Should Priests be required to report child abuse exposed during cofessions?

[beej]

The idea that the church could forgive a radical sin is admittedly a hard concept. God's overwhelming grace often feels like a slap in the face, if you don't believe that you, yourself are steeped in sin. In a case like that, the priest would most likely, withhold absolution if the confessor was unwilling to turn himself in.

I admit, that probably means nothing to an atheist.

But then again, if you are an atheist the moral code is just words on paper. do what makes you happy.

[beej]

Beej pointed that out.

Put a hidden camera in the booth that snaps a photo when someone confesses to child abuse that is instantly uploaded to law enforcement? 

I can just see the priest running out of the confessional and yelling, "you 3 sinners, you, you and you, hold that guy down on the ground until the police come! and now the rest of you come on in and tell me what you did wrong."

[Del.]

Hey man. This is the one time I actually feel like I have the moral high ground. Cut me some slack. 

As soon as you cut Trump some. 😂

[neurosis]

As soon as you cut Trump some. 😂

I will, as soon as he has the moral high ground?   

[Newbeeee™]

Beej pointed that out.

Yes P1 - i missed that when i posted....
So basically it's all bollox then, unless you turn confession into a poling booth

[beej]

I will, as soon as he has the moral high ground? 

what are you, the pope, now? deciding who has moral ground and who doesn't?

[Del.]

I will, as soon as he has the moral high ground?   

Are you even capable of recognizing it!

[JakeL]

The deflection comment was because you were comparing a priest in confession to a defense attorney. I don't see the parallel. One is required under our legal system to defend people, and the other is not. I don't agree with our current "justice" system as I pointed out, but again, I just don't see the parallel.

Neuro in general I agree with almost all your posts (going to try to stay unbiased here and say that statement does not include this thread), I appreciate the way you try to look at the whole picture before formulating opinions. With that said, it seems like you're purposefully only looking at half of beej's post here. Did you read this part?:

So right now we would look at those 2 particular instances and probably think the priests were noble in these secrets from the state. but the problem with your "no-brainer idea" is that if a state can cause a priest to break the seal of confession for something like a child abuser, then they can cause the priest to break the seal for nefarious reasons as well, like the 2 mentioned above.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but it doesn't read at all like he's comparing what priests did in the holocaust to this thread. Seems to me like he's making a case about government involvement in the church and how (in your opinion) that would be beneficial when it comes to a case like this thread. However, in the two cases he gave, I think we can all agree that government involvement in the church would be a bad thing. I think the real question is where and how do you draw that line?

[mowens]

what are you, the pope, now? deciding who has moral ground and who doesn't?

I feel the need to point out that to, at least some, non-Catholic Christians, that the idea of a man granting forgiveness of sins to another man is, um, wrong.

[beej]

I feel the need to point out that to, at least some, non-Catholic Christians, that the idea of a man granting forgiveness of sins to another man is, um, wrong.

fair enough, but that's probably a whole discussion in and of itself.

[mowens]

more than one.

[mowens]

What does this law set as punishment for a priest who does not report a confession of child abuse?

Personally, I don't see it having much effect, other than keeping abusers from going to confession. The Bible is rife with passages talking about believers being persecuted for their faith. How many Christians have died for their beliefs?

I don't see a law made by man preventing a truly devout person, like a priest, from acting according to his faith.

[neurosis]

But then again, if you are an atheist the moral code is just words on paper. do what makes you happy.

That's an interesting way to look at it, but it's not true.

I may not have the exact same moral values that you do, but in a lot of ways, I've found myself to have more of a moral conscience than some of my Christian friends. Maybe having that absolution escape hatch makes them feel like they can stray from their morals without consequence or conscience. I don't stray from mine.

It's probably as hard for me to understand some of your moral values as it is for you to understand that I don't need religion to have them.

[neurosis]

What does this law set as punishment for a priest who does not report a confession of child abuse?

I've been trying to find information on that but haven't had time.

[beej]

I may not have the exact same moral values that you do, but in a lot of ways, I've found myself to have more of a moral conscience than some of my Christian friends.

It's probably as hard for me to understand some of your moral values as it is for you to understand that I don't need religion to have them.

sure! I don't dispute that you can have moral values, but if you are an athiest, then they are just YOUR moral values and they don't necessarily mean anything to the atheist down the street. And listen, it would be really easy for me to make up my own moral values and then stick to them diligently.

It is much harder to stick to the moral values assigned to you from a God who is perfect in every way and expects more from you than you would otherwise expect from yourself.

If I just made up my own rules for Baseball, I would be the best baseball player there is, in my game. It's much harder to follow the set rules of a baseball commission enforced by an umpire.