[Kolokotronis]

Your comment to Tantumergo is betrays a sorry lack of knowledge of the history of the very Church protestants claim to represent. You are troubled by the sacrament of Confession and say that you can talk to God whenever you wish. Of course you can, but the sacrament of Confession was instituted by Christ so that we might reconcile ourselves to God and be healed. The Orthodox Church bases this on Mat. 9:2-8 and 18:18, 1 John 1:6-10 and John 20:22-23. We view the Church as a sort of spiritual hospital, among other things. In Confession the penitent confesses to God and receives absolution from God. The priest is merely a witness to the confession on behalf of the Church. This is in accordance with the ancient practice of the Church of required, public, confession of sins. Private confession only developed later in the history of the Church.

Your comments on priests using their "power" to lord it over people and even abuse them are true. But to reject the Church because of priestly or hierarchial abuse is incorrect and borders on an ancient heresy called "Donatism". The sacrament of Confession (like the heresy of Donatism) pre-date the rise of protestantism by centuries. Why do you suppose that from the first days of the Church, confession was recognized as a sacrament, according to you wrongly, and it was only after Martin Luther came along that mankind figured out just how wrong it had been all along?

[deaconjim]

This is in accordance with the ancient practice of the Church of required, public, confession of sins. Private confession only developed later in the history of the Church. So which group is going to hell, those who practice public confession, or those who practice private confession?

I don't mean to be flippant with this question, actually. I am making a point. The "Church", with all of it's traditions and rules, denigrates the death of Christ. His sacrifice has paid the price for my sins, which I freely confess to God and all men. Confessing my sins, however, does not mean that I need to publicly or privately itemize those sins. God and I know what they are, and we have it worked out for the best.

There is not one thing that I can do to add to the sacrifice of Christ, nor is there anything that I can do to undo His sacrifice. My salvation has been taken care of completely. By adding rules and "traditions" to the requirements for salvation, the Church is doing what Christ came to stop.