DiscussMormonism.com

In the UK very recently a high profile sports personality (Gary Speed, Wales Football Manager) decided to take his own life. Nobody is really sure why, but it is a very sad case, he leaves a wife and two young children. Undoubtedly there is something going on in his private life that would seem to him to be unescapable, except by death. His friends and family have all expressed bewilderment as to why he hadn't asked them for help.

Now the vast majority of us do not have to deal with such unsurmountable problems. But most people do experience periods of stress, anxiety, worry, guilt, shame etc. keeping those feelings and associated secrets inside can lead to health issues. People turn to drink, drugs, other forms of escape if the problems escalate. It can cause overeating, hair loss, ulcers. Bottling up stuff like this causes people more difficulty than perhaps the original problem.

Confession, on the face of it serves no other useful purpose other than a vehicle to cleanse the soul by seeking the forgiveness of God through His proxy. In the life of a Mormon, it's the Bishop. But, if administered properly, confessionals usually make people feel better. I'm sure Gary Speed would have been better able to face his demons whilst living had he felt able and comfortable with discussing them with a trained support person.

I've been thinking about this whole subject recently and it strikes me that confession can be good for your physical health. Wether you believe in God or not, having available compassionate support and counsel at dark periods of your life can only be a good thing.

I feel sorry for Bishops in this regard. They are predominantly good people trying to do a good job of loving their members. But they aren't perhaps as well trained in counselling as is needed and they certainly don't have the time.

I confess that this board is a bit of that type of release for me. A place where I feel I can talk, anonymously about stuff that bothers me. A sort of online confessional for issues to do with Mormonism. In fact I feel far more at ease sitting in Church on a Sunday as a direct result of my activity on this board.

So, in a convoluted way I come to the point.

Do you agree that confession is healthy and that it should be more available for people to access?

Drifting wrote:
Do you agree that confession is healthy and that it should be more available for people to access?

Yes. Governments and religion usually have systems in place, and people in most cases may talk to close family or friends. The problem in religion can come up since punishment may be involved. With secular sources, friends, family this is not usually the case. I like the way Catholics do it. LDS system can work, especially with a good bishop, but if punishment is administered more people are told that they are not worthy in some way. This I think tends to be unhealthy and many will not tell the bishop for this reason.

Drifting wrote:Do you agree that confession is healthy and that it should be more available for people to access?

I agree that talking out one's problems with someone with some psychology training can be VERY helpful. I'm not sure if confession to a non-professional is a good cure. "Confession" implies guilt. People often have deep depression and thoughts of suicide due to chemical imbalances. Not due to any action that they may feel guilty about. They just feel awful and wish to end it all. Happens all the time.

It depends, if it is something that isn't worthy of Church discipline, then I think it can be relieving to people.

But the Bishop has the role of judge and sometimes Jury and Executioner. And it can lead to sitting in front of a group of 4 to 16 men confessing your sins, who then go home and tell their wives.

I know of one person who was excommunicated, and was more bothered by the fact it was all kept in a file what he did, than by the loss of Church membership.

I once knew a woman who was guilty of some bad sexual behavior. I asked if she confessed and she said "It's none of the Bishop's business". I think she was afraid of what would happen to her. Also, Bishops are under obligation to report certain things to the police if they know about them, which adds even more risk to the process.

I don't know...I think the feeling of being forgiven by God, garnered through prayer and self-forgiveness is safer, and more powerful.

Although we have the atonement and supposed eternal forgiveness, the Church keeps records, even annotating your membership record for certain things, so I don't see it as an entirely healthy process by any means.

UnicornMan wrote: I asked if she confessed and she said "It's none of the Bishop's business". I think she was afraid of what would happen to her.

Or she thought it really was none of his business.

Also, Bishops are under obligation to report certain things to the police if they know about them, which adds even more risk to the process.

Well, if you're high enough up the Mormon food chain, the odds of this happening go down. It's only the peons who need worry about being reported to the police.

Drifting wrote:Do you agree that confession is healthy and that it should be more available for people to access?

I think this health benefit is directly related to feeling forgiven. Not sure if the forgiveness is conveyed adequately from God when having to placate both a middle man and worrying whether the middle man will blab your confession to others.

Confession may be a good thing for a lot of people. I'm no longer a big fan of confession to bishops. It might do some good for some people but it's also a little neurotic. There is a lot of shame and guilt but sometimes not enough love felt from the bishop. Mormon culture sometimes creates a judgemental and self-righteous mentality and if a bishop is self-righteous or judgemental in the least then confession to such a bishop would be counter productive.

Zelder wrote:Confession may be a good thing for a lot of people. I'm no longer a big fan of confession to bishops. It might do some good for some people but it's also a little neurotic. There is a lot of shame and guilt but sometimes not enough love felt from the bishop. Mormon culture sometimes creates a judgemental and self-righteous mentality and if a bishop is self-righteous or judgemental in the least then confession to such a bishop would be counter productive.

Amen and Amen. Wise Words. I agree wholeheartedly!!!!

Training in psychology is essential for people in the ministry. A Catholic priest once told me that, for me, going off meds would be a sin. Regular spiritual checks, not just in times when there is a major problem are important. Small problems, unchecked, could escalate into soul-crushers.