The Seven Deadly Sins-The Seven Deadly Sins-Defining the Moral Compass Defining the Moral Compass

of the Worldof the World

• Although Saint Thomas of Aquinas (Catholic scholar who believed in both faith and reason/logic) is usually given credit for these ideas, much of what he perceived originally came from the Greeks.

• A "sin" in the context of Thomas of Aquinas, can be defined as "something human beings do which causes them to be unreasonable and unhappy."

• Another way to define "sin" is "self-destructive behavior that one performs because he/she has never truly educated him/herself as to the passions which may drive and control him/her.”

Self-Destructive Behaviors

Pope Gregory the Great•  According to many historians,

Pope Gregory the GreatPope Gregory the Great revived the idea of "The Seven Deadly Sins" in the sixth century.

• He listed the spiritual offenses with PridePride being the first.

• Historians explained that pride is the first and gravest of the seven because it can lead to the other six.

• The seven deadly sins are usually committed against one's self and can destroy a person‘s spiritual health.

Capital Vices During the 13th century, the

Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church incorporated these sins into its teaching.

The church called them "capital vices" that can lead to sin.

Literature such as Geoffrey Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"Tales" and various paintings have illustrated the seven deadly sins.

1.1.PRIDE/HUBRISPRIDE/HUBRIS(a desire to be important or attractive to others)

• A person thinks he/she already "knows it all""knows it all" and "has it all"."has it all".

• "Pride""Pride" is a "sin" when it is in excess because it prevents one from growing and evolving, and from accepting oneself and others fairly and realistically.

Four Kinds of Pride

1. Thinking that one’s good is from oneself

2. Thinking that one’s good is from God, but is owed to one as a reward- “I really deserve this.”

3. Claiming excellence not possessed

4. Despising others and wishing to seem the exclusive possessor of what one has

Where can we see pride in human behavior?

• always wanting to get one’s way • thinking that what one does or says is better than what others do

or say• arguing when one is not right or arguing when one is right but

with bad manners or insisting stubbornly• giving one’s opinion without being asked• despising the point of view of others• making excuses when rebuked• being hurt that others are held in greater esteem than oneself• refusing to carry out menial tasks• seeking or wanting to be singled out• dropping words of self-praise in conversation, or words that might

show one’s wit or skill, or one’s professional prestige• being ashamed of not having certain possessions

VanityVanity-a sin that falls under the category of PRIDE…

the Narcissus myththe Narcissus myth

• In Greek mythology, Narcissus was an extremely extremely beautiful young manbeautiful young man.

• He was obsessed with obsessed with his own beautyhis own beauty.

• When he saw his face in the water, he fell in love with ithe fell in love with it and could not stop looking at the reflection.

• He gradually turned into a flower, now commonly known as Narcissus.

VanityVanity: the Narcissus myththe Narcissus myth

• In another version of the myth, Narcissus drownsdrowns after trying to kiss his own reflection.

• NarcissismNarcissism is a term meaning “excessive self love.”

2. GREED/AVARICE2. GREED/AVARICE (a desire to possess more than one has need or use for.)

• One allows material itemsmaterial items control his/her sense of contentment.

• People under the influence of greed want more and more and are never are never satisfiedsatisfied.

3. ENVY. ENVY

• Those suffering from envy wish they were someone else because of the qualities and/or possessions a person has.

• Envy resents the good others receive or even might receive.

• Envy is almost indistinguishable from pride at times.

• Envious people betray themselves – instead of honoring what they do have, they dishonor the gift of life they were given by being dissatisfied with it.

(resentment of others for their possessions, competitiveness.)

The medieval philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas said that those guilty of the sin of envy take "pleasure at another's misfortune." Italian writer Dante characterized the envious as "sinners [who] have their eyes sewn shut because they enjoyed watching others brought

low." The sin of envy has led to murder, revolution and even the fall of empires.

4. WRATHWRATH

• One becomes angry at One becomes angry at someone or something to the someone or something to the point that one loses control point that one loses control over actions and words.over actions and words.

• rage, fury, ire, wrath, resentment, indignation, offense, rant, temper, seethe, livid, annoyance, antagonism, rile…

(Uncontrollable feelings of resentment, revenge or even denial)

“Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding.” --Mahatma Gandhi

5. Lust 5. Lust • Lust-Lust- seeking sex for impulsive pleasure; seeking sex for impulsive pleasure;

overindulgence in sexoverindulgence in sex

• Sufferers of lust may have a strong sexual attraction towards a person and can't get him/her out of their minds.

• They are "miserable" because they don't have "him" or "her" and this lustful feeling does not change the reality that the sufferers cannot have the person they desire.)

6.6. GLUTTONYGLUTTONY• (eating for pleasure;

overindulgence in food, drink or intoxicants.)

• Instead of being satisfied with what one has, he/she wants more, more, more.

• The chief error about Gluttony is to think it only pertains to food. Some people can't have enough toys, television, entertainment, sex, or company.

• It is about an excess of anything.

GLUTTONYAs early as the 4th century those of Christian faith believed that eating too much could send you to Hell. During the Dark Ages theologians believed there were seven ways to commit the sin of gluttony, from "eating too much" to "eating too daintily." Crusaders fought against the sin with religious fasts to Prohibition.

7. SLOTH7. SLOTH(laziness or idleness)

• Slothful people occasionally do something, but they only do it haphazardly -- only enough to get it done.

• Instead of giving life their best, they give much less than their best.

SLOTHSimply put, the sin of sloth is the sin of the lazy. Some scientists suggest that the sin of sloth may actually be a medieval diagnosis of clinical depression. The historical cures for the sin of sloth range from ancient Greek doctors who fought it with herbs, to medieval monks who prescribed prayer and fasting.

Seven Deadly SinsSeven Deadly Sins

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