Cyber Confessions

Published September 7, 2007 - Glendale News Press - Los Angeles Time

IN THEORY

Cyber Confessions

Q:

Websites to confess sins are reportedly becoming more popular in a society that has moved away from traditional modes of confession, such as one-on-one meetings with priests. Sites such as IveScrewedUp.com, DailyConfession.com, absolution-online.com, and MySecret.tv offer ways for sinners to confess. At the same time, on-line confession sites reportedly give churches a vehicle to get people in contact with faith.

What do you think of these new cyber-hubs for confession? Do they bring people closer to religion?

A:

Confession is part of a healing process for an individual who has been plagued with the burdens of wrongdoing. If you take the old adage, "Confession is good for the soul" then it really should not matter where the confession takes place so long as it is done. Cyberspace grants us the ultimate in anonymity and that in itself can make for a very comfortable confessional.

But confession is only one part of the healing process. The other important step is penance, that is, a means by which the individual makes amends. That’s where religion comes in. Because while confession is individual in scope, the process of penance operates in the context of community.

I think the bigger issues in this story are the boundaries that are being stretched by technology. Virtual confession booths push yet one more time the religious community to adapt to the lifestyle of its congregants. People need healing. True healing begins with aligning ourselves with God. If a computer and keyboard help in that alignment process, then let’s use it. But at the same time, let’s create those spaces and environments that are not judging, that are caring and provide for community.

Fr. Vazken Movsesian

Armenian Church

In His Shoes Mission