Religious Studies 102 introduces students to post-biblical theology and religious practice and the contexts in which they appear. Through a consideration of representative figures and issues, students analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments and points of view. In particular, we consider how concepts of the body are incorporated in religious beliefs and practices.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Confessions: There's an App for That!
Imagine if Augustine had written his Confessions via this iPhone app. Also, guess what the Pope's stance is on this app (see earlier threads about Facebook).
Although it does seem a bit strange to confess your sins through an iphone app, there's no reason not to. The whole point of confessing your sins is to acknowledge that you have sinned by letting God know and asking for forgiveness. If you want to use an iphone app, pen and paper, or a drawing in the dirt, go ahead because it is all still the same thing. Why do you need someone to be there to absolve you of your sins, when all you need to do is talk to God who has the real power to forgive your sins?
I think it's a bit extreme to confess by an iPhone app. Besides the fact that Apple is plotting to take over the world, I feel like this takes away from the intimacy of one-on-one confession. I'm not Catholic, and have never done a formal confession, however I feel that sacred rituals should be kept just that, sacred. It offends me when I see a minister or church official pull out their iPhone to read the scripture to a congregation, if you're in church and teaching to others, you should have a bible. I've never seen the point in confessing to another human being, however that is tradition in the Catholic church and should be respected. I just feel that using an application to do so takes away the authenticity that goes along with the act.
I agree with Michael. I, personally, believe that it shouldn't matter. Not even a priest can forgive you of sins, for it is through God that the forgiveness actually occurs. Although I naturally feel ok with the idea of somewhat modernizing religion, I also thought that the actual act of sitting next to a priest, with a blockade in between, and spilling out your secrets and repenting, was a very important action for Catholics. I am not Catholic either, so I guess I don't fully understand, but I feel as though this tradition would be a very big deal for Catholics. I can see this upsetting many people who practice Catholicism.
I agree with the first couple of posts that although modernizing religion could be a good thing, this app might be taking it too far. In the article it says that the app includes various "check boxes" that allow you to check the sin that you committed. Although I am not Catholic either, I would guess that most sins would be way more personal than that. By checking generalized boxes I feel as though the beauty of the confession was lost. Check boxes don't allow you to confess the details of your sin or the reasons it was committed or voice the emotions you feel about it. I feel that there is something to be said for sitting down and telling another human, such as a priest, about your sins and the exact way you are feeling about them.
I definitely agree that confession through an iPhone is not a very good idea (even though confessing to a priest terrifies me), and as a Catholic Im pretty positive its not possible. However, from my understanding of the article, the intention of the app is not a new mode of confession but rather an electronic examination of conscience. In school, whenever we had confession, everyone was given a piece of paper that literally had step by step instructions for confession and a list of question to consider while you tried to remember all of your sins. So as long as people understand that the app is only a way to help them remember the sins they need to go confess to a priest, then I don't think that the Church really has any reason to be upset.
The article says that the app isn't supposed to actually take the place of confession to a priest, but to help gather thoughts and what to say to a priest in confession. I think that having an electronic program tell you how to confess your sins takes every bit of authenticity from your words. Confession is supposed to be your personal dialogue with the priest and God, your own confession, not from a program.
I'm not Catholic, but I went to a Catholic high school and many of my friends are Catholic. In high school we talked about confession often and I believe that confession is more personal than something that you can type into an app to tell you what to say. Although many of my friends were terrified of going to confession, when they were finished you could tell how much better the felt, like a weight had been lifted off of their chest. Because of this I don't see how you could get this same feeling from an app.
I also agree with many of these comments. I think that having an electronic confession program is a bad idea and undermines the authority of the priests. Although this application is not meant to replace confession, it makes me wonder if apple will continue to create religious applications. If so, I am sure this is just the beginning of religious controversy over apple.
I also have to agree with the majority of these comments.This app is absolutely absurd. I have many Catholic friends, and I constantly challenge their views and understanding of confession. I personally believe there is no need for confession since we have the ability to have a relationship with Christ and confess that way. On the contrary, my Catholic friends have all explained to me that confessional is not only for confession of sins, but also so that the priest can give you advice on how to avoid those sins. This app does not give that same genuine advice.
I feel as if this app brings up a major rift in Christianity between Catholicism and other Christian denominations. Specifically the idea of confessing your sins to a priest. I'm not a Catholic, so for me I don't understand the benefit of confessing your sins to a sinful person. In a sense the app is worse because you aren't even confessing your sins to a person. I agree with Emily that it is an expression of conscience. The app is in a sense just making confession like a to do list...checking off the things you've done. I do not however think that other denominations of Christians should be closed minded or cynical of the Catholic approach to confession. As Josh says, for some Catholics it is a means of getting a direct response or advice. My thoughts about that would be through reading scripture and a relationship with Christ one can be advised. I think the app however is not real confession, and is almost a mockery of the biblical idea of confessing your sins to God for forgiveness.
I agree and disagree with the above comments. Although I am Catholic, I don't come from a very religious background, and I believe that religion is a very personal thing. How an individual chooses to or not to worship is his or her own business. Therefore, if one wants to "organize" their thoughts (and sins) before going to confession via an application for the iPhone, it is strictly up to that person. (For me, personally, though, I feel that it does take away from the tradition and intimacy confession holds.) However, I find it ironic that there have been so many battles trying to separate Church from State, including issues such as prayer in school, yet companies are coming out with tech-savvy ways to modernize religion.
I think this is both a good and a bad thing. It's positive because it makes religion more accessible--I'm not Catholic, so maybe I don't quite understand the ramifications of actual confession, but I would imagine that every time one wants to confess, they are not next to a confessional. On the other hand, as many other comments have been saying, it definitely takes the personal aspect away--the talking to the priest one-on-one--which, it could be argued, is the most important part of all.
Although it does seem a bit strange to confess your sins through an iphone app, there's no reason not to. The whole point of confessing your sins is to acknowledge that you have sinned by letting God know and asking for forgiveness. If you want to use an iphone app, pen and paper, or a drawing in the dirt, go ahead because it is all still the same thing. Why do you need someone to be there to absolve you of your sins, when all you need to do is talk to God who has the real power to forgive your sins?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a bit extreme to confess by an iPhone app. Besides the fact that Apple is plotting to take over the world, I feel like this takes away from the intimacy of one-on-one confession. I'm not Catholic, and have never done a formal confession, however I feel that sacred rituals should be kept just that, sacred. It offends me when I see a minister or church official pull out their iPhone to read the scripture to a congregation, if you're in church and teaching to others, you should have a bible. I've never seen the point in confessing to another human being, however that is tradition in the Catholic church and should be respected. I just feel that using an application to do so takes away the authenticity that goes along with the act.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. I, personally, believe that it shouldn't matter. Not even a priest can forgive you of sins, for it is through God that the forgiveness actually occurs. Although I naturally feel ok with the idea of somewhat modernizing religion, I also thought that the actual act of sitting next to a priest, with a blockade in between, and spilling out your secrets and repenting, was a very important action for Catholics. I am not Catholic either, so I guess I don't fully understand, but I feel as though this tradition would be a very big deal for Catholics. I can see this upsetting many people who practice Catholicism.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first couple of posts that although modernizing religion could be a good thing, this app might be taking it too far. In the article it says that the app includes various "check boxes" that allow you to check the sin that you committed. Although I am not Catholic either, I would guess that most sins would be way more personal than that. By checking generalized boxes I feel as though the beauty of the confession was lost. Check boxes don't allow you to confess the details of your sin or the reasons it was committed or voice the emotions you feel about it. I feel that there is something to be said for sitting down and telling another human, such as a priest, about your sins and the exact way you are feeling about them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that confession through an iPhone is not a very good idea (even though confessing to a priest terrifies me), and as a Catholic Im pretty positive its not possible. However, from my understanding of the article, the intention of the app is not a new mode of confession but rather an electronic examination of conscience. In school, whenever we had confession, everyone was given a piece of paper that literally had step by step instructions for confession and a list of question to consider while you tried to remember all of your sins. So as long as people understand that the app is only a way to help them remember the sins they need to go confess to a priest, then I don't think that the Church really has any reason to be upset.
ReplyDeleteThe article says that the app isn't supposed to actually take the place of confession to a priest, but to help gather thoughts and what to say to a priest in confession. I think that having an electronic program tell you how to confess your sins takes every bit of authenticity from your words. Confession is supposed to be your personal dialogue with the priest and God, your own confession, not from a program.
ReplyDeleteI'm not Catholic, but I went to a Catholic high school and many of my friends are Catholic. In high school we talked about confession often and I believe that confession is more personal than something that you can type into an app to tell you what to say. Although many of my friends were terrified of going to confession, when they were finished you could tell how much better the felt, like a weight had been lifted off of their chest. Because of this I don't see how you could get this same feeling from an app.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with many of these comments. I think that having an electronic confession program is a bad idea and undermines the authority of the priests. Although this application is not meant to replace confession, it makes me wonder if apple will continue to create religious applications. If so, I am sure this is just the beginning of religious controversy over apple.
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree with the majority of these comments.This app is absolutely absurd. I have many Catholic friends, and I constantly challenge their views and understanding of confession. I personally believe there is no need for confession since we have the ability to have a relationship with Christ and confess that way. On the contrary, my Catholic friends have all explained to me that confessional is not only for confession of sins, but also so that the priest can give you advice on how to avoid those sins. This app does not give that same genuine advice.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if this app brings up a major rift in Christianity between Catholicism and other Christian denominations. Specifically the idea of confessing your sins to a priest. I'm not a Catholic, so for me I don't understand the benefit of confessing your sins to a sinful person. In a sense the app is worse because you aren't even confessing your sins to a person. I agree with Emily that it is an expression of conscience. The app is in a sense just making confession like a to do list...checking off the things you've done. I do not however think that other denominations of Christians should be closed minded or cynical of the Catholic approach to confession. As Josh says, for some Catholics it is a means of getting a direct response or advice. My thoughts about that would be through reading scripture and a relationship with Christ one can be advised. I think the app however is not real confession, and is almost a mockery of the biblical idea of confessing your sins to God for forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree with the above comments. Although I am Catholic, I don't come from a very religious background, and I believe that religion is a very personal thing. How an individual chooses to or not to worship is his or her own business. Therefore, if one wants to "organize" their thoughts (and sins) before going to confession via an application for the iPhone, it is strictly up to that person. (For me, personally, though, I feel that it does take away from the tradition and intimacy confession holds.) However, I find it ironic that there have been so many battles trying to separate Church from State, including issues such as prayer in school, yet companies are coming out with tech-savvy ways to modernize religion.
ReplyDeleteI think this is both a good and a bad thing. It's positive because it makes religion more accessible--I'm not Catholic, so maybe I don't quite understand the ramifications of actual confession, but I would imagine that every time one wants to confess, they are not next to a confessional. On the other hand, as many other comments have been saying, it definitely takes the personal aspect away--the talking to the priest one-on-one--which, it could be argued, is the most important part of all.
ReplyDelete