Posted by Doug Showalter on June 09, 1998 at 15:43:37:
In Reply to: Re: Protestant theology of forgiveness posted by jane on June 05, 1998 at 20:58:51:
Dear Jane,
My view is that each person is responsible for his/her own relationship with God and with the church. Spouses can only go so far in encouraging their partners to participate in those relationships.
You might be better advised to focus on your own personal relationship with your husband, and let him work out his own religious and church relationships. Even if you were able to force him to go to confession, and he made a confession which was not completely sincere and voluntary on his part, would either one of you have really gained anything?
Ultimately, no one can control another person or another person's faith. If faith is to have any meaning for a person, that person must ultimately work it out and want it for him/herself.
Rather than trying to pressure or control your spouse in this area, you might be better advised to try to be a positive model for him--a model of how meaningful and fulfilling it is for you, to have a strong faith and to be an active participant in the spiritual life and rites of your church.
In my experience, people are more often moved by positive encouragements, than by ultimatums which tend to provoke their resistence.
Best wishes,
Doug Showalter