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Confession: There's an iPhone App For That
slshwtw writes "Pope Benedict XVI has recently encouraged priests to blog and promoted Christian Netiquette. Now apparently the Roman Catholic church has sanctioned a 'Confession App,' available through iTunes for $1.99. Apparently it doesn't replace 'traditional,' in-person confession, but walks one through the process, even suggesting sins you may wish to confess."'
Please, people. Ha, ha, funny. RTFA.
"[T]he new app doesn't replace traditional confession. You still have to go to a priest for absolution. ... It leads you through an 'Examination of Conscience' to help you figure out what your real sins are -- and not just by retreading your run of the mill 10 Commandments."
In sacramental preparation, Roman Catholics are taught to privately undertake an examination of conscience before entering the confessional. This is just, shall we say, an expert system for the process.
You save only 59 seconds over 8 miles by going 75 instead of 65. Do you really have to pass that guy? Do the Math!
So it's just a digital version of those little books with portions of catechism, prayers, checklists for sacraments (for example - confession), etc.? Plus a notepad? (even safer, actually!) Not much of news...
One that hath name thou can not otter
[If you're Catholic] isn't an iPhone kinda incompatible with your religion?
No. A particular persons decision to purchase an iPhone given other uses of the money may or may not be prudent, and certainly might be influenced by any number of sins, but the iPhone isn't inherently incompatible with Catholicism.
It's a large, unnecessary expenditure of money and resources when there are millions of poor.
Catholic teaching does not prohibit purchasing expensive items which are not essential to survival.
Plus it's a status symbol
Purchasing an iPhone out of vanity would certainly be sinful, but the fact that society treats it as a status symbol does not make the device itself inherently sinful.