Ellen White: On the ordinance of confession, kneeling before a man

The Great Controversy ^ | 1911 | Ellen White

[vespa300]

The church's claim to the right to pardon leads the Romanist to feel at liberty to sin; and the ordinance of confession, without which her pardon is not granted, tends also to give license to evil.

He who kneels before fallen man, and opens in confession the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart, is debasing his manhood and degrading every noble instinct of his soul. In unfolding the sins of his life to a priest,—an erring, sinful mortal, and too often corrupted with wine and licentiousness,—his standard of character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence. His thought of God is degraded to the likeness of fallen humanity, for the priest stands as a representative of God.

This degrading confession of man to man is the secret spring from which has flowed much of the evil that is defiling the world and fitting it for the final destruction. Yet to him who loves self-indulgence, it is more pleasing to confess to a fellow mortal than to open the soul to God. It is more palatable to human nature to do penance than to renounce sin; it is easier to mortify the flesh by sackcloth and nettles and galling chains than to crucify fleshly lusts. Heavy is the yoke which the carnal heart is willing to bear rather than bow to the yoke of Christ.

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TOPICS: Apologetics; General Discusssion; History
KEYWORDS: claimedchristsinned; confession; ellenwhite; ignorantpost; inaccurate; misinformation

[vespa300]

She also writes in this chapter:

Papists place crosses upon their churches, upon their altars, and upon their garments. Everywhere is seen the insignia of the cross. Everywhere it is outwardly honored and exalted. But the teachings of Christ are buried beneath a mass of senseless traditions, false interpretations, and rigorous exactions. The Saviour's words concerning the bigoted Jews, apply with still greater force to the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church: “They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Matthew 23:4. Conscientious souls are kept in constant terror fearing the wrath of an offended God, while many of the dignitaries of the church are living in luxury and sensual pleasure.

The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints, and the exaltation of the pope are devices of Satan to attract the minds of the people from God and from His Son. To accomplish their ruin, he endeavors to turn their attention from Him through whom alone they can find salvation. He will direct them to any object that can be substituted for the One who has said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

[vespa300]

Man, for a drunken lush...I have simply never read anyone or anything outside scripture that is so full of truth.

[Democrat = party of treason]

https://fulfillingthepromises.com/2018/05/04/wolf-among-the-sheep-the-false-prophet-ellen-g-white-2/

[mgstarr]

I’ll say a prayer (in Latin of course) for the conversion of her imperiled soul at Holy Mass on Sunday.

[vespa300]

_____I’ll say a prayer (in Latin of course) for the conversion of her imperiled soul at Holy Mass on Sunday.____

This is some line of hers isn’t it?:

Quote:

He who kneels before fallen man, and opens in confession the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart, is debasing his manhood and degrading every noble instinct of his soul. In unfolding the sins of his life to a priest,—an erring, sinful mortal, and too often corrupted with wine and licentiousness,—his standard of character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence. His thought of God is degraded to the likeness of fallen humanity, for the priest stands as a representative of God.

[ebb tide]

Your drunken lush, and her ignorant fools, clearly reject John 20:23.

Although I don’t consider SDA’ to be protestants, let alone Christians; they too are Bible cherry-pickers.

[chuckb87]

“I’ll say a prayer (in Latin of course) for the conversion of her imperiled soul at Holy Mass on Sunday.”

What?

[vespa300]

____Your drunken lush, and her ignorant fools, clearly reject John 20:23.___

You want to interpret that verse to mean a bunch of wine drinking partying old men that like to be called “Holy Father” are solely entrusted to decide who’s sins are forgiven and who’s aren’t...I guess depending on whatever mood they are in, or agenda they have.....party on dude.

My priest is in heaven.....for there is ONLY ONE MEDIATOR between God and men....that is him Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5
King James Version
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

[fidelis]

It is an ignorant passage which establishes EGW as a false prophet since no true prophet would be so abysmally bigoted and uneducated. Anyone who considers this uninformed, hateful, and libelous unchristian tripe as "profound" should move up to something more educational--like maybe comic books.

Tout your false prophetess all you want, but leave her ignorant statements about other Christians in the garbage where they belong. It is a sad religion that can't exist while attacking the religion of others.

[Campion]

You want to interpret that verse to mean a bunch of wine drinking partying old men

No, I want to interpret that verse to mean that the Apostles and their successors, the bishops (cf 2 Tm 1:6), were commissioned by Christ to have the power to forgive sins. And I recognize that the bishops delegate that power to their priests.

You apparently want to interpret that verse to mean exactly ... nothing.

My priest is in heaven

Well, then your church isn't the one prophesied in Isaiah 66, now, is it?

And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

for there is ONLY ONE MEDIATOR

Except that 1 Tm 2:5 says "one," not "only one". "Only one" would be monos, but the Gk that the verse actually uses is heis ("one, unique, primary"). Adding to Scripture again, are we?

Besides, your use of that verse is irrelevant, since nobody claims that a Catholic priest mediates apart from Christ or instead of Christ.

[Campion]

+100

SDA-ism, a religion built on trashing Catholics and congratulating oneself for going to church on Saturday.

You deserve so much better, vespa300.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The church's claim to the right to pardon leads the Romanist to feel at liberty to sin; and the ordinance of confession, without which her pardon is not granted, tends also to give license to evil."

I think this person has it completely backwards. Having to confess your sins to an actual human being seems to be more of a deterrent than being able to do it privately in your own mind. Also, some interpretations of the "salvation by faith alone" doctrine would seem to minimize the results of sin or the determination to avoid sin.

[ebb tide]

Like I’ve said before, y’all are nothing but cherry-pickers.

[vespa300]

____No, I want to interpret that verse to mean that the Apostles and their successors, the bishops (cf 2 Tm 1:6), were commissioned by Christ to have the power to forgive sins. And I recognize that the bishops delegate that power to their priests.

You apparently want to interpret that verse to mean exactly ... nothing.____

They had the power to forgive sins because they had the gospel! They were given the gospel. That’s where your church errors. That’s why you think your church has the keys to heaven. The key to heaven is the GOSPEL. In spreading the gospel we are arming people with the power to know Christ as our savior, to forgive people who wrong us because it’s not in our nature to do that.

Our nature before we are born again, is not to forgive, not to show mercy, not to be like Christ. The gospel changes everything and the apostles and the resulting church was given the GOSPEL..the key to forgivness, to eternal life.

All one has to do is look at the fruits. Jesus said judge them by their friuits. Anyone who think they are God , who can absolve sins....he’s no different than a Hitler who also believed he could condemn and or forgive. It’s a formula for disaster.

The apostles were given the gospel, and the church, and it is the gospel that gives us the power to forgive, ..Jesus said we are to forgive 7 times 70.....and when I sin, he says we can come boldly to the throne of God .....even the prayer he left us with.....forgive me my sins as I forgive others......

The church of Rome has totally misinterpreted and abused those texts. And consigned millions to the flames thinking she was God with those powers. How dreadful, how awful what one misinterpretation has done.

And Peter the head of the church? No Jesus is the head of the church. Peter had a wife.....you know that right?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

She also said she saw a tall, unfallen race of people lived on Jupiter and she visited them.

Also, she instructed you to not wear a wig to prevent sexual overstimulation.

So there’s that…

[Trump_Triumphant]

Does it ever stop?

[Trump_Triumphant]

Actually, she probably stole it from Charles Chiniquy.

[vespa300]

____I think this person has it completely backwards. Having to confess your sins to an actual human being seems to be more of a deterrent than being able to do it privately in your own mind. Also, some interpretations of the “salvation by faith alone” doctrine would seem to minimize the results of sin or the determination to avoid sin.___

I won’t disagree with something you feel personally. I will say the majority of Catholics I know typically have a very cold relationship with the Savior but a closer one with the “church.”.....the institution.

did you ever see the movie A Bronx Tale? The scene where the kid goes to confession......comes out of it and says....the great part about being a Catholic is..you go in , confess and get to come out and just start over every week......

It’s very profound....watch. This is what Ellen White is talking about......only she wrote it over 100 years ago......spot on too:

The scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snYpse8Skwg

[vespa300]

____She also said she saw a tall, unfallen race of people lived on Jupiter and she visited them.___

And yet another outright lie. She never named a planet.

The Bible in Job talks about a meeting that was held before God. And there was Satan who attended this meeting. God asked him where he was and Satan said he was walking the earth.

So who were the others there in God’s presence? Is it possible that this is the only fallen planet in God’s vast universe? Jesus said he left 99 sheep to go save the one that got lost. Paul says we are a spectacle to the universe.

Why would God create only one world? His universe is infinite.

She was shown in a vision another “place” and she never identified this place.

Just another lie......like the idiot who said she founded the Church of Christ science or something like that.....and now she’s a drunk...

It’s funny actually.

[vespa300]

___Does it ever stop?___

Does what ever stop?