http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000154642417163&rtmo=0XbRbssq&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/4/23/nsin23.html From the Electronic Telegraph:

ISSUE 1428, Friday 23 April 1999

Wanted: a million sins for the Millennium By Victoria Combe, Religion Correspondent

SINNERS who once salved their souls through private confession are being invited to divulge misdeeds on radio phone-ins and in newspaper columns.

The "Clean the Slate" campaign, which has the Chief Rabbi and Cardinal Basil Hume among its patrons, is being launched with the aim of a million sins being confessed before the Millennium.

People of all faiths are being asked to send details of their transgressions to a PO Box in Oxford. A campaign brochure says any sin will do, from throwing sweet wrappers out of a car window, to being violent or racist. It asks people to sign a pledge and stick it on their fridge as a reminder. Christopher Morgan, spokesman for the campaign, said the central aim was to get people "to be nice to each other".

Organisers intend to run columns in local newspapers filled with confessions and stage radio phone-ins where people can end feuds on air. The campaign, which is a registered company seeking charitable status, has won backing from 80 public figures who have signed the "promise".

Among the listed patrons are Lord Weatherill, Lord Alton, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Gavin Hastings, the former Scottish rugby captain, and Cardinal Daly, the Roman Catholic Primate of All Ireland,

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 22, 1999

Answers

Clinton could confess to the entire million.

-- curtis schalek (schale1@ibm.net), April 22, 1999.

Why would Clinton want to confess?? He never did anything wrong. He didn't inhale. He didn't 'have sex with that woman'. Etc, etc, etc.........

Ronnie was a much more believable President (even with his age and deteriorating mental status at the last).

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), April 23, 1999.

Old Git, thanks for that very interesting article. Funny, I didn't see Clinton's name mentioned in the article.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), April 23, 1999.

Gilda, I was hoping there'd be posts on how stupid this idea is. No? Okay, then I'LL say it! With all those people spilling their guts on the air, it'll be a guilt fest of enormous proportions. Then there'll be competition ("My sin is bigger than YOUR sin, look there it is on the fridge door"). It's to get people to be nice to each other?

Sorry to be gone so long, had a guffaw break after I typed that last sentence. Sometimes I wonder why I ever think the human race can overcome ANY sort of obstacle.

-- Cynical Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 23, 1999.

I'm at a loss for words--I would love to ask the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ireland what efficacy he glimpses in public confessions made to man, and not God. Most likely he'd answer that if it's done in a spirit of love, then it can only be beneficial. Praxis with or without faith: is this the Mystery of Redemption? Who can know?

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), April 23, 1999.

Old Git, When I read the article you posted, I was outraged at the stupidity of it. You see, England, according to an article I received from my friend in Gloucestershire, is supposed to be the most secular country on earth. That has always been very appealing to me as I get so sick of listening to the fundy's in the U.S. pray and talk about God whether anyone wants to hear it or not. I told my husband, that if Pat Buchanan or Gary Bauer get to be president we're moving to England. I was disappointed to see them go the way of the U.S. in advertising their "confessions."

But the reason I didn't say that, is that I'm so outspoken about being sick of having religion and prayer and sin and redemption and the sanctimonious "get right with God message" shoved at me, I feared I would offend you. Also, I get tired of being verbally whacked by this forum full of witnessing Christians. Since you are one of the people on here I admire the most, along with Donna, Hallyx, a, and No Spam, I didn't want to irritate you by ranting my true feelings. Now that you've said you feel it's stupid, I can fire my verbal assaults on the mighty Lords and Ladys of the Realm along with the lesser sinners. Here goes!!!

I think that is the most ignorant, stupid, assinine, holier-than-thou idea I've ever heard of. Once again, a public platform has been erected on which Christians can grandstand, show publicly how holy they are, how pure, how precious, play the, can your sin, top my sin game, and even pray for those of us who don't wan't the prayers, and if we did, we'd go into a private room and pray for ourselves!!!!

Yes!! That felt good. My son said the older I get, the more militant I get. Heehee

Old Git, I always thought England was above this kind of public baloney that people in the U.S. love so much. And the roster of sponsors, must mean it's some kind of wonderful spoof or parody.

The last time I was there, during the "Proms," (is that right?) my friend was mortified that while watching it on TV they got a little maudlin and sentimental when talking about the UK, and my friend was quite mortified. I told her not to worry, in the U. S. they would have had a prayer ceremony and awards night and nationalism contest all rolled into one, and there wouldn't have been a dry hanky in the house.

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), April 24, 1999.

You're right, Gilda, England IS very secular. I understand it's getting more so and this is the probable reason behind trying to turn this thing into a soap opera/Oprah/musical/drama all rolled into one. It reminds me of the houses they build nowadays. They take a little bit of each of the most popular architectural features and throw it at a house plan. You've got Palladian windows, octagonal or round ones, several gables, copper-clad bay windows, railed front porches and steps, and you end up with a hodge-podge of crap that looks frighteningly busy and overdone. Same with this Millennium Clean the Slate plan--they've taken all the most popular bits of participatory culture and thrown it at religion. Somebosy should tell them (and builders) that you can't please all of the people all of the time.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 24, 1999.