This myth is pretty dumbfounding to me. When I was a fundamentalist Christian I blurted this out to Catholics all the time. Even after my conversion to Catholicsm I still resited.
Until I realized why confession is important and why confess to others was even more important.
CONFESSION TO A PRIEST IN THE BIBLE:
~~~~The Bible tells us God gave "Men" (plural) the power to forgive sins on earth.
Matthew 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 7 And he arose, and went into his house. 8 And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.
~~~~Jesus gave us the "Ministry" of Reconciliation.
2Corinthians 5:17 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. 18 But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation.
~~~~The Apostles are Christ's ambassadors (and the Priests by Proxy):
2Corinthians 5:20 For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.
~~~~St. James tells us to confess to one another:
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
~~~~St. James tells us that when one is sick call the Priests to pray over him, anoint him and because of this the lord forgives his sins:
James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should
pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord,
15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
~~~~The Old Testament tells us that an atonement is made by the Priest to the Lord and his sins will be forgiven:
Leviticus 6:7 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt."
Leviticus 16:30 For on that day [the priest] shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Numbers 15:28 And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who commits an error, when he sins unwittingly, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.
~~~~Jesus gave the Apostles the Authority as well. Why would he give them this authority if they were never to use it?
John 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, {their sins} have been forgiven them; if you retain the {sins} of any, they have been retained."
~~~~St. Paul even forgave sins:
2Corinthians 2:10 But one whom you forgive anything, I {forgive} also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, {I did it} for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
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