On-Line Confession

[Naomi]

Would you “confess” your darkest secrets on-line?

There is a church which is promoting on-line confessions. The theory being that most people don’t have anyone they trust enough to tell their darkest secrets. And, confession is good for the soul.

Some of the sites are “My Secret.com”, “My Church.com” “Group Hug” , “Post Secret”

I don’t know that anyone has done a long-term controlled study to show that on-line confessions are beneficial to one’s spiritual growth.

Your thoughts?

Naomi

[Key Guy]

If I felt that deep-dark confessions to a human or group of humans were important or necessary, I'd be a Catholic!

Seriously, I can't see where opening one's depth of soul to another human (except spouse) has any benefit. I read in today's Dear Abby column where a sex addicted female confessed her secret to a guy with whom she had a previous relationship. His response was to invite her to a sex party as a 'help' for her addiction!

One has to take God at His word when He invites us to unburden ourselves to Him and allow Him to refine us. It's difficult to have that much faith, until you determine how much faith you must have in another woefully inadequate human to confess to him or her. I'll spend a little more energy in trusting God.

[lazarus]

Here's a text to throw into the mix

James 5:16 confess your faults one to another and pray for one another... that you may be healed.

Confessing to each other and praying for eachother is a part of the healing process. If putting it out there online helps then do it!

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I agree with lazarus. There *is* something very healing in confessing a *dark secret* to another person.

I think, too, that many people do not have a faith strong enough to believe that God really forgives them, even though they've prayed for forgiveness. It helps to have someone affirm that what they HOPE has been forgiven, truly HAS been forgiven by God. just imho

[Halfstep Denise]

Hi, Naomi!

I would NEVER confess any "dark secrets" online or anywhere else!

If I've sinned against someone, I would hope any "confessing" would be to God and to that person ONLY!

I don't care for public confessions. The one's I've witnessed seemed to be more "asking for attention" sessions or became food for gossip!

IMHO, if a person has done something wrong against a particular congregation and feels that they need to publicly confess - call a church business meeting and restrict it to JUST members and do the confessing at that time.

Halfstep Denise

[Nan]

Looking at this from another angle, what is going to happen to all the online confessions. Are they just going to provide titillating reading for whoever happens by?

I think the 'confession' needs to be made to the wronged party - as Naomi says.

[D. Allan]

I agree. It's embarrassing to even listen to public confessions. It is better to talk to someone you trust, and say, "I've got a problem with a certain failing that keeps tempting me. Will you pray for me?"

Better yet is to have a prayer partner. Partners can meet weekly and pray for one another, and encourage one another to deepen their spiritual practice.

[Parade Orange]

Yes James 5:16 unleashes a powerful truth!

1 John also says more about that spiritual truth!

what would happen if the heavy guilt and shame of secret sin and addictions is confessed to your peers in Christ?

To share you must have trust! and knowing that emboldens u to be seen without the mask that we carefully wear.

When u share u look in their eyes and maybe still feeling fear of rejection and condemnation u actually see Love and acceptance!

U actually see Jesus with flesh loving all of u. not just the good parts but also the bad parts. Trust is built even more and true fellowship bonds form. The confessee may not understand or identify with the confesser but the former does know himself/herself as a sinner who Knows GODS GRACE! And shares that.even in the latest revelation of the pain.

what would our churches look like if we followed Pauls(weep with those who weep) James(confess your faults one to another) and John(if we walk in the light as HE is in the light-we have FELLOWSHIP with one another)?

We would be a Safe Place to Fall at the Cross together!

[lazarus]

My guess is that the phrase "confess your faults to one another" is not speaking about business meetings with 30/40/100 people there. It may be a prayer meeting, small group session, it may be as you talk and pray with a friend.

[Gerr]

It's one thing to confess my faults to another human being. There are things I have done I won't even tell my wife but only to God. What's the point? There are sins too dark to tell another human being, unless you're a Catholic, in which forgiveness could be dispensed only thru a human priest. We have a High Priest who understands, and only He & He alone can I come boldly with my darkest secrets, knowing that He will never embarrass me.

Two weeks ago, a woman related her testimony in church. She spoke of her out of wedlock sex & subsequent pregnancy & abandonment by the boyfriend. Then spoke also of her 8 yr lesbian relationship which she has since abandoned. I never could have done that. Perhaps it is necessary for her to do that because she is now involved in ministering to homosexuals & lesbians.

Gerry