Is Christianity too feminized?

I said my Church doesn't condemn gossip because as you pointed out it is not really that specific or by definition bad. I do maintain though and I think you would agree that 9 out of 10 people would say that gossip is negative even though they don't mean the more general definition of informal news and information. Many people equate gossip with calumny or detraction, which you have showed is inaccurate.

Anyway, you are groping in the blind with Msgr. Pope (cool name, huh?). I don't think you have any idea what he means by idle talk. The descriptions that follow afterwards give one a sure sense that he is not talking about idle talk in the sense of, "How you doing?" "Hot out here today isn't it?" "How's your family?" So I would continue to be careful about putting words in my mouth and that of the good Monsignor.

Quote: Evenbob

Very true. They have gotten rid of the
Catholic middleman, the priest hearing
confessions. It's a horrible invasion of
privacy anyway, god supposedly knows
all that you'll say before you say it so
a priest isn't needed.

On the contrary, it's supposed to protect privacy.

Similar to hiring an attorney or psychiatrist, etc.

God (all-knowing) does know when we commit a wrongdoing, at least because the wrongdoing is stored on our conscience.

So the act is not for God, the act is for us (our conscience).

The admission (humility) of the wrongdoing and making amends to those we have harmed where and when possible positively affects our conscience.

Our conscience, in turn, can affect our relative reality (reduce self-deception).



I believe as long as a person has spiritual authority, then that person is authorized to forgive sin.

It's not so obvious to know which person has spiritual authority, so a person wouldn't want to blab illegal crimes to anyone not sworn to secrecy to relieve their conscience.

In the Catholic faith, someone that's ordained has the authority.

But I don't believe it's a monopoly.



Body of Christ members (those having permanent access to the Holy Spirit) have the spiritual authority, but not all are sworn to secrecy.