i'm taking our required ethics class now, which has put me to thinking about priest-penitent privilege and its various ramifications. even in the old days, this was one of the things that always made me a little uncomfortable -- that priests are legally obliged to uphold the seal of the confessional no matter what the crime. in the united states, the clergy are the only people for whom this applies -- secrecy is mandated even in cases of reported child abuse or homicidal intention. for now this is only changing at the state level, but when, as will happen, the matter reaches the the supreme court, a decision either way is going to be serious business. one way, child abusers go free, the other, the church is forced to ante up its parishioners' souls. this sounds a bit like a false dilemma, but i think it's nearer the truth than you might suspect, and certainly something to think about if you're of a religious persuasion.