For those who are sick of the traditional method of going to your religious leader and confessing it's time to try a new tactic--online confession. There are several websites, including ivescrewedup.com, and mysecret.tv where people can go to confess their sins. (The second site asks you if you are 18 before you enter because some of the sins that are confessed are very sexual in nature.) In addition, you can read the confessions of others and ask for prayers on your behalf. I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading over the confessions because they are pretty depressing, but they are interesting.
The title page of mysecret.tv asks, "Are you living under the weight of a secret? No matter who you are or what you've done, God wants to remove your guilt and fear, restore you, and transform your life. You can take the first step toward healing right now by confessing your secret." It also quotes John 1:9 which states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
IveScrewedUp.com has a simple subtitle that says "Confession is good for the soul." Anyone who has been under any sort of stress from hiding a lie or other misdeed knows that it can be quite painful. Getting things off your chest does feel good. But will it have the same effect if you are blasting it out to the internet instead of going to personally visit a church leader and talk about it? What does this say about the way that we communicate?
In Chapter 6 of our book Greg Peterson talks about the impact of the internet on religion. He says, "Instead of liberating us from our bodies, the internet creates an alienation from our true, physical nature. Instead of community we get pseudo-community; instead of true religion we get a false idol." (p. 130) What do you think about this? Has the internet helped to create a greater sense of community for churches and religions? Or has it just allowed people to take a step back from their traditional religious community and search for answers individually online?
One more question. The philosopher Alfred North said, "Religion is what people do in their solitude." (p. 126) Do you agree with that? Or is religion an intrinsically communal activity?
Here is a link to an article CNN did on these online confession sites from a couple years ago.
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In response to the confession websites, I think they are a good start. If people are willing to confess somewhere rather than nowhere, hopefully they'll get to the right place eventually.
ReplyDeleteObviously everyone who starts with "online religion" doesn't make it to a house of worship. I think, however, that if someone is able to have a spiritual experience online, they are more likely to give an in-person experience a shot. If just one person was to come to a church and find a greater sense of peace and a greater connection to deity, it is my belief that the website was a success. While it might not be the "proper" way of doing things, it might be a salvation bringing stepping stone...
Good question Cory. I think it needs to be addressed. I think, for the most part, social media has taken the place of real, person-to-person communication. If we can go to a site like Facebook, look at a couple of pictures of a friend, leave a little comment here and there, and feel like we have caught up with them, I think we are mistaken.
ReplyDeleteWhile Facebook can be used to keep up with people, it doesn't seem that it is used as such a tool.
I do agree with Tyler that online confessions are a start and do get people moving in the right direction, however. I think that for religion, any press is good press.
I think that the Internet has allowed people to become more individualistic in their religious aspirations. I feel that people like the anonymity
ReplyDeleteof the Internet. With face-to-face confessions you still have to talk to someone who could potentially judge you. The fear of your "secret" getting out could be a big reason for people to prefer the Internet confessions.
And for your closing quote I think that although someone could become closer to god and have a religious experience in solitude. We as members of The Church know that membership and attendance within the Church is just as pivotal.
I'm always such a fence-rider, but issues like these leave me so torn! I agree with the idea that people enjoy the anonymity of these online confessionals. It feels safe and I'm sure, to them, alleviate their guilt a bit. It's a step toward righteousness, but it also seems like a cop-out. Without someone to work with you, help you set a higher standard, and be there to hold you accountable along the way, I think there's little room for change. Just my opinion though...
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as the Internet's role in creating a greater sense of community for churches and religions, I think it's one of the biggest offenders of the "church of convenience" mentality. People find a religious outlet they can come to when they FEEL like being fed...but I'd say 90% of the time these efforts have little carry over into real life. People likely don't live what they're professing to believe because it's such a separate world. It's like a watered-down reality. What's easy to live online isn't so easy to live in real life.
But then again, it's true that ANY exposure to religion is good. The Internet is teeming with information about various religions, even our own! For people who want to learn more, it's all right there at their fingertips...even scripture! And I think that's a wonderful thing.
The Internet can also create a sense of community by allowing people to share their testimonies, share personal, spiritual experiences, and second each other's beliefs. People can find people who believe the same things they do...who have the same values...even if they're living hundreds of miles away.
So...Internet=two-edged sword. Wish I could give a more black & white answer but modern media has created such an expansive gray area that that's the best answer I have...
Great Post Cory. I thought the chapters in the book really made a great comparison between contributing anonymously and individually on the internet and being physically in a meetinghouse with people who share your faith. To me, the LDS faith masterfully combines the two ideas and encourages us to seek for personal answers and revelation while still participating in a community where we gain strength from each others kindness and faith. In my opinion, religion on the internet is an escape, or a sort of complacent easy form of worship. You get the most of worship when you put effort into it.
ReplyDeleteAs for confession, LDS members have a totally different view on what should be confessed, and how it should be done. But I believe that everyone that believes in the sanctifying and purifying nature of confession should believe that a personal face to face encounter is the only true and real way in which we can honestly and sincerely pour out our worries and concerns. At least it is the way to get the most benefit. My soul would still be plagued with unease if my only confession was through a computer to an anonymous forgiver and counselor.
My personal belief here is that with the interconnectedness of the internet people are beginning to live their lives more open to the public. Because of social media and sites like the ones you have posted about confessing sins, people are more inclined to share their lives with others. Whether it's talking about sports, politics, or religion, people are not ashamed or keeping things to themselves. We have a generation of we want it now, and we want to share our opinion now and be heard now. I do think it is interesting that people will be as personal as to share a sin or long kept secret. I would like to view it more as a religious chat room, which essentially it is.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with the internet being the source of confessing your sins. I am fine with you going there for prayers and encouragement but for forgiveness you either need to go to God or go to the leader of church. One of the keys to forgiveness is becoming humble and coming forward even when it's embarrassing or difficult. The anonymous internet does not allow for properly being humbled, I could come to the internet and tell you that I am a man who dresses up as an elephant and wanders around on Friday evenings looking for peanuts to steal and it would make no difference to anyone.
ReplyDeleteBefore discussing online confession, I would like to offer a quote by Elder Christofferson. In his April 2010 General Conference Address, he gave us some insight into how people outside the church view Christ and his Grace.
ReplyDelete“Others would argue that … God’s love is permissive. If there is a God, they say, He excuses all sins and misdeeds because of His love for us—there is no need for repentance. Or at most, a simple confession will do. They have imagined a Jesus who wants people to work for social justice but who makes no demands upon their personal life and behavior. But a God of love does not leave us to learn by sad experience that ‘wickedness never was happiness.’ His commandments are the voice of reality and our protection against self-inflicted pain.”
Do these people who are “confessing” online believe that their simple confession constitutes full repentance? According to this quote, they do. If confessing online gives them the drive to move beyond their sin, then it is probably beneficial, but how many of these posts are posted in true remorse and determination to change? Alternately, how many of these posts are outright lies meant to gain sympathy, entertain or get attention? Online confessing has no value.
Elder Christofferson says God’s commandments are the voice of reality. It could be argued that the internet is the antithesis of reality. There you have no accountability, no consequences, no limits and no time constraints (the internet is always open). Confessing online has no reality.
Really...online confessions? Doesn't that eliminate the whole "remorseful" aspect of it. It's like sending an apology through a text/email. It may be easier because you don't have to actually face the person, but it's pretty cowardly in my opinion. Unless you live somewhere so remote that there isn't a religious leader for you to confess to, I don't see how one could justify an online confession. In fact, I'm pretty surprised that someone would come up with this idea. Churches have guidelines for how their own "repentance" process occurs, and I don't remember ivescrewedup.com being a part of any of them.
ReplyDeleteWow...had no clue that this was happening on the Internet, am I surprised, no. I think that there are pros and cons to every situation of course. I can see how this could be good for people to be able to say things that they don't necessarily have the courage to do in person. For example, there are missionaries, members of the Church that all online 24/7 to answer people's questions about our faith. I think that this is a great way that people can feel comfortable with finding out more about religion. It's a fabulous way of sharing the Gospel.
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to confessing one's sins on the Internet, the person may feel better, but in my view the repentance process isn't complete. But on the outside view of not our faith, I can see how some people would think that this is a genius idea.
When we think of the uses and gratifications of media, people use the Internet for company, learning and to escape from their own reality. I think that this is dangerous and one should be careful with whom and about what they discuss things over the Internet. Can we have lasting relationships on the Internet? In some ways, yes, but are they real interpersonal relationships? No.
Good question...it's interesting that people are so open on the Internet. It's still mindboggling to me what people post on blogs, facebook, etc. about their breastfeeding problems. So tons of things happen on the Internet that I don't understand.
Emily Borders :)
A bunch of you hit on the same point I was, that really people confess things online all the time. Look at some of the youtube videos and facebook posts and tweets. People gladly broadcast the stupid things they do. Now tying this into the question, I think the internet creates a sort of fake relationship, a fake sense of community. Many of the items which people will post proudly on facebook they would blush to talk about in a small group of people. The internet gives us the feeling of being totally alone while confessing everything we do to everyone. We still think we're in the booth with the priest, but the reality is now we're in a booth with the whole world listening in.
ReplyDelete