Confession 2.0

When I was still a devout Catholic (which I was until my late-30s) the one practice I hated and never could get the "hang" of was the Sacrament of Confession. Why should have to tell my 'sins' to some priest?, I thought. I always felt I had an intimate relationship with God, so why tell some guy with a collar?

And the hypocrisy of behavior I saw in the priests I knew was enough to send me running. Besides, that dark booth - where the little screen slides open and then you pour your heart out? No way. When I got older and little more worldly it reminded me of some disgusting peep-show booth on the old 42nd Street. Creepy.

But now you can CONFESS online. Sorry, but in the first place I don't think confession clears anyone. The person you should be dialoging with is the person you harmed. Not projection, not smearing and certainly not telling asking a priest to give you absolution -- but the person you used, abused, crapped all over or lied to. Yes, THAT person. That's the one you should be "confessing" too.

I don't believe in forgiveness for the not-genuinely repentant. And repenting requires empathy for the harm you inflicted on another. Have I done that? Yes. A number of times. To the person's face.

Confess online? Just one more empty feel-good that's a mouse click away. Oy.

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"If you can pay for your bills online, why not pay for your sins?" This line really got me thinking. Has it really come to that? Online confessions and forgiveness forms?

According to statistics tens of thousands are visiting sites like ivescrewedup.com, mysecret.tv and http://www.oopsimsorry.com and unburdening themselves daily, and priests have stated that there is a steady decline in sinners showing up to confess in person.

Admissions on Christian church-operated sites range from trivial things to major thefts. The majority of confessions, signed with initials and young ages, are descriptions of shame and guilt associated with sex.

Professor Sherry Turkle has researched cyber relationships and interviewed people who post confessions online. She is is calling it "a new genre of confession."

"They have said to me, 'This is where hope is for me.' They think they can find on these sites some kind of goodness that eludes them in real life, but what these sites say to me is what are we are increasingly missing in our lives, a sense of community and real, tangible connection with other people," Turkle said.

LifeChurch members say they are monitoring messages and deleting those that are, in their view, too graphic or fabricated.

Pastor Troy Gramling of South Florida's Flamingo Road Church, which launched ivescrewedup.com last year said: "We don't want to track IP addresses, because that would compromise the authenticity of a site that says it's anonymous." stating that the churches phone numbers are on the site. "We're hoping that if they want to reach out and give their name, or talk to someone, they will," said Gruenewald.

I'm thinking, not. Remember how in movies the perfect criminals and uncaughtable serial killers always want one thing, and one thing only? Publicity! Maybe it's just me, but isn't that exactly what sites like these are giving them. If someone posts a confession of a criminal nature there is nothing anyone can do about it because, in the name of anonymity, IP's are not tracked.

Pastor Gramling said online confession is not meant to replace traditional confession. "Just because confessions don't go directly to God through a priest or a church doesn't mean they aren't sincere," he said. "And there's something healing about just going on the site and reading it, seeing all these other confessions. Some people might realize, 'Maybe I'm not alone.'

I agree that it can be therapeutical to one point, but maybe people should consider group therapy or a chat with their best friend rather than baring their soul online through one of these sites.

What's the point of confession, something that should be private and between you and God only, if anyone can see it once they enter the website? According to statistics when the Mysecret.tv was featured on AOL's homepage, more than 1.3 million people clicked on it in a single day.

Will God really see the "ask for forgiveness" form you filled on forgivenet.com?

Does anyone actually belive in forgiveness gained through this or is it just another way for people to avoid their responsibilities?

Most of all is anonymity a substitute for privacy and the intimacy experienced by talking to a priest?

SOURCE