Actually not true when it comes to milesting children.

If it was the only evidence it would be dropped... but so would all "hearsay" evidence like that.

Any evidence that came from it however would be fine... in most US states.

I can only speak as an ordained Protestant minister but:

When something is discussed with us, it is not confidential based on your exact example. We were trained that if we were ever in the situation of an egregous violation of the law such as rape, murder, or something of that nature, then we must obey the law. If it is something more minor, we do seek to advise the confessor to admit his crimes to the authorities or make restitution directly, when possible.

Of course, a Protestant minister would:

• Advise the confessor that the convorsation is not entirely confidential
• Never force confession - kind of against Christianity, anyways.

Kind of a bad system of power for the Catholic Church, and I'm very glad I'm not a part of their organization, as such confessions could and would be a very powerful tool for blackmail. That Guy is correct in his assesment of what should be done. There is no aspect of the Bible that teaches what is enforced concerning confession. If anything it's the exact opposite - confession is to God, and judgment is to the law.

The way I see it, if you rape and murder 10 people and you are truly TRULY repentant, then I think you can be forgiven.

HOWEVER, you will still have to pay for those lives by spending the rest of yours in jail, or at least manning up to the authorities.

Yeah, i can see protestants being different.  To be honest i didn't even think of it.  I don't recall protestant ministers ever talking about confessions.  Honestly thought they didn't have them and it was only "with god."

We do have confessions in informal ways. We do not utilize it quite like the Catholics do, but we do it in more of a counseling fashion.

That's where the crisis of confession comes in at. Say a person in your congregation wants to talk and advises you that he raped his kid. In that case, I'd be running to the police.

Again, you are right That Guy. Anyone, no matter how evil, can be forgiven by God. However, that doesn't absolve one from judgment by authorities.

Someone already said it, but I will put my two cents in.

In Catholicism, a Priest is morally bound not to speak to anyone what he hears in a confession. Legally, I don't believe there is anything preventing him from reporting what he hears to the police.

I know a Chaplain in the USAF is legally bound to not disclose anything he hears in a confession, but I doubt that answers your question.

My old Pastor said if someone confessed a crime to him he would have to turn them in. Different from a catholic confession I imagine though.

I am not aware of anything morally binding a priest to stay quiet or to turn them in, I think it ultimately depends on the individual. I imagine most would not want to turn in someone who is willing to confess their darkest secrets before themself and God.

well if its something like "I've been cheating on my wife for 10 years" I'm not sure what I would do if I were a priest.

Adultery is against the Bible, but not so much so in secular law. It wouldn't be the responsibility of the priest to inform the wife, but it would be the responsibility to tell the guy to "set things right" by ending an extra-marital affair. If the guy ends it or not; well that's his business now.

I thought a priest-confessor confidentiality was as adamant as lawyer-customer confidentiality in the US.

I don't understand why the fuck that would be but eh. They fucked up it's their own damn fault and if they don't like it and can't live with then just jump off a fucking bridge.

You all forget something.

Confessing to a priest doesn't simply mean telling him stuff, it is all about asking for absolution, for sins that they are ashamed of.

There is no such confession as "I'm a serial killer, and I will kill more people, just saying", probably anyone who risks telling a dark secret from his past for an absolution, is a broken person, with deep religious beliefs who would be easily convinced to turn himself in, to get the absolution.