Was raised Catholic. Haven't been to church or confession since a teenager. Never understood that a priest needed to hear my confession.

Same. Even as a kid, I thought it was weird. By the time I was 10, I ditch it. Also the whole eating of the flesh and blood seemed totally strange as a kid. I just did my own thing and basically meditated/prayed at mass. Guess you get what you need.

Sorry but Nana has NEVER understood why any true believer in God would be asking a priest anywhere to absolve them of their sins.
That whole thing has always seemed to be not holy to me,

conditioning...catholic school...to name a couple things.

Nana, i agree!

Interesting about the CIA. Never thought of that. I married a Catholic in the church, and raised our children in it, yet somehow always resisted formally joining or ever going to confession. Instead I roamed around dabbling in this church and that, this religion and that, never feeling that any one of them was just right. No one seemed to have the ANSWERS. When I started awakening I slowly realized why I was always seeking and never finding. Covid exposed everything; the masks, the social distancing in church...the pastors urging people to get their shots. Ugh. I stopped going to mass, started looking within myself. 🙏 Our Divine Spirit connects with God/Source directly. The Kingdom of Heaven really is within us. And I still am learning from wise, spiritual teachers, many here on AU!
Love and Peace, All! 🙏❤️

I did the same. Married a catholic & raised my kids in the church. I started RCIA classes & then got very disillusioned when the priest told us my husband's brief marriage to another could be annulled with 100% certainty once we paid our $800. He said when I questioned the chances we as young people with not much money could be denied that "in over 40 years I've never worked on an annulment that didn't go through". So basically, you pay your cash & a committee of never married men read through your entire life history (intensive 15 page front & back questionnaire that both parties have to answer) & then rubber stamp it. I don't believe God works that way. Anyway, each week we went to mass & I would move my legs over so my children could go take communion. Now, nature is my church. I feel God in every living thing & I've never been more peaceful & connected.

I agree with you! I wasn't raised in a Catholic household, but a cousin of mine was, so I heard all about confession - as a young child. It never seemed right to me - just like her saying, that I was destined to spend my entire 'after death life', in limbo, because I wasn't baptized. Oh, my goodness, I've never forgotten that.

how bad is that??!!