiritual battle.

And...

You hear the priest's prayer of absolution, you are assured your sins are forgiven.

Look at other reasons why Jesus decided confession to a priest is the way. Thank you Dr. Taylor Marshall, he use to be an Anglican priest, he discovered the faith and converted. Taylor shares also, as I did, the last sentences, about the audible.

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www.taylormarshall.com...

Christ knows that we would cheat ourselves. That's right. We wouldn't take the sin seriously. Nor would we take the grace received seriously.

I have confessed my sins straight to God. I have confessed my sins to God in the presence of a priest who heard every word. There is a qualitative difference between the two ways.

By myself, I am repentant about "my sins." It's general and less precise. However, when I confess my sins in the presence of the priest, it is specific. Moreover, there is a sense of dread followed by a wave of mercy crashing upon my soul...

My suggestion is that Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance because He passionately desires for us to experience His Divine Mercy in a tangible way. Forgiveness requires a human experience - not just words.

It would be more difficult for a woman to feel healing in her bedroom as she confesses an abortion from 25 years ago. However, in the presence of a fellow sinner (the priest), she hears words of comfort and then an audible and divinely ratified proclamation that her sins are officially forgiven and cast into the sea...

No where is it written in scripture you have to confess to a roman catholic priest. It is written that you should confess to eachother but no requirements for a priest are made. The Lord took the middleman out of the way with his crucifiction, now you can speak directly to him because the veil is torn.

hi op

confess to yourself and forgive yourself
believe in yourself.

to seek forgiveness in religious beliefs is to ask forgiveness in a feeling that you feel.
you know your feelings and you know what you have to do to make things right.

An unseen entity may help you if you believe that, buts that's your perogative

Forget asking for forgiveness, but live your life knowing that you have not hurt others.
That is this existence.

dave

the roman catholic style of confession was instigated as a means of
collecting information and also to use to blackmail when desired.

Well, if a Priest were not required what would they have to do with themselves? After all, it's that 10% tithe fee I think it's really all about. The whole thing with getting you to come into a special building for special people to say what only they're apparently able to know about the God we're all supposed to consider a personal relationship with, always seemed a bit ...contrived, to me.

I think we all know in our hearts what side of the general karmic line we're on.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
No where is it written in scripture you have to confess to a roman catholic priest. It is written that you should confess to eachother but no requirements for a priest are made. The Lord took the middleman out of the way with his crucifiction, now you can speak directly to him because the veil is torn.

I posted the verse in the OP. Jesus imparted the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, God breathed on them, giving
them the power to forgive sins. God's plan. They were the first New Covenant ministerial priests. Read John 20:23. Do not skip over or ignore that verse, thinking you don't have to follow the plan.

You have to hear someone's sins first, to forgive them. Read the verse.


love you lonewolf, helping you get ready to accept the faith,


colbe

Originally posted by colbe

By myself, I am repentant about "my sins." It's general and less precise. However, when I confess my sins in the presence of the priest, it is specific. Moreover, there is a sense of dread followed by a wave of mercy crashing upon my soul...

I am the opposite from you...when I talk to God about my mistakes...I tell more...I tell it all...because I know that God knows already. A Priest is a stranger...I tell him nothing.

Your way works for you...my way works for me...at the end of the day...God knows all about it.

[21] He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. [23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Confessing your sins to a priest is historical, since 33 A.D. Non-Catholic Christians came along and rejected Sacramental Confession because the Reformers rejected the ministerial priesthood in 1517.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


May I advise you - Its best not to speak foolishness when one does not know what they are talking about.

The Catholic Church in its infinite wisdom teaches that the priest ministers in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. In speaking to his disciples, Jesus said, "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me" (Lk 10:16). "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn 20:22–23).

Therein lies the basis of the beauty and the mercy of Catholic confession.

I would like to strongly advise you to study a little theology before spouting off such nonsense as is contained in your post. Thank you

reply to post by colbe

Originally posted by colbe

why do you have to confess them to a Priest?

You don't have to. If you don't wanna do it, then don't do it.

reply to post by CasaVigilante

if you retain the sins of any, they are retained

So, if a priest "retains" a confession of sin, the confessionee remains unforgiven?

priests are ministers of ZEUS, so if you think zeus (je-zeus) wants to hear your ramblings, just head on in.
the bible specifies elders and prebestyrs as their represenitives.

why do you need to confess your sins to a priest?

same reason people draw their water these days from a tap instead of directly from the river..

OPs:

For a bit of perspective, you felt not much when confessing directly to the lord.

But, when in the presence of someone else (priest in this case), you felt first shame, dread, and when -the man- forgave you, you felt peace and forgivness.

aka, your fear and joy is 100% based on what people think of you..which is a clever trick by the church mind you. There should be no difference between a one on one with you and your god depending on who is in the room...any differences is your perception of their judgement and forgivness.


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My opinion:
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If you truly want to be forgiven..don't confess and seek redemption from the lord, or a priest...instead, go address the people you have wronged. It may be harder than just praying to god or a priest, but the reward and =actual= forgivness is well worth the effort.
And if you only wronged yourself..look in the mirror and have tough talk with you while aiming to improve yourself.
Too many people use confession and the forgivness of a god instead of just trying to right the wrongs they do daily...an excuse to be lazy

Originally posted by UNIT76

why do you need to confess your sins to a priest?

same reason people draw their water these days from a tap instead of directly from the river..

Filtration system?

Originally posted by tinhattribunal
priests are ministers of ZEUS, so if you think zeus (je-zeus) wants to hear your ramblings, just head on in.
the bible specifies elders and prebestyrs as their represenitives.

How would one chat with Aphrodite? If there is a Venus version of heaven, I most definitely want to end up there.

(incidently, Jesus was not Zeus, there is compelling evidence that he is Apollo though..well, the attributes he inherited afterwards by the church seemed to borrow a bit of Apollo to make Jesus a bit more cool..all hearsay though)

Originally posted by windword
reply to post by CasaVigilante

 

if you retain the sins of any, they are retained

So, if a priest "retains" a confession of sin, the confessionee remains unforgiven?

Contrition, the priest absolves you of your sin, week after week, same confessional same priest same sinner. The priest is given this POWER over mortal human to accomplish this, and what is that seat of power based upon? Rigorous Theocratic study? One can do that oneself. One can determine moral sin versus immoral sin. So, lets say a flock of sheep enter chambers 1:00PM until 3:00 PM every other Wednesday to confess. One third would say "we sinned because we allowed ourselves to be used as lambs for passover". The other third say we are guilty in letting the goat be sacrificed instead of us on Saturdays or any other vital holiday". The other 1/3d would say we are here because WE ARE BLACKMAILED into being here.

reply to post by CasaVigilante


Your quote says nothing about having certain guidelines people must follow in order to be forgiven. Jesus says if sins are forgiven then they are forgiven. If Jesus forgave our sins by dying on the cross then they are forgiven, plain and simple.

That's not what Christianity teaches, it teaches that certain rules and guidelines must be met in order to be forgiven. Yet they also teach that all sins are forgiven at the same time, so they claim to support what Jesus said but also go against it with their rules and guidelines.

Weird huh?

Originally posted by SaturnFX

Originally posted by UNIT76

why do you need to confess your sins to a priest?

same reason people draw their water these days from a tap instead of directly from the river..

Filtration system?

Nice call; attach a water purifier and water (from the tap) replaces all need for God intermediaries vacating the mircobiotic hidden harmfuls (THE WE KNOW BEST YOU AGAINST THE INVISIBLE POTENCIALs diabolical behaviors you have or may have commited). This self professed seat of power is available for corruption; I have a difficult time fathoming their was/is NOT abuse involved in such a FALSE proclaimed power. No where in the Bible does it state "the RC has the control and is sanctified to destroy existing civilizations 1000s of years old in the name of Christ".

Originally posted by CasaVigilante
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

May I advise you - Its best not to speak foolishness when one does not know what they are talking about.

I would like to strongly advise you to study a little theology before spouting off such nonsense as is contained in your post. Thank you

edit on 25-5-2013 by CasaVigilante because: (no reason given)

Don't take yourself so seriously that you make hard feelings by it.. No need to be quite so condescending with it, particularly when I was half joking. What is advisable is getting to know people a bit better for context on these little things.

Oh..and for context? I was raised Christian with my Mom's side running devout practicing Catholic. I've been into a Church or two in my life. Even got into a Basilica once. Impressive places....but I digress.