Confessions and Roman Catholics

[LoftyLottie]

I don't want to start another thread regarding Madeleine McCann, but I have just read from a reputable source that priests have no duty to report anything that is said to them in a confession, including murder.

Surely this can't be true, otherwise we could all claim to withhold evidence for religious reasons and surely religion holds no clout under the law.

Can someone please enlighten me, i.e. Can the police demand that a priest must tell what they know if questioned?

If it is true then I am truly amazed!

[weeal]

i was raised catholic but rebelled? against it, too strict n kinda hypocritical

[Campfire]

The Pope isn't blamed for the AIDS epidemic, him and his church is blamed for harbouring it and probably contributing to its growth. You can argue that it wouldn't be so bad if people followed no sex before marriage, but that is surely catholics picking and choosing what parts of their religion they wish to follow, not atheists picking and choosing what to blame religion for? Point is, many people in Africa and South America do not wear condoms precisely BECAUSE the Pope continues to say they are sinful. This is a huge digression from the point though, feel free to post a question like "Is the AIDS epidemic the fault of the Catholic church?" (yes, I'm being facetious :P)

I find no harm in believing in something which gives you comfort. Unfortunately something being comforting does not make it true. I believe in what I know is true, and I find it bizarre the amount of people who are prepared to cocoon themselves in a lie because it makes them feel better. All I do as an atheist is present such religious apologists with the facts, and if they continue to reject the truth and would prefer to divulge in the comforts of a lie, then that's up to them. I'm not going to picket your funeral, protest that you shouldn't have the same rights as me, not be your friend, throw you out of my house or hit you with a baseball bat. I hardly think atheists are the pushiest of them all.

If you have trouble dealing with the idea of evolution, then read up on it. There's plenty of books on the issue and it's such a good explanation for things. As you consider yourself agnostic, I would also recommend you read The God Delusion by RIchard Dawkins and/or God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens - marvelous books, the former of which made me decide to label myself atheist rather than agnostic (I too had the same quandaries with our beginnings as you).

I think we've digressed more than enough from the question, so I'll stop answering this thread

[jodie73]

Thank God!!!

[Katie~77]

Ooooh Jodie, something I should know????x

[jodie73]

No, just got bored reading such drivvel.xxx

[Goodsoulette]

Move on then Jodie. Sensible debate in society and culture.

I actually picked up the God Delusion the other day at a bookcrossing zone. Haven't read it yet. There are certain things that give me brainache, apart from ice cream. One of those are the puzzles where you have to figure out who is the second tallest of 5 people from a series of clues about a height and the other is when I try and logically think about the universe. My left brain cant handle it.

[LoftyLottie]

Interesting further discussion - thanks (well except for Jodie - what on earth was that all about?)