8.120. I believe God loves and accepts me as I am. I'm not perfect, but I don’t think I’ve sinned seriously. God understands—isn’t that enough?
This error stems from a distortion of God's mercy divorced from His justice, and from a false sense of self-righteousness. It reflects the dangerous fruits of Vatican II’s anthropocentric theology, which tends to emphasize man's dignity while downplaying his fallen nature, sin, and the need for true repentance and conversion.
Scripture and Tradition are clear: All have sinned. God is infinitely merciful—but He demands contrition, confession, and amendment of life. The belief that “I don’t need to confess anything” is often a result of spiritual blindness—and precisely why the Sacrament of Penance exists.
Yes, God is loving. But God’s love is holy, just, and demanding. He loves you too much to leave you in sin. To say “I’m not perfect, but not evil either” is meaningless—God doesn’t judge based on vague self-comparisons. He judges based on whether your soul is in the state of grace or not.
The belief that you have “no sins to confess” is a dangerous illusion. Scripture says:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
God “understands,” yes—but what He understands is that you are in need of mercy and purification, not excuses. That’s why He gave us the Sacrament of Confession, and that’s why the saints confessed frequently—even though they were holier than most of us.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Modern / Sentimental View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| God’s Love | Unconditional in origin, but requires repentance to bear fruit | Accepts everyone “as is”—no judgment or expectations | God loves sinners, but **condemns unrepented sin** (cf. Luke 13:3) |
| Human Nature | Wounded by Original Sin; inclined to sin constantly | Basically good, with a few imperfections | Minimizing sin leads to **spiritual blindness and pride** |
| Confession | Essential sacrament for the forgiveness of mortal sins | Unnecessary if I “feel okay with God” | Feelings ≠ grace. The sacraments are the **only assured path to forgiveness** |
| Self-Assessment | “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13) | “I’m basically a good person” | That was the attitude of the **Pharisee whom God did not justify** |
| Presumption | Condemned as a sin against the Holy Ghost | Commonly justified as “trusting God’s mercy” | Mercy requires **repentance**—not casual dismissal of sin |
| Fruits of This View | Frequent confession, humility, sanctity, growth in virtue | Lukewarmness, blindness, moral stagnation | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
God is love—but love does not mean permissiveness. He is also holy, just, and true—and He has clearly said:
“Unless you do penance, you shall all likewise perish”
If you think you have nothing to confess, it is not because you are sinless—it is because you don’t yet see your sins. The saints, who were far holier than us, confessed often, wept for venial faults, and examined their consciences daily. Why don’t we?
Saying “God understands” becomes a shield to avoid the discomfort of repentance, confession, and amendment of life. But Our Lord didn’t die on the Cross to affirm us—He died to save us.
To presume forgiveness without confession is to insult His sacrifice.
Further reading:
A Comprehensive Examination of Conscience By Rev. Donald F. Miller, C.SS.R. (1959)
An Examination of Conscience for Adults in Preparation for Confession