Banjo,

It is a condition of Confessional Absolution that the penitent is truly sorry for his sins and resolves to sin no more; if these conditions are not met then the Absolution is invalid.

The priest can give absolution but only the penitent can validate it, repeat offenders are only fooling themselves.

Dear Yuyutsu,

The "we" that I speak of are the people who live
in this country. And the rule of law allows all of our
liberties and freedoms to be protected. That is the compact
that is being referred to here. These laws are passed by
our elected representatives in Parliament men and women who
work the machinery of our liberal, democratic way of life.
They reflect public opinion - and at their best lead public
opinion - and transmute it into laws that shape our society
and our country.

I do not understand why you are having such difficulty in
understanding this. How have any laws ever restricted your
behaviour and your freedom in this country. If you object to
any of the laws - you do have the opportunity to try to have
them changed at elections.

cont'd ...

We also have the opportunity to put in place new laws
such as what is being suggested in this discussion -
that of breaking the seal of the confessional and not
protect clergy who abuse children.

Foxy,

"We also have the opportunity to put in place new laws
such as what is being suggested in this discussion -
that of breaking the seal of the confessional and not
protect clergy who abuse children."

No new laws needed as there is no protection of the Seal under Australian Law.

What is going on at the moment is political posturing of the "See, we're doing something" variety.

Dear Foxy,

I, for one, live in this country and do not belong to your "we", just as I am sure, do many others whom you count in your club without their permission.

«And the rule of law allows all of our liberties and freedoms to be protected.»

Ah, didn't I recently mention that next you will claim to provide me with "protection"... just like the Mafia!

The ones we need most protection from, is your state and its government - yes, there are also paedophiles, murderers and the like around, but your gang are the worst predators.

The laws you speak about are passed by YOUR elected representatives and according to YOUR machinery, none of them represent me, nor do I want anyone to represent me in your gang - it's not my gang and they should just leave me alone!

«We also have the opportunity to put in place new laws such as what is being suggested in this discussion - that of breaking the seal of the confessional and not protect clergy who abuse children.»

Yes, your brutal gang has the power to put in place any laws it wishes: what if it legislates, in a perfectly democratic way of course and according to all correct procedures, that you must, with your own hands kill your mother and your children, then eat their ears? Or that you must at all times give your body when requested in the service of any man who is sexually aroused? Surely being brainwashed and obedient as a sheep as you are, you would follow those new laws to the letter!

What your gang is asking religious people to do (under the pretext of combating paedophilia), is for them equivalent to killing their own mother. Of course they would never do it, of course not a single paedophile will ever be caught this way, yet you and your violent gang seem to take pleasure in devastating others.

Oh yeah, several years later you can re-vote and re-legislate to bring your beloved mother and children back from the grave... see if it works...

Dear Is Mise,

«What is going on at the moment is political posturing of the "See, we're doing something" variety.»

I tend to believe this to be the case, reason being that the penalty (in South Australia) for not disclosing what was said in confession, is only a $10,000 fine.

For the time being, the solution for the church, is to warn people never to confess anything related to child-sexual-abuse, then take a $10,000 deposit at the entrance to the confessional. Once the confession is over and no matters related to child-sexual-abuse were mentioned, the confessing person will get their $10,000 back (otherwise it would be used to pay the fine).

The problem is that molested children rarely have $10,000 of their own for a deposit (unless stealing is an option), so no confession for them, nobody to hear their sad stories. They (the timid and/or conscientious among them who refuse to act in a way that would put another person in jail for many years) already have no access to counsellors, psychologists, doctors, teachers or psychiatrists. Perhaps thanks to this new law, the only remaining avenue for them is suicide!