Catholic's confession vs Judicial Committe

by JustTickledPink 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  JustTickledPink

  I remember being indoctrinated how "bad" the Catholics were and in particular the confession practise was always ridiculed.

  I was thinking about it today, if I felt guilty about something how wonderful it would be to open a confessional booth, talk to a priest, confess, he would say some words to me, tell me what to do as penace and on my way I would go. I think their thought is that the judging is really left up to God (I hope I have that right) and then I thought about the JC committee. You walk in, they grill you, you confess, they judge you (not God) and then DF you if they think it's warranted.

  Starting to think that the Catholics had it right after all. They don't break up families, they don't condone anyone, they just hope that the person will do the right thing and leave it up to God.
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  David2002

  The JW committee is set up to help people. No one is going to be disfellowshipped if one is truly repentant. I remember as a Catholic, how many families were broken up because one mate or the other was involved in committing adultery for years. All one had to do was confess to the priest, the priest would forgive the person, and after saying a determined number of hail Mary's their sins were supposedely forgiven. The problem was that eventually the adultery would be revealed, in some cases by an pregnancy, and the that would lead to a divorce. I know of a case in which the priest knew of a church member who had an multiple active affairs and nothing was never done, other than getting "forgiven" by the priest. Is that really helping one live a moral life, based on Bible teachings, if one get off scott free? Of course, the apostle Paul did not think so (1 Cor. 5:9-13). Perhaps one of the reasons there are a significant number of pedophile priests is because all they have to do is go to a confession box and get "forgiven" by the priest!!!
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  kls

  Say David have you ever visited the site Silentlambs ?
  
  
  
  
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  wednesday

  The JW committee is set up to help people. No one is going to be disfellowshipped if one is truly repentant

  David, I am a 3rd generation JWS and you are wrong. Occ the jc's try to help, but many people who have been repentent have been DF. It is an abusive system. I have never been a catholic, so can't speak for them.

  You might as well walk into a movie theater and yell "fire" as to come on here and say what you did.

  weds
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  Purza

  I remember when I was enduring two different JC meetings (different meetings, years apart) how I wished I had it as easy as the Catholics -- all they had to do was confess in a dark little box, say some hail marys and that would be it -- no one would know. Much better than a JC meeting.

  Purza
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  poppers

  While growing up Catholic confession was a regular part of my life. I always felt better afterwords and never once felt I was being judged by my confessor priest. To talk and unburden myself to someone who only gave encouragement and support only enhanced my feelings of self-worth. What was said in the confessional booth stayed there, and never did I hear of gossip that was spread as a result of anyone else's confession.
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  geevee

  David, you seem to be waylaying this thread. If you have been judged by a JC, did you ever come away feeling like your sins are forgiven? Most do not, and everytime their "sin" is mentioned in a talk or WT study they feel the pangs of guilt because they really do not know whether they are forgiven or NOT! JW's can not bag the catholics over pedophile preeists at all. They have no right, they are NOT clean from the stain of "that" sin. Ask around, you will find that even those who are on this forum would confirm there is no overwhelming feeling that you have been forgiven, you will not know until judgement day...IMO
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  candidlynuts

  david said:

  No one is going to be disfellowshipped if one is truly repentant.

  david are you new to the jehovah's witnesses? this is an untrue statement. you will be df'd if your sin is known about to the congregation. you will be df'd if you have to face criminal charges if your sin was illegal. it doesnt matter HOW repentant you are. if your actions are gossiped about or are public k nowlege they will df you just to cover their own butts.
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  geevee

  Actually, you might get DFed for posting on this forum......
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  heathen

  I've actually done the catholic confession thing before but I was really young at the time so don't understand what could a child do that would cheeze God off so much any way . The whole concept that a priest can somehow come up with the right number of hail marys or our fathers to forgive sin is pretty ridiculous . I do think that christians were instructed to confess their sins before all present and not in the back room in private .The jdubs like to hold the hearings in the back room somewhere but when you consider the difference is that the people involved are usually ministers and their behaviour is subject to review , it's the way things work in a cult . If you are expected to go to peoples homes to sell magazines and brain wash them you better at least look like you know what you're doing eh .... ?