Protestants how to you get by without confession

[rinnie]

Think about what you posted for just a second. Repentance means having a true sorrow for the sins you committed and a determination not to repeat the same behaviors. If you confess a sin–let’s just say adultery–but have absolutely no intention of changing the behavior, infact are planning to meet your lover later that evening, how can you claim to be in repentance? This does NOT mean that you may not stumble and fall even into the same sin again. We are all humans and as such are weak. However if you are truly NOT sorry for a sin and have exactly zero intention of changing your behavior then how could you possibly claim repentance? God doesn’t play mind games. He, above all, knows what is really in our hearts. It’s a total waste to go to confession if we are unrepentant. All God asks us for to be forgiven a sin, is a sincere sorrow for having committed the sin and a determination to TRY to do better. Is that too much for God to ask—that we mean what we say and be straight with Him?

And if I may add if you don’t mind there is something to confessing a sin out loud.

You see this many times people who can’t even acknowledge the sin until that can say it out loud to someone. It is only then once they admit it, they can begin to fix it.

A flip side, say as a child, a person is sexually abused and keeps the secret. Is taught it is their fault. It is when they confess to someone who cannot say anything, they can trust, and it is then, and only then the Priest tells them, this was never your sin. You did nothing wrong. Many times they have no one to help them. But knowing a Priest can keep it a secret if they choose, gives them the courage to finally admit a problem. A sin they carried for maybe half a lifetime, that was never theirs.

People forget that Priest have many degrees, Especially in Psychology.

 

[Protestor]

Huh?

So maybe I should have put a /S or (sarcasm) at the end of the last sentence. But Either will do fine as long as I can read somehing.

SteveVH I think sacred tradition got some things right and/or is mostly right on most things. I do not feel like enumerating those things. This is not a discussion on sacred tradition and I would rather it not be.

Starrsmother I see your point. This is probably just a problem with me, but I have trouble feeling sorrow for anything. Which is why by your definition of repentance I am not sure that I have been repentant often. I have repented from my former lifestyle, but I have not kept that contrition throughout my walk(craw). Truthfully the contrition of my former life did not come for a long time.