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ORIGINAL: cjan

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ORIGINAL: hardbodysub

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ORIGINAL: Aneirin

I left catholicism because of all that confessional bullshit, I just could not understand why someone is allowed to do something, confess it and receive a penance, a few hail mary's and one was absolved in the eyes of god. To me, not good enough, as it was giving license to do wrong, a case of here is the rules, we know you can't keep them, but as long as you confess it will be ok. My personal take on it is, here are the rules, don't break them.

Sin, what is sin, is being a natural human sinful.

I am also a recovering Catholic. When I was old enough to think independently, I found a lot of things about the church to be totally ridiculous. I can't stand it now.

Your description of confession, however, appears to be really misguided. You are not absolved in the eyes of God unless you are truly repentant. Confession and penance don't give you license to do wrong. What they are supposed to do is give you a chance for redemption, so that you can "go forth and sin no more." Without that chance, if you've sinned, you're damned, with no chance for forgiveness, so you have no incentive to improve. Might as well sin up a storm, since you're screwed anyway.

I understand your objection, that it appears to give people an easy way out, but if they feel that way, they don't "get" what confession is supposed to be. It's surely true that some people do use the confessional as a quick fix, thinking they can sin this week and easily "have it removed from their permanent record" on Saturday. That's not the way it's supposed to work. Repentance has to be real to receive forgiveness.

My problem with the sacrament of Penance is the Church's pervasive idea that people don't have the capacity to relate to God directly, but have to do it through Church-provided representatives and Church-prescribed methods, down to the tiniest details. I understand that having a priest receive people's confessions and absolve them in person is the Church's way of helping them feel that their petitions are heard, so they can deal with their guilt, and move forward. But anyone who really thinks about it, knows that the priest's presence can't really change anything about the sinner's repentance or absolution. It's just ritual. And the creation and perpetuation of ritual is virtually essential for the survival of organized religion.

And then, of course, there is the plenary indulgence which is a kind of Catholic "get out of purgatory free " card granted, under certain conditions. by the pope and bishops.

You see, according to the Catholic church, even though you confess your sins, do penance, resolve to sin no more and receive absolution, God still requires you to suffer in purgatory for your transgressions. The good news is, your suffering is not eternal .

The Catholic Church did not invent the concept of purgatory, any more than scientist invented DNA... they simply discovered and began to fully understand what they believe God had already made. 
The understanding of an interim place between heaven and hell dates back to the earliest days of the Church. Scripture even speaks of a cleansing fire that will sanctify us (1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7).
Scripture even says that "nothing unclean will enter [heaven]" (Rev. 21:27 NAB). But the Catechism points out that all who enter purgatory "are indeed assured of their eternal salvation."
I'm not asking anyone, particularly unbelievers, to believe this, it being an act of faith...but just to clarify some views regarding purgartory.

In the middle ages, the Catholic church sold plenary indulgences for cash . It was one of the major things that pissed off Martin Luther and began the Reformation. These days, the Pope offers plenary indulgences in the hope that "fallen away" Catholics will return to the church and put cash into the collection basket on Sunday. They need the money to pay lawyers and multi-million dollar settlements against pervert priests that the church continues to harbor.

I think you make a valid point regarding the transgressions of the church in the 15th century, but don't really see the need to rant about a religious belief that has given comfort and aid to hundreds of millions.  That there are priests who are pediphiles is a crime..and a major sin against the faith, and those men should be punished here and, if there is a hell...burn, burn baby burn in hell.
Unfortunately, there is not one philosophy of humankind whether religious or political, I can think of  that hasn't done horrible things on an individual or massive scale.  Everything is on a scale...
                                                                       cory

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I think you make a valid point regarding the transgressions of the church in the 15th century, but don't really see the need to rant about a religious belief that has given comfort and aid to hundreds of millions.  That there are priests who are pediphiles is a crime..and a major sin against the faith, and those men should be punished here and, if there is a hell...burn, burn baby burn in hell.