Suddenly everyone in America seems to be heading towards the Church these days. No, not for tying knots for the umpteen time, neither for baptizing their fifth child nor even to attend the death funeral of their uncle. Americans are flocking to the Church to confess their sins and purify themselves of all the guilt that they foster in their heart of hearts.
This is indeed a huge progress for the Church that has often been sidelined for the people in their daily lives. In a high-tempo world where there’s little scope for religious acts to steal in, the Church has often had to struggle with low attendance and biting criticisms when the priests are discerned culpable of child abuse and homosexuality. But now attendance is rising once again and the Church authorities are delighted.
But the rise in people confessing their sins is not only an act of their spiritual gain or moral growth; the fact also demonstrates shrewd marketing by the Church itself. The Catholic Church was the innovator in using modern technology to reach out to people and bring them closer to itself and it worked. Now their Protestant counterparts have picked up the thread and they too are finding incredible success.
People seem to find exception relief in admitting their sins as this keeps their consciences clear and transparent. Ranging from mere watching pornography to committing serious crimes, the confessions mark the new age where modern technology and age-old beliefs of purification of the soul through confession collude. And the Church is playing to the tune.
There have been reports of official confessions outside the church premises too. In a shopping mall in Colorado Springs, three Catholic priests are available to hear confessions six days a week in a small office equipped with a box of tissues and the Ten Commandments. Websites such as Youtube are also fast gaining ground in making the people confess their sins on video and convey them to a wider audience. Even group confessions are being carried on in certain areas of the United States.
Although concerns of such internet and group confessions have been raised by the Catholic Church, there’s no doubt that modern technology is playing a key role in reactivating people into religion. People in the US are getting more and more fantasized by this whole issue of confessing and clever preaching by the Church authorities is actually helping the phenomenon grow.
Image Source: Pumpkin Hook
Source: The Telegraph, UK
