Very good, hold onto that concept.
The sacrament of Confession is for your benefit
No it isn't. And isn't for the benefit of Catholics who must wait in their sin until confession time when they could be cleansed right away by going directly to Jesus.
there is something to actually admitting something out loud in front of a witness
Sure there is. But that is no reason to not pray to Jesus right away and be cleansed of the sin.
Confessing our faults one to another is a Biblical principle, but so is praying to Jesus for forgiveness. Even without anyone else listening.
It clears the air in a way and focuses the mind of the sinner in a way that “well, He knows what I mean” can’t reach.
That has nothing whatsoever to do with what I posted. That's called a strawman argument. I'm not going to play that game.
Wedding vows are done out loud in front of witnesses, not just assumed to have been made, even though you might be able to tell by looking at them that the couple is loving and committed
Now there is a tangent for ya! Congratulations on your marriage.
Jesus is the Word. He became flesh like us, not just an internal idea in the mind of God. He reached for us the hard way.
Good point. It's great to learn stuff, isn't it?
It stands to reason that mere internal thought of regret for our sin is not the most complete or most committed way for us to reach back.Again, it seems you are inferring that I said anything remotely similar to that statement, which I did NOT.
For the benefit of those reading this thread that may think that was my point, I will repeat that which you are responding to:
Go to Jesus in prayer, confess and ask for forgivenessNow that is way cool, isn't it?Waiting for a time to go to church and into a confessional area, which as has been noted many do not do for various reasons, is unnecessary.
Jesus is our High Priest and the only intermediary between us and God, and He is always there for us.
You should request forgiveness for those that you have actually wronged. That makes sense to me. It also makes sense that if you are feeling conflicted and upset about a certain failing. For instance, if you are having marital problems, then it would make sense to seek out a trusted religious figure. However, as I’ve pointed out, lots of Catholics have had sour experiences with priests. My father goes to Mass on a regular basis, but the last time he went to confession was when I was in grade school. The main reason is that he has had very sour experiences with Catholic priests. When his mother was dying and wanted to talk with a priest, the local parish priest wasn’t there for him.
Also, I agree it is sort of odd to have to go to confession even after you’ve apologized to an offended party.
There is a major inconsistency in your theology. If, as you purport in post #52, that all of our sins, past present and future are already forgiven, why would you need to confess them at all?
Peace be with you
I think you may be trying to anger me, but I’m going to stay cool because I refuse to give Satan the satisfaction. He loves it when good people get into conflicts with each other.
What I was trying to say is that God forgives you right away. You do not need to stew about that until you get to confession. But the fact is that often good people do stew about things until they are “officially” resolved. Or they are ok for awhile, until the remorse hits them again. So, in a sense, confession is a ritual of officially connecting back to God so that the pain of remorse doesn’t keep coming back again. Confession helps combat scrupulousness, which is the sin of not really believing in God’s loving forgiveness, so the sinner keeps dredging up the past and suffering all over again.
Also, I wasn’t trying to play a game with you or introduce a straw man to bother you. I was really trying to share my general understanding of confession and why it is beneficial. I put my heart and intellect into my response to you. I’m sorry it was not of more use to you. God bless you.