Sometimes, you feel devastating guilt, and you are ready to ask for forgiveness, but you cannot count on the injured party to forgive you. They want to see you punished, and punish you with not giving you what you need. You still need forgiveness, but you cannot and feel you should not forgive yourself. This is where a third party is needed. Someone, ideally on a higher plane, to give you what you need in order to become a better person. That is why many people become actually better by finding religion. Some manage to become better and obtain forgiveness without religion, they learn to forgive themselves, no matter how horrible and shaming the guilt.