Is Confession Actually A Bad Thing To Do?

by Englishman 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Englishman

  When I make mistakes ( I do, I do!) or do something really bad, the last thing I think about is confessing to it.

  I apologise where appropriate, try to learn from the experience and generally file away the event so's to maybe profit by the experience. Sometimes I even feel remorse!

  So what I don't undersatnd is why it is that a JW's first action after committing a sin is the requirement to go to an elder or 3 and confess to it. I mean, what a waste of time! To confess to something as a first reaction does nothing to profit anyone IMHO. In fact, it can even negate useful remorse, that period of discomfort we get when we've done something bad. That period of remorse that ultimately teaches us something about ourselves, be it for us to do something we have neglected or to avoid a course of action in the future.

  So I would suggest that confession is actually a bad thing to do. If we confess we learn nothing. All we've done is diluted the niggles we get when we err. Those niggles that will be short-lived if we learn by our mistakes.

  Englishman.
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  Big Dog

  I thought confession was one of those silly unscriptural things the Catholics did.
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  MegaDude

  So what I don't undersatnd is why it is that a JW's first action after committing a sin is the requirement to go to an elder or 3 and confess to it

  Because they dislike the burden of guilt and wish to relieve themselves of it, or perhaps it's the cult indoctrination that's been pounded into their heads that pushes them to do this.

  That period of remorse that ultimately teaches us something about ourselves, be it for us to do something we have neglected or to avoid a course of action in the future.

  It certainly has that potential. Others seem to be able to destroy any remorse that a conscience might inflict upon them.
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  FlyingHighNow

  I think it's a real sickness in the borg: confession. Really, what a bunch of nosey busy bodies, and they have the nerve of implying that women are prone to gossip and being meddlesome.
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  iiz2cool

  I thought confession was one of those silly unscriptural things the Catholics did.

  Yes, the watchtower criticizes Catholics for going to "confession" but themselves have taken it to a whole new level themselves. Someone who "confesses" finds themselves before a kangaroo court and ends up DF'd and shunned. For those who don't "confess" there are always the congregation informants, and even surveillance at times. I'm sure they would take people out to the Kingdumb Hall parking lot and throw stones at them if they thought they could get away with it. Walter
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  JAVA

  Confession is usually taken as an admission of having done something wrong, and it?s usually voluntary. For example, if I hit your car in the parking lot and drive away, but feel bad about the next day and tell you what happened. I believe that?s a good confession. Telling a group of folks (e.g., elders) that I hit a car and didn?t report it to the owner, serves little purpose other than giving the elders power over me. I believe that type of confession is not healthy for most adults. A moral person would not need to do this.
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  whyamihere

  I think it depends on what it is. If you confess something you should also think about the type of person you will be going to confess to. Minor things are no big deal. I am just Honest about myself and tell it like it is.
  
  One time I ordered lunch and the guy gave me too much back where it was pretty much free. I did not notice it until later. I drove to the place that night because I felt so bad and did not want to feel like I stole something. I walked in and told them what happened and they all looked at me like I was an Idiot for not just taking the money. I told them when it comes my day to die I want to say to god...."Yes I know I did this ....but come on God I gave the delivery guy back his money that at least should count for something!" I also said I know lighting will strike and it may hit me if I don't do this. They all laughed and I thought to myself hey if this happens to one of them I hope they will be like me and do the right thing!
  
  Brooke
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  devinsmom

  Brooke said:

  I walked in and told them what happened and they all looked at me like I was an Idiot for not just taking the money. I told them when it comes my day to die I want to say to god...."Yes I know I did this ....but come on God I gave the delivery guy back his money that at least should count for something!" I also said I know lighting will strike and it may hit me if I don't do this.

  You are so funny Brooke, I always read you're posts and are usually lmfao! Thanks for the entertaiment, you brightened up my day-April
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  target

  Whenever I confessed to anything, it always turned out to be a bad thing. When I was a little kid, my father committed some indescretion and confessed to my mother. When I was much older, my mother brought it up. She never said just what took place, but she did say that confessing made him feel better and made her feel worse. So confessing is a selfish thing, it just hurts others when there is not a need to know.

  Same with keeping a diary. Why someone would want to put something incriminating down on paper for someone else to get their hands on, I do not know.

  I definitely have secrets that I will take to the grave. I will share them with no one. I sure will not write them down anywhere. No one would be better off knowing what I know. And no one can blackmail me.

  Target (of the "If I told you, I would have to kill you" class)
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  AK - Jeff

  The old adage " Confession is good for the soul " has some merit.

  Not the JW style of confession that ends in pain all around - nor the admission of guilt in some matters of indescetion that hurts the other party [confessing an ancient affair just to get it off your chest - will only hurt the innocent mate].

  But confession to work out the anxiety and guilt when done in the ears of a neutral party can have great impact on allowing us to deal with unresolved internal conflict, no? That is why therapists are so busy - and that is where it should be done. Or just strictly between you and God.

  Just my opinion

  Jeff