Time to Air the Dirty Laundry?
Bob, how "up close and personal" do you want us to get with our confessions of "conduct and behaviors that indict us"? Shall I share with you (and everyone else) the results of my "examination of conscience"? It would embarrass you and shame me (properly so).

Or shall we stick with generalities, what we've read in the newspapers, or heard about? Then we can either all join together in condemnation, or the "pros" can say X and the "cons" Y. Will that get us anywhere?

(For example, I could tell you that at our SVDP bowling night a couple of weeks ago, that the TV monitors above the alleys were showing an episode of Sex and the City, including a scene where the two actors are in bed having a go-to, very clearly, if not explicitly shown, and how embarassed I was, but did nothing about it, like approach the management, but only "averted" my eyes. We could spend lots of time discussing "what I should have done" and whether the showing, or my inactions, were a sign of "worldly contentedness", or some other malaise, but wouldn't that be pretty much of a waste of time?)

(Or, maybe we should gang up on all those out there who practice birth control, or believe in the "right to choose," embryonic stem-cell research, etc. If we hit 'em hard enough, maybe we can convince them!)

No, it seems to me that each one of us has to examine our own conscience.

Of course, that task itself raises a host of questions. How do I examine my conscience? What is it I am listening to - what do I hear - when my "conscience" speaks (in silence!) to me? (Does it speak in silence?) And how do I act on what I hear?

Contrary to the modern notion that I "am my own man," able to originate my own ideas, it seems to me that what I "hear," what I think, is pretty much dictated by the culture I live in. (Wouldn't I be a Muslim today if I had grown up in Saudi Arabia?) Have I ever had any original idea? I don't know of any. It seems like I parrot what I read or hear.

But this rather humbling realization does have a real benefit: it allows me to ask myself, what "culture" am I a reflection of? (Who am I imitating?) (As I've read[!], this "stepping back" is the only way I can "lead" my life, which is what it means to be a "human" animal. Non-human animals don't "lead" their own lives. They can't "get a distance" from themselves, as humans can.)

Now we are in the area of what traditionally has been called "formation of conscience," right? So, shouldn't we talk about how conscience is formed? (How is it that Abram actually heard and responded to God's voice? Moses? Paul? Could God have something to say to little ol' me, too?)

For those of us who are reluctant to go to confession, apparently "because it's not relevant" -- and I am one of those culprits (there's a confession for you!) -- maybe we could talk about why confession might be relevant, is relevant, and why still, few of us go. (Maybe part of the reason is we don't do a real examination of conscience, are unwilling to do one. I hear someone [maybe myself] saying, ". . . all I have to confess are either insipid pecadillos, or black sins I'm too embarrased to tell another human being . . .") I sense pride in that statement, a failure to appreciate the nature of sin. (. . . don't worry about it, God forgives everything in the end. . .) I read somewhere, unless we are conscious of sin, we don't feel a need for God. What has happened to our sense of sin? And as a result, isn't our sense of God diminished?

Another question, are there "techniques" of conscience formation? What role does prayer play? Action? Discussion? Emotion? Cognition? How do we experience revelation (coming from the outside as Cardinal Ratzinger explained), and distinguish it from the devilish "noise" out there? (Or is there yet a third source of "information" out there that is neither from God or from the devil, something neutral, not to be frightened of, science for example?)

Because if we can figure out, among all those out there giving directions, who to listen to, we'll know what direction to take, right? Or at least what direction we will take -- what direction God wants us to take -- even though I bet we won't ever reach unanimity, or cease with discussion and disagreement (and the judgments that give rise to them).

As Matt would say, "Does this make sense?"

At any rate, Bob, I don't think you want to hear any more of my "dirty laundry," and to tell you the truth, anyone else's is probably "too much information" for me, thank you very much! Oh, did I get into the "therapy" group by mistake, and the spirituality group (blog) is down the hall?