Most of you have at least heard of the seven deadly sins. Maybe you can't name them all. Maybe you aren't familiar with anything except the phrase 'seven deadly sins.' Maybe you think you know all about them. You probably don't know as much as you think you do.
Most people think there is a list of the seven deadly sins somewhere in the Bible. There's not. Not really. There are lists of sins and virtues (see Proverbs 6:16-6:19), but the actual doctrine of seven concrete deadly sins one should avoid did not come about until at least the fifth century C.E. (A.D. for you non Religious Studies folks).
The list looks something like this:
7 DEADLY SINS
SPIRITUAL SINS: (the worse of the 7 sins):
1. Pride
2. Envy
3. Wrath
CORPORAL SINS (bodily sins--not so bad, viewed as bodily weakness):
4. Accidia (Sloth)
5. Avaricia (Greed)
6. Gluttony
7. Lust
Look familiar? It probably does. The seven deadly sins have been a topic of much conversation over the past 1,500+ years or so. Academics still debate the origins of both the list and the ideology behind it. I'm not that interested in the historiography of the seven deadly sins today.
Today, I think I'd just like to make a few random observations.
First, I don't like the word 'sin.' I think 'sin' implies spiritual dirt and an unclean soul. It has negative connotations that I am not sure "God" (insert whatever creator you choose) would actually equate with these actions. It seems to me the seven deadly 'sins' are actually 'vices.' I would even go so far as to say these 'sins' are just a part of the human experience--human nature if you will.
Who never feels proud, jealous, or angry? Who isn't occasionally lazy, greedy, and gluttonous? Who among us isn't lustful? Not me! I'm one guilty lady.
Perhaps that's the reason some early monk chose to write down these particular sins--not because they're 'deadly' and will surely lead to some sort of eternal damnation, but rather because these 'sins' are the most common. These are common place 'vices.'
I would argue that these emotions (and most of these 'sins' are actually emotional responses to outside stimuli) are simply part of the human condition, and may not in themselves even be 'sins.' Hell, they might not even be vices.
My good friend Shelly Picarella helped write a short story anthology called Seven Deadly Sins. I'm sure she spent a lot of time considering the same sorts of things (though admittedly, probably not in quite the same way I considered them) while writing her short story on sloth. I can't wait to check out this book because I'm sure it will be as thought provoking as the mere idea they started with is.
My final thoughts--I embrace my humanness. I am human. I err. Sometimes erring is fun. Sometimes it's even worth it. I'll embrace the 'deadly sins' as part of my inherent nature. I am but human after all ;)
I love this post. I am a proud sinner full of faith. It amazes me how many people A)consider the sins to be a taint that you can never wash off and B)feel as if they have none of their own.
ReplyDeleteThe sins have sparked my interest from a very young age. This collection of short stories has been such an enjoyable experience. Taking seven different authors and seeing how each one processes the sin they have into story form- with a moral- Wow! My mind has been blown. I can not wait for everyone to read this collection.
Thank you for including us in your post. It is an honor.
Thanks for the comment Shelly! I can't wait to read it :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, Jennifer! And, as one of the anthology authors, thank you for writing about the book! I, like Shelley, noticed that all seven of us put a moral to our story, so maybe we should call ourselves the modern Aesops writing sin stories with little lessons! Writing my story with this fun group of writers has been one of the highlights of my life!
ReplyDeletePride (to a point) is a great virtue. Gluttony (or it's seed) pulled mankind through the ice-ages. Lust... well, do some internal elaboration on why that's a fantastic evolutionary trait - it shouldn't be too hard.
ReplyDeleteOnly religion would shed an "evil" light on some of mankind's most deeply ingrained driving forces.
I hate to suggest a book of such deserving ill-cred, but check out Anton LaVey's 1969 book published by Avon; you'll find a very interesting spin on the "Seven Deadly Sins" - a fun read of which I guarantee you'll keep a secret.