Do we really have to confess to a priest to be forgiven...

Repentance means a turning around. We must confess our sins to God and ask his forgiveness. Then we need to change our life to stop doing the sin. In the case of some serious sins we may need to include the leaders of our religion in the process of confession as they can often help us make the necessary changes. Jesus set us an example of prayer and he did not tell us to perform some ritual with it. His instructions were simple. Pray to God through Jesus' name.

Are you Roman Catholic? If so, our religion teaches us that we should use confession and that it is a sacrament. However, it also teaches us that no matter how much we've sinned, we can still go to heaven if we make a perfect act of contrition before we die and that can be done with or without a Priest.

priest has no right to forgive but only our God almighty, priest is only human being. Millions of Faithful catholic members go to a confessional booths, confess their sins to the priest, believing that the priest has the power to forgive their sins. Catholic members order to confess their sins to a man/priest, but the bible tells that those who have been born into God's family can go straight to God's throne to receive forgiveness of our sins. it is indicated in the book of Psalms 32:5 " I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin". Catholicism teaches that the priest is a mediator between God and people but the book of the bible recognize only one mediator, " For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" 1 Tim. 2:5. In Mark 2:7 it says "why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" Remember this is not indicated in the bible that the priest can forgive our sins, it is very clearly indicated in the bible, these are all man made threats that priest can forgive sins. what about you? Where will you go forgive your sin to a sinful man, sinful priest or to God?

I did my own share of confessing my since when i was younger... but was never comfortable at doing it... and right now... it has been years since i have done such a thing... The Catholic church teaches the importance of confession... but no one can force us to do that... it must be on our own free will... and when we are ready to accept that we have really sinned... the priest cannot forgive us our sins... but telling them is like a part of acknowledging that we did something wrong...

[i]I seldom go to church.bad. The last time I talked to a priest about my sins..(take note with "s".lol)was 15years ago.I thought the priest would ask me to pray the rosary.lol. I just pray straight to Him and asked Him to forgive me if I still commit mistakes.I am just human.And it's hard to be perfect.I criticize a lot(just for fun).And that itself is a sin. [/i]

I was born a catholic but turned agnostic when I got older. I went into a catholic school and was taught that we need to confess to a priest to be cleansed. But I think that forgiveness is more of a personal thing and so is absolution.

For me, i guess it is necessary that there has to be someone whom you have to confess your sins or anything that troubles you. I do not confess to a priest regularly, but in my opinion, it really helps. I had this story which happened last July, that was my latest confession after three years or so. I had this "thing" inside me which I had been keeping and gives me too much pain because I want no one to know. July came, where my Aunt invited me for a small community Eucharist celebration, which after said service there will be a confession. I felt this urge and I cannot explain pushing myself to make a confession. The confession was not the usual type where the priest is in his cubicle, it was really "face to face". I made a confession and after which was a great relief. The feeling was so light. What would you feel when you keep to yourself your burden? Can you describe the excruciating pain in your heart? It is still different when someone has to absorb your pain.

According to the Bible, the only person we have to ask for forgiveness of our sins, and the only person who CAN forgive our sins, is Jesus Christ...our Lord and Savior...and we can ask for this forgiveness silently from our hearts...any religion that tells you different is preaching something that is not Biblical...

If you think there should be a mediator between you and God,then a priest is needed.And I think it is for small kids who dont know how to pray or think by themselves.Grown ups can feel free to access God directly.You know a thing committed by you to be sin and repent for it,then you are not expected to committ that again and again.Repeating sins and going for confessions,no doubt,not God even the priest will kick you out.