That Religious Guy: 1- 800 - Confession

..... There have been many attempts over the years to spice up religion. Some have tried substituting upbeat modern tunes in place of traditional hymns during worship. Others have resorted to filling gigantic stadiums with parishioners, dazzling them with lights, cameras, and plenty of action. All such attempts are mainly concerned with getting the faithful back into the pews, bringing new life into old churches. France, however, takes the cake for the most inventive, if not dumbest idea, yet: a dial-a-confession telephone service.
..... "Cord to the Lord" is the brainchild of a concerned group of French Catholics who saw a problem in the Church: indifference and disinterest. So, they thought of a way to bring the Church to the people, through the phone of course. For 20 to 50 cents, individuals can call Cord to the Lord and confess their sins. During the call, the Gospel is read, the person is allowed to confess, and is then led through the Act of Contrition. Cord to the Lord's creators understand that their service doesn't grant absolution for sins, but is simply an outlet for people to empty themselves.
..... Cord to the Lord is doing people more of a disservice however. I was raised under the idea that it's all or nothing, that you have to risk it to get the biscuit. Why would anyone want to confess their sins to an automated voice and not be forgiven than confess their sins to a priest and receive absolution? Sure, actually going to a local church and kneeling in the confessional requires legs and spiritual motivation, but isn't it worth it since one can be truly cleansed of sin? There may be some embarrassment at first, since going to confession means you have to verbally expose your dark deeds, but this emotion is reasonable. When you do bad things, you naturally feel shame.
..... The Catholic Church in France officially condemns Cord to the Lord since it trivializes an important sacrament. The hot-line is trying to dehumanize the act of confessing. After all, confessing to a priest symbolizes how one is acknowledging that his sins affect the whole community, the whole Church. This neighborly relationship is a human one, not a mechanical one.
..... I myself just went to confession hours ago and love the sacrament because it gives me a fresh start. Hopefully Cord to the Lord gets disconnected soon since its separating people from their faith instead of bringing them closer. Besides, if God really had a phone, I doubt he'd just limit himself to accepting confession calls. He hears enough every two weeks from me to keep the line busy. 

- Jeremy Dela Cruz