Q. I made a series of promises to God. Last weekend, I made an actual, genuine promise out loud that I will never give up on anything I love unless I change my preferences. Are the thoughts true promises to God, even if they are intentional, and do I have to keep them and give up on those languages and hobbies I love? Can someone promise something on pain of God never receiving their prayers again?
A. Promises made to God that are private are nothing more than piety. They are not in the least binding. People make such promises all the time. They are meaningless. For a promise to be binding, it must be (1) public and (2) accepted by someone who has the authority to accept it. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Q. Is direct disclosure/restitution morally required when it causes serious harm? Is this compulsion to act against my better judgment scrupulosity, or is it my genuine conscience speaking?
A. It is your scrupulosity. There is no such requirement to disclose what does not need to be disclosed, particularly if it causes harm. Restitution is required only when it is imposed by a person who has the authority to impose it as a condition for forgiveness. For a scrupulous person, self-imposed restitution is a bad idea.