Do Not Fear the Confessional

A logfile from the #CathApol Chatroom...  yes, we do LIVE discussion too!

"John" is not the actual "nickname" of the person in the channel, I replaced his "nick" with "John" to add another level of anonymity.  You don't have to use your real name in IRC, you can if you want to.

*** Log file opened: 10/2/2012 7:13:53 PM
[19:13] BigScott has joined #CathApol
[19:13] CStar: Welcome to #CathApol !  We welcome your respectful questions regarding the Catholic Faith.
[19:15] CStar sets mode: +o BigScott
[19:15] <John> Hi
[19:15] <BigScott> Greetings!
[19:17] Locutus has joined #CathApol
[19:17] <BigScott> silly bot box doesn't automatically log back in anymore...
[19:17] <John> A little  buzzd right now
[19:18] <BigScott> I had to remote into it to get it started again
[19:18] <John> Forgive me
[19:18] <BigScott> a little "buzz" is not necessarily a "bad" thing...
[19:18] <BigScott> a lot of "buzz" (drunk) is
[19:19] <BigScott> that is, if I am assuming correctly!  ;-)
[19:20] <John> I'he been a lot
[19:21] <John> Usually kick myself
[19:21] <BigScott> ??
[19:22] <BigScott> I am not understanding "I'he been a lot"
[19:23] <John> Your boss here, we haven't really chatted
[19:23] <BigScott> we have in the past...  I have not been good about showing up often enough to "grow" the channel.
[19:24] <John> Lol
[19:24] <BigScott> I am redoing my webpage right now, and am giving #CathApol a prominent place on the homepage...
[19:24] <BigScott> hopefully I will inspire others - AND - myself to show up more often!
[19:24] <John> Good ppl  here, keep me sane
[19:25] <John> Or semi sane
[19:26] <BigScott> I agree...  we have had some very good ppl here
[19:27] <John> Ok, first get to know you question
[19:27] <BigScott> fire away
[19:28] <John> How do you feel about somebody who has followed a false christ?
[19:29] <John> I am one (who has followed a false christ)
[19:29] <BigScott> I believe in forgiveness and reconciliation...  we all have "false christs" we follow
[19:30] <BigScott> when we put anything above or before Christ, we have begun following a false christ
[19:31] <John> I'm speaking of a man
[19:31] <BigScott> I understand...  I do not differentiate
[19:32] <John> It was warned
[19:32] <John> Many would claim
[19:33] <John> Was "commanded" to flee, not to listen
[19:33] <BigScott> You can always "come home" - like the Prodigal Son...
[19:33] <John> Can I be forgiven?
[19:34] <BigScott> .drb Luke 15:21-24  [This is a command to call the “Bible bot” to quote the verses.]
[19:34] <Locutus> Luke 15:21 And the son said to him: Father: I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy son. (Douay Rheims)
[19:34] <Locutus> Luke 15:22 And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. (Douay Rheims)
[19:34] <Locutus> Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry: (Douay Rheims)
[19:34] <Locutus> Luke 15:24 Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. (Douay Rheims)
[19:34] <BigScott> Of course you can!
[19:35] <BigScott> The parable of the Prodigal Son is not a literal story, it is analogous to our Father in Heaven...
[19:35] <BigScott> Even though the Prodigal left, squandered his inheritence, the Father welcomes him back, puts a cloak on his back and a ring on his finger...
[19:36] <BigScott> the son who "was dead" has "come to life again!"
[19:37] <BigScott> That started with the son humbling himself and coming before the Father, confessing his sins - and his Father opens his arms and house back up to him.
[19:39] <BigScott> I like to go to the Sacrament of Confession often - but it had been 2 months since my last confession...  I went last weekend, and even though my sins may not have been "great" - they were sins, and that burden has been lifted from me - I am a new man again.
[19:40] <BigScott> Do not fear the confessional...  it is not burdensome - on the contrary, it lifts burdens.
[19:43] BigScott changes topic to "Do Not Fear the Confessional"
[19:43] <BigScott> :-)
[19:44] <John>  Is following a false christ, a curse against holy spirit? The unforgivable sin, even for protestants
[19:45] <BigScott> To be a mortal sin, you would have had to have known ahead of time that it was a false christ, and despite that knowledge, chose to follow him anyway.
[19:46] <BigScott> If you were following such in ignorance, it is not a mortal sin... you may be forgiven, and you're already on your way in admitting to it
[19:47] <John> I know scripture
[19:47] <BigScott> That is good
[19:47] <John> Knew
[19:47] <BigScott> then you know that there are men who have been empowered to forgive sins...(John 20:23)
[19:47] <John> I was seeking
[19:48] <BigScott> seeking is not a bad thing... it can bring you to the fullness of the truth
[19:48] <BigScott> many of us stumble... no ALL of us stumble...  and ALL of us need to continue seeking Him
[19:51] <John> I am like the roman centurion, "lord, help me in my unbeliefs" my questions, etc.
[19:53] <BigScott> there's nothing wrong with that
[19:54] <BigScott> just be open to hearing His answers to that prayer.
[19:56] <BigScott> I encourage you to test what I say too...  don't just take me at my word

After this, I became distracted - and "John" didn't post any more thoughts either. If you're interested in a LIVE exchange, the #CathApol Chat Channel is on "starlink-irc.org" - you can setup an IRC client and load the proper server - OR - click here and go to #CathApol immediately! Just change the "Guest" name to a nickname you like - or your real name if you wish, then click the "Click to chat" button and you'll be in the LIVE chat channel!

I hope to see some of you LIVE!

In JMJ,
Scott<<<
aka: BigScott