Confession

I want to confess my sins to a priest but I'm really nervous about it and I've been postponing it. I can't really say why. I want to make a good confession and this requires some preparation, I guess.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Catholicism is the only religion with the sacrament of confession, right?

It's a controversial subject, what are your thoughts on this?
 
I want to confess my sins to a priest but I'm really nervous about it and I've been postponing it. I can't really say why. I want to make a good confession and this requires some preparation, I guess.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Catholicism is the only religion with the sacrament of confession, right?

It's a controversial subject, what are your thoughts on this?
Well you have answered all your questions :D

Not sure about list of denominations.. Not sure if you are posting this to discuss if this is what scripture teaches or not.. Or if you simply want to get advice on how to go about.. There are some good catholics who can respond to second part..

For the first part, you can expect the whole place to come down with fight :D As you said, it is controversial.. If so, should we stir it up?
 
I want to confess my sins to a priest but I'm really nervous about it and I've been postponing it. I can't really say why. I want to make a good confession and this requires some preparation, I guess.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Catholicism is the only religion with the sacrament of confession, right?

It's a controversial subject, what are your thoughts on this?
The Catholic Church puts up a lot of barriers where they need not be. They want you to depend and rely on them more than God himself.

What you should do is confess your sins to God, and ask him for forgiveness. Not some "priest".
 
The Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Coptic Church, and Thomasines all practice the sacrament of confession.
There may be other's I'm not aware of.

Do a little soul searching and just "do your best". It's OK to be a bit nervous, most are.
Understand that most likely what ever you are going to confess the priest has heard it 100 times before.
 
The Catholic Church puts up a lot of barriers where they need not be. They want you to depend and rely on them more than God himself.

What you should do is confess your sins to God, and ask him for forgiveness. Not some "priest".

That is one of the reaons that we have clergy in the first place. You may remember Jesus telling Peter "what you bind of Earth will be bound in Heaven etc."

The Catholic church is trying to do God's will on Earth, not make things easy for the lazy.
 
I want to confess my sins to a priest but I'm really nervous about it and I've been postponing it. I can't really say why. I want to make a good confession and this requires some preparation, I guess.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Catholicism is the only religion with the sacrament of confession, right?

It's a controversial subject, what are your thoughts on this?

This is going to be coming from a Methodist not a Catholic, so bear this in mind.

In my estimation, to make a good confession, go and write down a prayer asking God to forgive you for your sins. Write down all the sins that are bothering you and all that you can remember that need confessing. Say amen, and your done. Now, I'm not sure if you can bring that paper into the confessional, but if you can do it, and read that to your priest. After the priest absolves your sins, take that paper home and burn it. Now you see the sins have been separated from you and are being burned instead of you.

This appears to me a good symbolic act that (1) demonstrates the gravity of sin and (2) how God purges you of it.
 
I want to confess my sins to a priest but I'm really nervous about it and I've been postponing it. I can't really say why. I want to make a good confession and this requires some preparation, I guess.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Catholicism is the only religion with the sacrament of confession, right?

It's a controversial subject, what are your thoughts on this?

Hi. This doesn't have to be a Catholic only thing. Scripture is clear in James 5:16 that we must confess our sins to one another.

One another = fellow Christians. Now Paul setup elders in every church he started. Priests would be on par with elders. It is better to confess our sins to elders and priests then....to me or Bob. I have nothing against Catholic confession. Go for it. I wouldn't even prepare anything. Just go talk to the priest and tell him what is bugging you.
 
Hi. This doesn't have to be a Catholic only thing. Scripture is clear in James 5:16 that we must confess our sins to one another.

One another = fellow Christians. Now Paul setup elders in every church he started. Priests would be on par with elders. It is better to confess our sins to elders and priests then....to me or Bob. I have nothing against Catholic confession. Go for it. I wouldn't even prepare anything. Just go talk to the priest and tell him what is bugging you.

I agree, there is nothing inherently Catholic about confession and in fact confessing to other people I think is good practice for every Christian, it helps us overcome sin.

Although, one critique of your post KingJ, elder is synonymous with priest. I don't think Catholics have "elders" like they do in presbyterian churches.
 
Greetings:
Make believe you're Sir Lancelot and the priest is K.Arthur.You give him back woman troubles and he gives you a white horse.
How can you possibly stay home and miss out on a great deal like that.

bye
 
Just my beliefs and they may be different than others.

Yes, we are to confess our sins to others.

Where I have a difference of opinion with the Catholic church is that only God can forgive sins, not a priest.

Also, I'm okay with other denominations because I see ultimately that they are seeking God.
 
Just my beliefs and they may be different than others.

Yes, we are to confess our sins to others.

Where I have a difference of opinion with the Catholic church is that only God can forgive sins, not a priest.

Also, I'm okay with other denominations because I see ultimately that they are seeking God.
It is worthy to note the power Jesus gave his disciples concerning this.

John 20:23
"If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

It seems to me that we have the power to forgive and pardon sin. And Paul does tell us to confess to one another.
 
It is worthy to note the power Jesus gave his disciples concerning this.

John 20:23
"If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

It seems to me that we have the power to forgive and pardon sin. And Paul does tell us to confess to one another.

My question would be - are we to absolve sin in general, or sins against us personally?
 
My question would be - are we to absolve sin in general, or sins against us personally?
Any sin which a person wishes to be forgiven of.

I believe we have the power to forgive them just as Jesus does. Once we forgive them we need to point them to Jesus, and make sure they are in right relationship with him again.
 
Forgiveness is more on something we do to ourselves.... rather than to others....

I happen to agree on this thread:
http://www.christianforumsite.com/t...y-dividing-the-word-of-god.39700/#post-363764
Yes but we cannot forgive ourselves of our own authority, but by the power of Jesus our sins are forgiven. In the same way one who asks for forgiveness needs to know that Jesus forgives them. As followers of Jesus, we forgive people of their sins because we know Jesus has given us the power to do so.
 
Yes but we cannot forgive ourselves of our own authority, but by the power of Jesus our sins are forgiven. In the same way one who asks for forgiveness needs to know that Jesus forgives them. As followers of Jesus, we forgive people of their sins because we know Jesus has given us the power to do so.

Reconciliation and penance are effective ways to accomplish this.
 
We are charged to forgive all of their debts. Failure to do so will mean our debts will not be forgiven.

But then to forgive debt is keeping the Second Great Command.
 
Just my beliefs and they may be different than others.

Yes, we are to confess our sins to others.

Where I have a difference of opinion with the Catholic church is that only God can forgive sins, not a priest.

Also, I'm okay with other denominations because I see ultimately that they are seeking God.
My understanding of the matter is that the priest serves as a witness and the confession goes to God.
 
The Catholic Church puts up a lot of barriers where they need not be. They want you to depend and rely on them more than God himself.

What you should do is confess your sins to God, and ask him for forgiveness. Not some "priest".

Thanks for your reply.

I have nothing against talking directly to God but in my opinion it's not enough. Confessing our sins to a complete stranger shows humility and true repentance, that's what makes this sacrament so meaningful.
 
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