do you think its right to confess our sins?

Question

i mean priests are only human so why should we be confessing ourselves to them? We are not 100% sure God exists. I have my own faith and i know what i believe in, but in my opinion confessing our sins to priests is so wrong. What do you think?

Answer 1

The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. First Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “a kingdom of priests.” In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3), deacons (1 Timothy 3), bishops (Titus 1:6-9), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests.



When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses “to one another,” but this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests / church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16. Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the confession of sins “to one another.”



The Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholic do point to John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." From this verse, Catholics claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins, and that authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, i.e., the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. There are several problems with this interpretation. (1) John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. (2) John 20:23 nowhere promises, or even hints, that the authority to forgive sins would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. (3) The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures.



Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”



Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/confession-sin-priest.html#ixzz2fvg5GX2X

Answer 2

In the Catholic religion, priests are not just ministers, not just shepherds and advisers and counselors, they actually have powers. The priest is a conduit between you and God, a go-between. The priest hears your confession, metes out penance, and grants absolution. It's really God who is doing these things, the priest is God's agent on earth. (Now I have to say I'm not Catholic, and some well-trained Catholic may post to correct me if I got this wrong.)



Protestants believe you can go directly to God, perhaps through Jesus. They don't have a priesthood, only ministers who preach, counsel, advise, lead, etc. but aren't thought to have any special powers. The important relationship is between you and God (or Jesus).



But I think the important thing is that you confess your sins to -yourself-. It's important that you realize when you've done something wrong, that you see the negative consequences that resulted, and that you resolve to do better. This is all an internal thing, within yourself. Pretending to be sorry doesn't help if you don't feel inside that what you did was wrong and that you ought not to do that again. I think that is the real object of 'confession', no matter how you do it. And if you look at it that way, it doesn't matter whether God exists or not, or even whether you believe in him or not.

Answer 3

It works a lot like this.

If you make it a habit to see a priest and confess your sins every Sunday are you going to keep doing them more than if you just pray.



People feel more anonymous when they pray even though they never are and God can see it all. But still we do, when we go see them it gives us more motivation to change. Some people can indeed change, and some don't even need to confess much, but the system like anything that has lasted as over 100 years, has become very effective.



That said, no I personally see a priest for these things, instead I pray every night and ask for forgiveness for whatever I had done that day.

Answer 4

Priests are human, but they are humans who have authority from God, including the authority to forgive sins in God's name. This authority was first given by Jesus to the Apostles (John 20:23), and has been handed down from one generation to the next throughout the history of the church.



The whole reason why Jesus founded the church (Matt 16:17-19) was to act as a channel of God's grace and mercy. He estalished it for our benefit, so we could have a sure source of teaching and a clear way to recieve the sacraments - baptism, the eucharist, forgiveness through confession, and so on. If we reject the church, and decided that we know better than those whom God has appointed, then that amounts to a refusal of God's grace.



Also, confession has practical benefits. If you don't ever have to face anyone else about your sins, you can tell yourself comfortable lies about how good you are, and how insignificant your sins are. But having to tell somone else about them, even anonymously, makes it much harder to do that. You realise just how bad your sins are when you realise how awkward and embarrassing they are to admit. Similarly, confession makes you think about your sins on a regular basis, so it keeps you motivated to fight against them and overcome them by God's help.

Answer 5

First of all, saying your repentance prayers every time you sin cannot blot your sins out, its just not possible. Those who say otherwise are spiritual buffoons, the ignorant.

Secondly, nowhere in the whole Bible does it teach that RCC priests forgive sins, for only God can forgive sins. All these priests are sinners themselves, so how can they usurp the role of God?



Thirdly, Jesus has already forgiven you of your sins by taking them all away. The fact you still have sin is because they have never been blotted out by you meeting the true gospel.

You can meet this true gospel here: http://www.nlmbriton.com

Answer 6

Do not confess to priest that practice priest craft, for priest craft is all around us today. priest that have no authority to preach the gospel or even to build up churches unto God.and i lie not, our world is not what we think it is. Confess unto God and only God, for he knows our sins and we all need repent to be forgiven, and name them one by one confessing them. And yet many think to hid there sins for the lord. Fool who think they can, will suffer the punishment of a Just God.

Answer 7

The rite of confession is an excellent way of looking into where we've gone wrong in our lives. Before you can admit your failings to an anonymous priest, you have to admit them to yourself.



As Sir Alec Guinness said (I may be paraphrasing, I don't have the quote to hand). Many people spend a fortune on counselling. Every few weeks, I go to a priest and discuss my problems and I get all the counselling I need for free.

Answer 8

God, in His infinite mercy, hid your sins for you. After that, would you go and reject that mercy? Our sins are our shame. If revealed, we would be humiliated, our dignity lost. As long as God hides my sins, I have a chance to correct myself and return to God. But if God allows me to be humiliated, I would have lost something very basic to a human, and life would be less than what it is now.



No one but God can forgive sins. You sinned against God, not a man. It is God's right, no one else's. Ask the priest to show authentic documentary proof that shows God gives him authority from Him to act on His behalf. I suspect he has only practiced, rehearsed nonsense to respond to you with. Because it makes no sense the way it is. Don't let anyone insult your intelligence. It is what makes you a superior creation compared to the animals that walk the earth. If it doesn't make sense, it is not worth holding onto.

Answer 9

Hi,some may feel better by doing this,having someone that they can see giving them direct feedback.Is it necessary no because the bible says if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to forgive us of all unrighteousness(1 john:9) We can confess to someone we trust but it's not necessary if you prefer not to do it.You could have someone you're in submission/accountable to to help you if you're weak in an certain area and need for someone to keep you/help keep you responsible to keep your commitment to God.We all have weaknesses and sometimes need for extra help and from someone who cares for us and is close to us to whom we submit ,listen to their advice ,their having our best interests at heart and being an mature christian themselves.There's nothing wrong with being accountable to someone they can only help us stay committed to our words spoken.And I understand what some people are saying about men hearing about the secret sins that we committ whether they the people listening are qualified,well those whom do listen to all those sins should themsleves have someone to be accountable to otherwise ths sins that they continually are made aware of may rub off on them tempting them too to want to psrticipate,no person is above being tempted or sinning in that fact.Jesus was the only one whom lived an perfect life,being tempted yet without sin.If the pople receing all this knowledge of sin aren't accountable to someone then they too could one day be tempted to participate in some of what they.If you want or think you need an human being to confess to to help you then by all means but it's not necessary,we don't need an middleman to go through besides Christ.

Answer 10

It's quite silly for me personally. Not solution to a wrong-doing.



To change one's wrong-doing is to change one's heart to prevent future wrong actions.



Saying lies in confessions can be done and the action remains the same.

Answer 11

he knows so the way I see it , nobody else business its a private matter people will believe what ever they want nothing I can do about it and I will not be that open with another human being until I am married to them and they are that open to me and yes there is a god nut its not what you think

Answer 12

I truly believe in God and live to serve Him. You are right about confessing our sins to a man/woman or any human. When Jesus came to earth, we no longer serve or pray to man. Jesus in the one Holy Priest for all of us. We pray and ask forgiveness directly from Him.

Answer 13

What sins? What have I done this week that is a sin? I have not killed anyone. I have committed no theft. Not been cruel to another. So what do I have to confess?

Answer 14

Confession is a myth. AGd keys all. Tngs, so all at's esry s toad to God and appckowledfepge. Tat it was wrong.

Answer 15

Why should you? If you are revived in Jesus then He knows your sins. The confession to Him is in your heart.

Answer 16

I think the idea of young children discussing masturbation and lust with grown men is disturbing.