Quote:
Originally Posted by Requiem
Your comments are wise and thoughtful. Members do need support rather than condemnation when they come forward voluntarily. It is such a striking difference to speak with each of the sisters involved in these actions. One feels loved; the other abandoned by her bishop, ward and family. The latter outcome certainly would cause me to think twice before confessing. I suspect there are many in the Church not willing to subject themselves to the whims of a less than loving authority. The risk is too great.
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It is a difficult balance to strike. Some sins are serious and require heart-wrenching efforts to overcome.
The member needs the reassurance of the leader, that the member isn't loathed, as self-loathing has already occurred and is occurring. The member already feels cut-off and hopeless, condemned. Some of these punishments feel like sentences handed down by a merciless executioner. The member is probably overly sensitive, but then is the member's time of need. Not every leader, because almost all have never been in that situation, cannot truly empathize with the member, even if the leader sympathizes. I will relate a recent event witnessed that has created more compassion than before.