Yeah, it is. It's sad because it denies what the Bible says many times like, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
John 20:23 has Jesus telling the Apostles, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound." That verse only makes sense in the context of an actual confession of sin to officers of the church. How can they know what to forgive without being told?
Why would you think that the same John had forgotten that verse -- which he wrote! -- when he wrote his Epistle? That is the context in which to understand "If we confess our sins ..."