The brain trust over at CNBC strikes again. This time CNBC’s Erin Burnett revealed that neither she nor anyone else at CNBC have any idea what they are talking about where it concerns Catholicism or its history. On a Feb 8 report on an iPhone App to help Catholics with confessions Burnett wondered if this was a return “back to the age of condolences”? Uh, “condolences”? Yes, that is what she said.

The iPhone app in question is called “Confession: A Roman Catholic App.” The description says that the App is meant to, “be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance. Individuals who have been away from the sacrament for some time will find Confession: A Roman Catholic App to be a useful and inviting tool.”

In her report on the app, Burnett imagined that having to purchase the item was somehow untoward. Here is what she said, “The app supposedly is not designed to replace going to confession but to- quote, ‘help Catholics through the act.’ The app costs $1.99. Now, wait, we wonder, is this back to the age of ‘condolences,’ those things that Martin Luther so abhorred?”

We call this both history AND religion fail, Erin Burnett. You see, the practice that Martin Luther “so abhorred” was called “indulgences,” not “condolences.” That was the practice where the Church and it representatives took money from members to excuse their sins. Luther wondered why God would need the money, as it were. But obviously this practice was just a way for the Church to get cash and had precisely zip to do with anyone’s sins.

Sadly not a single person at CNBC, not the producers, not the cameramen, not the script writers and most specially not on-air “talent’ Erin Burnett, know that the word was not “condolences.” Proving, once again, that the Old Media leftists are so out of touch with both history and religion that no one there caught it.

But there was an even deeper misunderstanding of this whole issue for Burnett and the gang at CNBC. You see, indulgences were sold by the Church and the Church got the money. For Burnett’s idiotic point to be a proper analogy this iPhone App would have to be sold by the Catholic Church. But it isn’t. The thing is being sold by a private citizen, not the Catholic Church.

Yep, Burnett and CNBC has “fail” written all over them.

(H/T Newsbusters)