Religion
In reply to the discussion: I have been criticized for calling Christianity a shortcut religion. [View all]Peaceful Protester
(280 posts)Q) Is the Sacrament of Reconciliation ethical?
I'm NOT catholic, so I had to research the term "Sacrament of Reconciliation."
Sacrament of Penance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament_of_Penance
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Penance, Reconciliation, or Confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (called sacred mysteries in the Eastern Catholic Churches), in which the faithful obtain absolution for the sins committed against God and neighbor and are reconciled with the community of the Church. By this sacrament Christians are freed from sins committed after Baptism. The sacrament of Penance is considered the normal way to be absolved from mortal sin, by which one would otherwise condemn oneself to Hell.
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Ethic | Definition of Ethic by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic
Ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, but one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity.
More narrowly ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible.
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Referring back to the original question above, my personal opinion is, Yes.
My reasoning is, as long as there's proper adherence to both spiritual and secular laws and ethics, there's nothing that cannot be corrected or made right. This presumes there are consequences for one's actions. One should always have access to redemption. And that's the message of the Bible; otherwise known as the Good News. The goal being to restore people's relationship with God.
Spiritually nothing is more characteristic of the divine nature than forgiveness. Man is eager for vengeance and God is eager for forgiveness. In fact, never are we more like God than when we love our enemies and do good to those that harm us. By doing this, we prove we are children of God. Forgiveness is man's greatest need and therefore God's greatest gift. And the gospel, the message of the church is the message that God will forgive all your sins.
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