[Cronos]

I have a hard time believing that righteous people of other religions aren’t forgiven their sins because they don’t celebrate what is solely a Catholic sacrament and is centered on Catholicism weird desire for public shame.

if you were Catholic, you'd know it isn't "public shame", rather a private confession, not be revealed.

also, it's not just a Catholic sacrament -- the Orthodox have it as well and many Lutherans have the same sacrament.

[illinidiva]

Ummm.. Then why do you have to confess your sins to a priest?? Yes, I know that it is not supposed to be punishment but it sure seems like punishment. When I was in Catholic grade school, it was treated as such. Bad little children were threatened with having to go to extra Confessions.

And Greek Orthodox and some Lutherans incorporates a small group outside the Catholic Church. The example that I’ll use is a victim of the Shoah. It is impossible for me to imagine God not granting salvation to a twelve year old who died in the gas chambers because he or she didn’t receive Catholic absolution.