This is one of the questions posed by my readers which has led me to believe that many people who grew up in the Catholic Church assume that the doctrines they learned in Sunday School are common to all Christians. There are a few beliefs held by the Catholic Church which most Protestant churches do not agree with.

The Sacrament of Penance (Confession) is one of the sacraments of the Catholic Church. A priest cannot give you carte blanche to sin again; he can only forgive the sins that you have already committed. A confession is only valid if the penitent has a firm purpose of amendment to not sin and to avoid the near occasion of sin as stated in the Act of Contrition.

The Pharisees were one of a kind!