Protestant vs Catholic confession

[Luvtosew]

Actually when I go to confession the Priest says, Your sins are absolved.

I can see it if a man goes in and says he’s living with his girlfriend, how do you absolve that sin when he has no intent to not live with his girlfriend, I mean there is no since for that man going to confession till he moves out and seperates from his girlfriend. Those are the instances where I can understand when he can’t absolve a sin, when its ongoing.

 

[Newsy]

Actually when I go to confession the Priest says, Your sins are absolved.

I can see it if a man goes in and says he’s living with his girlfriend, how do you absolve that sin when he has no intent to not live with his girlfriend, I mean there is no since for that man going to confession till he moves out and seperates from his girlfriend. Those are the instances where I can understand when he can’t absolve a sin, when its ongoing.

Exactly.
This is where the priest has authority, to confer the sacraments.

BTW, the only wording that I have ever heard to be correct is, “through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Are there different phrasings?

 

[promethius]

Actually when I go to confession the Priest says, Your sins are absolved.

I can see it if a man goes in and says he’s living with his girlfriend, how do you absolve that sin when he has no intent to not live with his girlfriend, I mean there is no since for that man going to confession till he moves out and seperates from his girlfriend. Those are the instances where I can understand when he can’t absolve a sin, when its ongoing.

That is bad juju…

“I absolve you from your sins” is the** required form for absolution**. If your priest is saying “Your sins are absolved”, and not saying the bare minimum of “I absolve you” at least (and preferably adding from your sins), then this is a VERY grave abuse of the sacrament.

Take this situation up with your priest immediately, and if he refuses to listen, then take it up with the bishop. A priest saying “Your sins are absolved” without adding the proper form is unacceptable in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

[Luvtosew]

Maybe it was just the last time as I was upset when I left as he was in such a hurry, and I was first and only one person after me, and he was new to me, and he said all your sins are absolved. He pretty much stopped me dead in the middle of my confession and said that. Hum.

 

[andrewstx]

I honestly thought this would be about actual confession amoung Protestants. Lutherans have the recourse to private auricular confession and absolution, but I don’t know how much it is used. They also have public general confession with absolution which is more common.

Anglicans also may use private confession to a preist, and they also have general confession.

Presbyterians also have public general confession with an “assurance of forgiveness”, as do Methodists.

And of course the Orthodox have confession.

 

[nickybr38]

I honestly thought this would be about actual confession amoung Protestants. Lutherans have the recourse to private auricular confession and absolution, but I don’t know how much it is used. They also have public general confession with absolution which is more common.

Anglicans also may use private confession to a preist, and they also have general confession.

Presbyterians also have public general confession with an “assurance of forgiveness”, as do Methodists.

And of course the Orthodox have confession.

My mother is Lutheran. She just joined this past year (2011). Before she could join the minister made her go to ‘confession’. This particular minister is very ‘high-church’ Lutheran (for lack of a better term) and he encourages his parishioners to go to confession whenever they feel they need to. From what I gather my mother has only gone once though. She just doesn’t see the need for confession.

 

[dochawk]

Personally, I’m surprised that protestant denominations can base their faith on Scripture alone, when what they teach is that Jesus’ words aren’t to be taken literally.

OH, that’s not nearly as much of a problem for them as the fact that the Bible as we know it exists not because Christ handed the Apostles a copy, but because the bishops in counsel, as an exercise of their Apostolic Authority, determined these writings to be canonical out of the many choices . . . (roughly a hundred “Gospels” to choose from, and I can’t even guess how many epistles . . .)

If the bishops do not have the Apostolic Authority, then the “Bible” becomes just a bunch of writings that a group of fallible theologians chose.

hawk

 

[Newbie2]

Sounds to me like something very close to Lutheranism. Was he a Lutheran priest/deacon?

Forgiveness and absolution are two entirely different ideas. Let’s say that sin is like driving a nail into a fine piece of wood. Forgiveness is God’s willingness to release you (the wood) from the nail. Absolution is him actually doing it. And then when we are in a state of grace,
which is a gift from God who chooses to forgive us, we can freely choose him again without bondage to sin.

This is the downfall of Protestantism. Luther and Calvin were fed up with the lukewarmness of the Church on defining grace-- so they made heretical theories up themselves. Not to say protestants are heretics. They didn’t come up with all this stuff (as much as the newest denomination out there would like to think so).

Our purpose is not for God to love us more, but for us to love God more! Protestants of most every stripe will be quick to call even the mention of good works pelagian. God gives us graces for the purpose of us using them to glorify him. We glorify him by doing his will, and keeping his commandments-- good works. The common misconception that is very well spread among the average protestant is that Catholics must work their way into heaven. This is true… but only if you look at it from a Catholic perspective. Our works are not intrinsically meritous. It is God’s grace that is working in us, by our cooperation, that is meritous!

My mother is Lutheran. She just joined this past year (2011). Before she could join the minister made her go to ‘confession’. This particular minister is very ‘high-church’ Lutheran (for lack of a better term) and he encourages his parishioners to go to confession whenever they feel they need to. From what I gather my mother has only gone once though. She just doesn’t see the need for confession.

I used to be LCMC Lutheran, and my chum is a Lutheran Pastor. Growing up, I never knew about the availability of private confession as a Lutheran; at our church, they never taught it in catechism.

The brand of Lutheranism I’m familiar with stressed contrition, not the “Once Saved, Let’s Party” notion that the OP’s book seems to support.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I used to be LCMC Lutheran, and my chum is a Lutheran Pastor. Growing up, I never knew about the availability of private confession as a Lutheran; at our church, they never taught it in catechism.

The brand of Lutheranism I’m familiar with stressed contrition, not the “Once Saved, Let’s Party” notion that the OP’s book seems to support.

Fair point - one would assume that Lutheranism in particular would stress this, given Luther;s own background and bent.

It is a shame that private confession is not stressed in practice in the Lutheran church.

Of course, we cannot fail to remember its significance in Catholicism, given the centrality and importance of sacramental life.

 

[Journey322]

Personally, I’m surprised that protestant denominations can base their faith on Scripture alone, when what they teach is that Jesus’ words aren’t to be taken literally.

Actually, this is’t true in all cases. In fact, there are a number of denominations that teach that Scripture, especially the words of Christ, are to be interpreted literally.

 

[Journey322]

I honestly thought this would be about actual confession amoung Protestants. Lutherans have the recourse to private auricular confession and absolution, but I don’t know how much it is used. They also have public general confession with absolution which is more common.

Anglicans also may use private confession to a preist, and they also have general confession.

Presbyterians also have public general confession with an “assurance of forgiveness”, as do Methodists.

And of course the Orthodox have confession.

Southern Baptists don’t go to confession ( I used to be Southern Baptist). They believe that when the veil was torn after the crucifixion, we were granted the ability to approach God directly for such things (anything really).

Non-denominational Charismatics (technically, this is me now) believe the same thing as Southern Baptists regarding confession.

 

[Ubenedictus]

Southern Baptists don’t go to confession ( I used to be Southern Baptist). They believe that when the veil was torn after the crucifixion, we were granted the ability to approach God directly for such things (anything really).

Non-denominational Charismatics (technically, this is me now) believe the same thing as Southern Baptists regarding confession.

That’s funny

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Jesus gave the disciples the authority to forgive and retain sin. Why don’t protestants believe Jesus?

 

[nickybr38]

Jesus gave the disciples the authority to forgive and retain sin. Why don’t protestants believe Jesus?

Because some Protestants (not all) believe that we are ALL disciples and thus can forgive each other.

They don’t recognize that out of all his disciples he only had TWELVE elect apostles… but whatever.