Following The Truth: Confession – Is It Still Necessary? (Catholic or Open)

Okay but those don’t define the word “sin” it just says what they are based on that church’s teachings. Words of men. I asked “what is sin” - we Jews have the definition. One statement that covers it all not several plus different degrees (mortal, venal, etc.)

I don't need to read links to what your church's fathers claim The Christ taught about forgiveness of sin. I can get it from Him.

The Christ mentions forgiving sins on many occasions. Only in Matthew 18 does He explain what sins we, or the apostles, can/could and must forgive. Nowhere does He give permission to a man to forgive sins against God for God as your religion teaches. The following is from a previous post about Matthew 18;
"In Matthew 18:15-18 we see Christ instructing His disciples on how to correct a fellow believer. It is extremely telling in this instance that Our Lord identifies the Church rather than Scripture as the final authority to be appealed to. He Himself says that if an offending brother "will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican" (Matt. 18:17) – that is, as an outsider who is lost. Moreover, Our Lord then solemnly re-emphasizes the Church’s infallible teaching authority in verse 18 by repeating His earlier statement about the power to bind and loose (Matt. 16:18-19), directing it this time to the Apostles as a group (7) rather than just to Peter: "Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. 18:18)".
Let's put that in context and examine what Jesus taught.

¹⁵Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
This is one human who has sinned against anther asking that brother for forgiveness.
¹⁶But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Here that same brother is told to take one or two more. No mention of them being any more than a brother or sister in Christ.
¹⁷And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Here he is told to take it before the church, his local group of brothers and sisters in Christ. The church has no duty other than being a witness that he tried to get the other brother to forgive him. The church forgives no one because they weren't the ones being asked to forgive. The brother has done all he can so that sin is loosed from him even though the other brother didn't forgive him. He is no longer responsible for it. The unforgiving brother has his sins against God bound by his un forgiveness
¹⁸Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
This is how binding and loosing comes about. It is not a special gift as the Catholics teach. It is the result of our actions. If we do not forgive the sins of a brother committed against us, when asked, God cannot forgive or sins against Him when we ask. Jesus explains more in 23-35.
¹⁹Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Notice He didn't include saint's in heaven. Only people on earth. Hmmm
²¹Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Peter asks Jesus how many times he has to forgive a brother who sins against him, Peter. Brother forgiving brother.
²²Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
²³Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
²⁴And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
²⁵But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
²⁶The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
²⁷Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
²⁸But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
²⁹And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
³⁰And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
³¹So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
³²Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
³³Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
³⁴And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
³⁵So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
We have to forgive to be forgiven. If we do not forgive/loose a brother when asked, our sins against God can't be forgiven/loosed. This was not only for the apostle as your church teaches. It applies to all of us.
This is the Catholic version of the Lord's Prayer

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."

You have probably said this hundreds, if not thousands, of times when reciting the Rosary and never realized how ludicrous and un-Christian your religion is. Having sins, changed to debts, and those who sin against us, change to debtors, might be part of the problem in not understanding what The Christ was teaching with this prayer.

We are asking the only Father who can forgive our sins against Him, to forgive those sins. He can only comply with that if you forgive your brother when he asks. God the Father can, and will, forgive our sins because the penance has all ready been paid for on the cross.

Salvation, you gave over 50 links to what your religion claims are for remission of sin and/or penance. Jesus says the wages of sin is death. How do you justify your religion's claim that a man can have you say; "10 Hail Mary and 5 Our Fathers", or anything else, and it absolves the death penalty?

I am sure the links pertain to forgiving sin. Can you save me a lot of time and tell me just one link where The Christ explicitly gave the apostles, or any man, the ability to forgive a man's sins against God for God. If you can't, I will have to believe they are like the example above, Peter being told he has to forgive another man's sin against him.
May God lead us all to His truth, BVB

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “

“The sacramental grace received in Confession was helping me to become a better person!”

Yes, it works for me.

The exercise of examining your conscience, confessing, being held accountable ON A REGULAR BASIS and then receiving the grace of confession does help you to become a better person.