[net.religion] Guilt and Forgiveness

david@ssc-vax.UUCP (David Norris) (02/03/84)

Mark stated:

> If you think that putting ALL your sins behind you (not talking about
> murder and the like, here) is a cop-out, wouldn't you also admit that
> receiving forgiveness for sins from a priest through confession is also a
> cop-out?  Of all people, you should tell a priest!  Why not talk to the
> person you hurt or offended by the sin?  That seems quite a bit more
> appropriate.  But to receive penance from an uninvolved person for any old
> sin seems like taking the easy way out.

I hope you have not (erroneously) assumed that I am a Catholic, or that only
Catholics are Christians.  Yes, I might say that recieving forgiveness from
a priest is a "cop-out".  You are right.  It IS more appropriate to talk to
the person you hurt by the sin.  Jesus said this when He told the man to go
and make amends with his brother before leaving his gift at the temple, and
when he told us to forgive others.

Thus far, our approach is the same (you know, the golden rule, and all that).
Now, where Christianity breaks from this humanitarian approach is that Jesus
forgave sins that men committed against other men, as if He were the injured
party.  Thus interpreted, "talking to the person you hurt by the sin" will
equate to asking God for forgiveness.

	-- David Norris        :-)
	-- uw-beaver!ssc-vax!david