I am curious to the Protestants (my nice way of saying heretics ) out here as to how you confess before God? I am looking for more of an answer than "I confess my sins God", or "I say that I am sorry and ask him to forgive me"... Do you recite your sins aloud, do you think everything in your head? I am curious. Being Catholic myself, everyone has a general idea of what we do based on what they see on TV and moveis (although it is different).
First comment is, I would not refer to myself as a protestant. I don't subscribe to Protestant beliefs and I don't wish to either. I prefer to talk to the Lord alone so everything is inside my head. I would go through my sins and what I have learnt from these wrongs, I'd apologise for my actions and ask that He help me in not repeating those sins again and to help me grow as a person. I prefer to speak to Him like a conversation than repeating passages or prayers from a book, as it doesn't seem like it's very from-the-heart, although if others find it works for them, great. To me, He is a spiritual Father in that sense too, I come to Him as a child looking for advice and help and to learn to be a better person so that is how I talk to Him too.
Now this makes me wonder how you define "Protestant". My brother's girlfriend is a Reform Church member (started by Calvin) but said she wasn't Protestant. So, generally, you do not say anything aloud? My curiosity here is how does God answer you, how do you feel he teaches you. Is it just you thinking about what you did and using logic from what you know about Biblical teaching? More precisely: how do you know what you learn is from god and not your own mind? I have heard many times of people "talking" with God and (to use your words later) being in "conversation". While I use these terms myself on occasion (any prayer directed to God is literally talking to God) and is in a sense a conversation with an unspoken answer. I have never had the experience of "God spoke to me". I must say that I have been called by God before (I am married and Catholics consider marriage a vocation just like ordination and religious life), but I can never say i have had the experience where I "hear God's words" This is how I feel during the Sacrament of Penance, especially the Confession part. I feel like a child telling on himself to his parent about breaking the expensive vase in the hallway. head hung so low it feels like it is dragging on the floor: "Father, I have broken your most prized vase in the hallway. the one you warned me about not to play around but I disregarded your warnings, please forgive me" Afterward is amazing. Receiving your penance and carrying it through. Hearing, literally, the words "I absolve you of your sins". You come out feeling like you parent, who previously was so disappointed, just bought you a triple scoop ice-cream cone. [I know it is a crude and banal analogy, but I find it applicable because you introduced it although not in a manner as I]
Generally no. I prefer my prayers to remain private, between me and God. It probably is from thought and logic, but I believe God helps me in that as I tend to see things in a different light. Well, no I don't think I have heard the Lord's voice either, but I see it as more of a silent conversation on his part. Interesting way to look at things. I feel the same but I don't obviously use any form of Confession booth or have a middle man before me and the Lord.
Is there like a sin dictionary I can refer to. Would sins be listed in alphabetical order or by state? Since we're dealing in sin, can I trade in my old sin and get a new one. Can I get one on credit? Can I take them to the shop and get them fixed. What colors can I get? Do they come in different sizes? Can I get them shipped in case I want to send one to a friend? Do they come with operating instructions? I've heard there are some parts of the world where they are unavailable.
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But wouldn't saying it aloud in private still be between you and God. I am not saying that you have to vocalize your sins, so this was more just a comment. okay, I get it and I can understand. A conversation in the heart. Providential rather than intervention. I do not see Father (you know, the priest) as a middle man. Just like during the Mass when Christ's one eternal sacrifice is represented to God for our mercy, the priest unites himself with the eternal priest Jesus Christ and acts in place of him. This is how the priest acts in Confession. I may have mis-said something but I can clarify if i was wrong.
I stopped confessing as few years ago after sinning for the millionth time and saying sorry for the millionth time. I like focusing on sowing seeds rather than trying to be perfect. I'm a slug compared to Christ.
Confession is not merely the saying sorry. confession also entail asking for forgiveness and for perseverance to keep us from sin. Here is the standard Catholic Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of thy just punishment, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen. even the great Saints went to Confession, often regularly. Pope john Paul II stressed the benefits of frequent Confession (like weekly). You take stock of your life. You think about what you have been doing.
Okay, I get you. It is not that you are not protestant, but that you do not belong to a specific Reformer's family of churches nor do you agree with the entirety of any one's teaching.
What if you keep sinning over and over again and fail to sin no more? I just got sick on constantly feeling condemned. I fail, but maybe I can still sow some seeds.
I can appreciate your dilemma, struggling constantly while never seeming to develop any muscle. I did it for 20 years, diluted only by concerns of fulfilling daily responsibilities ultimately and always to no avail. Even to the end, the catholic must avail themselves of last rights. No amount of sincere effort, no amount of letting go of frustration, no amount of self recrimination, is effective in disrupting the cycle of "wrestling with sin". I had experienced success in every other pursuit in my life through study and practice. Not so in this instance. My learning in this area had been insufficient so I began to question the lesson plan. What I was being taught was not producing the desired effects. I began to seek a truer authority. I noticed that in almost every instance, the instructions being administered from the pulpit were a combination of a rule and an exceptional case. For instance we have the admonition sell all you have and give to the poor. But that is not really what it means, we are told it is a figurative statement. We are told not to kill, but that turns out to be a figurative statement as we ask God to bless our armies. We are told to turn the other cheek, but that turns out to be a figurative statement as we buy guns and lock our doors to defend ourselves against intrusion. We are told not to throw stones, but that turns out to be a figurative statement as fulfill our obligations to christian "civil" society by testifying against our neighbor, or reporting "suspicious" behavior. These obvious and glaring discrepancies described no less than a house divided. A church at odds with its' own statutory authority and a congregation caught in the crossfire. This lesson is brought to us by our, "Fathers" and our parents. Call no man your father. There is another teacher in the world and that one is not a parent. Do not judge by appearances but rather use right judgment.
Just a note about this whole Protestant thing, The word carries with it the idea of protest against the Catholic Church. A certain number of religions were formed in protest of some of the teachings of the Catholic Church and basically believe most of what the Catholic Church believes with minor differences. Whereas those who have studied the Bible and the early church and base their lives on that and not on how they differ from the Catholic Church can not be considered to be Protestants. I for one do not consider myself a Protestant, because I personally believe that Protestants and Catholics are the same thing but with, as I said, only minor differences.
I'd agree with that. I grew up around the Church of England (wasn't actually a part of it, but it's the "official" religion of the UK), and for the most point it seems the same sorts of teachings as in the Catholic church, except just a few things, e.g. that it is not the body and blood of Christ in communion, they probably don't teach the Nicene Creed but i may be wrong, and for them the head of the church isn't the Pope, but the Queen... Personally I would rather look to the Lord than any person on Earth, whoever that might be. Even good old Queen Liz...
John came eating locusts, called a crazy man. Jesus came drinking wine, called a drunkard. But wisdom is justified by her deeds.
I was originally going to add "Restorationists" to my original post, but most people just seem to roll with Protestant. I know all labels fail to capture all people. I do not imagine you would adhere to the label Restorationsit, but I think it fairly accurately describes your beliefs. I am fairly certain that the CofE would teach the Nicene Creed. ...Well, it was found in The Book of Common Prayer, so I'd assume yes.
