Confessional fo sinners?

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This is a kind of confessional. Confessionals are useful to people overburdended by their guilts. But are they really guilty? Are we guilty? Why should we, after having been deprived of a real plenitude of life, feel guilty of our misfortune? Is it the ethics of predestination embedd in the protestant spirit? Bums are not only unfortunate, but contaminated by sin, so they should not be helped.

Or is it a leftover of family experiences. When, as a child, I got sick my parents’s reaction was one of anxiety and irritation at me. So, even now, when I get sick, even if I now live alone, I also feel somehow guilty. There is no protestant streak in my family, so the second hypothesis seems more probable.

Speaking of confessionals, I just remembered this joke I read somewhere, so I thought I'd share it to lighten the mood a little. Here goes.

A Jewish man walks into a Catholic church, and enter the confessional booth. When the priest opens the booth window, the Jewish man says: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned". The priest responds: "We're human, which makes us weak and prone to sin. Share it with me, son."
"Well, I slept with two 19-year-old nymphomaniacs, and I wasn't married to either of them."
"That is a sin, son. Have you come to a confessional before?"
"No, Father."
"Are you a member of this church? We have support groups that helps people get on the righteous path."
"No, I'm not a member. In fact, I'm Jewish."
"But if you're Jewish, you should have come to a synagogue and told your rabbi. He might be able to help you."
"Oh, that's the first place I went. I'm telling everybody."

Actually, confession is a Catholic concept and Protestants don't practice it. I think Martin Luther tossed that out on the first go round, but I'm not completely certain.


That aside, confess away.


Why is it you feel guilty about the way you are? I don't feel guilty at all. There are many times I think NTs should feel guilty that their thoughtless emotions cause them to do crazy and careless things, however, I don't expect them to recognize that or feel guilty about it. They are going to remain irrational while Mr. Spock and I go have a chat. There you go. Nothing to feel guilty about.

I don't participate in the Roman Catholic religion so I will stay out of this thread. I have my own moral code substantially influenced by my background, parents and community with personal views mixed in. I try to maintain and stick to it as much as I can.

I littered in the elevator.

I am sorry that I have to do some literary examples from books tha not all here have read. Samsa the character of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” felt ashamed of his being turned in a corkroach, and rightly so. And Kafka concluded “The Trial” with this sentence: while they were turning the knife in his heart he “thought that the shame would have survived him”. He was a Jew. Normally guilt is stronger in protestant confessions. Catholic church is lax in matter of sins and I appreciate it, even if I did not receive any religious education.

???


that made no sense at all whatsoever
could you explain the punch line?

He was telling everybody that he slept with those two nymphomaniacs. He first went to his synagogue to talk to his rabbi, under the pretext of getting forgiveness for his sin (while in reality, for the sole purpose of bragging. Then he went to a Catholic church to do the same. That's the punchline. Darn it, with the punchline spelled out so clearly, it stopped being funny.

It's the way you tell them Aspie1.

It's a strange topic though.
eg. I feel guilty that i stay in on New Year's Eve or do not get a date on Valentine's Day.
Or do not tell people when it is my birthday.
I am a man of logic, there is no logic to feeling this shame, but there is a small sense of it there.
I do not think it is to do with religion either.

The Catholic church originally taught that it was infallible by virtue of the infallible pope, and could forgive sin. They even had "indulgences" ( http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm ) where people could PAY for the privilege! That was one thing that Luther was AGAINST! So the confessional no longer really carries any weight. The Bible DOES talk about talking to one you have sinned against, or mutual friends of one that has sinned against you. It EVEN talks about having the pastor as the final arbiter to try to set things right.(I.E., repayment of loss to the parties, or comprimises, etc...). I am not aware of ANY place that says anyone but God can forgive sin. Although there ARE several places where it says only God can forgive sin!

Steve

ok thank you sorry.

I think confessionals are just a bunch of crap. I mean why speak to some one in a little room. I believe you shouldn't have to tell anyone about your sins or misgivings. Just go to the altar.

There has never been no catholicism in my family. My grandmother was an assimilated Jew. I was hastily baptized at the time of racial laws when I was 5 years, but i don't remember having never been to mass. The jewish streak was present in my father's political messianism, political not religious. This things pass through generations in strange ways.

What have you done that makes you feel guilty? Feeling guilty without having done anything to cause that guilt makes no sense to me.