Whatever Happened to Sin


It was fun to read a review of a book about Catholic confession. The book reviews the demise of the practice and, with the reviewer, speculates and laments its demise. Why is it Catholics no longer do much confession?

The book and reviewer speculate on what happened. In the 1960's "the pill" came along and Catholics gulped it down. Since nearly all Catholics were now committing a "serious" sin, what's the point of telling the priest about it. If he says yes, it's a sin, you are forgiven, it's all a stupid exercise for nothing.

About then also came the environmental thing. A large part of Catholicism and Protestantism grabbed onto it as a part of their faith. Here was the entire society sinning by harming God's good earth. Am I, the good Catholic, supposed to tell the priest I drive a big car when the entire society is sinning? And, Mr. Priest, you drive a polluting tank of a car yourself.

I don't have to mention all the cases of priests passing on the sins of others while molesting children and how that must have discouraged the ritual. If a priest has committed a sin greater than any of the confessor the point is missing. Add to that the Bishops who hid the abusers. The confession booth goes empty. 

I'm not sure any of these explanations gets at the demise of Catholic confession. What about the general demise in the belief there is a God or that there is such a thing as "sin? The limited shelf life of ideas like sin across society, not just among Catholics, surely must have played a role in the death of the confession ritual.

I recall a young woman telling about growing up in a Catholic home. As a girl she complained to her mother she didn't like confession and didn't know how to handle it. Her mother said to just make up nothing and get out of there quickly--it's just something the family had to do to stay in good standing among their friends. Imagine how bored a priest must be listening to people do this while he looks at his watch and thinks about wine and dinner.  

In sports, the loser graciously congratulates the winner and all move on in life. It's time for Catholics to do this on all the many sins it has lived off of the centuries. 

 

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