> > >We pretty much just go by what the Bible says.
> > >
> > > I think my mind just exploded.
> >
> > Ahem.. sorry. We go by what the Bible says.. not pretty much. When I say I don't like religion I'm talking about (not downing any religions) like with Catholics having to confess their sins to a priest.
> >
> > Wedge
>
>
> From James 5:13-16
>
> "13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him in oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
>
> The "sick" referred to in 5:14 is interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church to be of a spiritual nature, not medical or physical, i.e. sin. And when one has that sickness, he is to go to the elders of the church (which, at the time, referred to the leaders of the local congregation, AKA the person a Catholic would today go to in order to confess) and tell the elders of his sickness, and the elders will pray for him. 5:16 also refers to this.
>
> My point is not to argue whether or not that is all completely correct. My point is to say that, contrary to what you appear to believe, there is Biblical justification for what the Church does, and this is but one, easily-accessable-at-the-moment example. The Pope didn't make that up out of thin air one day.
>
> The Other Matthew

Yes, I understand that you're not wanting to argue, so I won't argue. (I actually hate arguing over this stuff.) This what I'm about to ask is a real question, I'm not saying that this is how it is, I don't know how it is so I'm asking you. My thinking led me to believe that the congregation of a Catholic church had to go to a priest to be forgiven. (I don't know if that's correct) If that's so, then that would be that the part of the passage you posted, James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." What i wanted to bring out was the "each other" part. That would mean that if the priest had problems then he could go to anyone in the congregation he wanted and that person could pray for him also. Does that make any sense at all? I hope so. But like I said, I don't know anything about religions, so if I'm wrong tell me and I'll shut up ;). G'day!

Wedge "I'm really quite ignorant" Antilles