one test of the silliness...

Just reading over this thread, something occurred to me. How willing would those men be to confess their sins to one another if there were women present in the group? The verse Forgiven quoted makes no distinction at all about *who* to confess to. If there is neither male nor female in the body of Christ, if we are all part of the royal priesthood, then why not? Perhaps I was the only one like this, but I only "confessed" those issues which I was sure would not bring me censure -- there were many many things which I kept to myself. This is problematic if we take confession as being normative. I've been a part of several groups like that in the past. And unfortunately, the ones I've experienced seem to owe more to the men's movement than to the Scriptures. Tacking a prayer on at beginning and end doesn't make the methodology of Iron John any less secular. I'm now in a situation where I have a bond of trust and love with one person to whom I regularly confess. He knows my weaknesses and strengths, and there is NOTHING that I have held back in confession. Shame is a powerful force and this hasn't always been easy, but "perfect love drives out fear". His role is primarily to be a witness of my confession to Christ, but it's also to assist me in making that confession, and to offer practical advice in overcoming the sins which I love too much, or which are so embedded in my way of being as to be habitual and unthinking. Oh yeah -- I guess I should also mention that I'm not BL. I've never had to worry about being reported as a risk by an overzealous minister. Unfortunately, there is also that for you to consider. Dirk