37% of U.S. Catholics Question Their Church Membership After Sex Abuse Scandals

[Prosper]

5. Rationalization.

I dropped out of the Church when I was in high school due to apparent improprieties of our priest. The only answer I come up with why there is support for the church is the belief in the absolution of sins from the sacrament of confession. There are multiple contradictions with the sacrament of confession. Most significant is to receive absolution the penitent must profess true sorrow for sinning and must promise to never do it again. There is no recourse in the church for violating the sacrament of confession. I argued this point with the priest that taught my religion class. His answer was that as long as the penitent believed when asking for absolution that the sinner would never do it again then it was valid and okay. That must satisfy the faithful.