Posted by Dinah on November 20, 2011, at 19:19:49
In reply to Re: The biscuits or the shame » Dinah, posted by floatingbridge on November 20, 2011, at 11:15:20
I lied too!! Once a week is just too often for an average child to have something memorable to confess.
Well, maybe not lied. I trotted out "I was mean to my brother" or "I was disrespectful to my parents" because I was pretty sure something I did during the week would fit, even if I couldn't recall any specific incidences. This would be accepted as adequate, I'd get my standard penance, and feel only vaguely guilty that I knew I wasn't going to stop doing any of those things.
But just vaguely. Because confession oughtn't be something you are forced to do. It needs to come from the heart. Which wasn't the fault of the Catholic church. It was a flawed school policy. Had I confessed when I was truly ready to confess I think it would have meant something. (Plus, I never really considered myself Catholic in my heart.)
poster:Dinah
thread:1003144
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20111012/msgs/1003246.html