Why are the “seven deadly sins” so deadly? You got your gluttony, envy, greed, etc. Those things, while not admirable, will not kill you. I mean, there’s no commandment in the Bible against pigging out. Of course your lust kind of fits in with the neighbor’s wife commandment, but still, what’s the deal with anger?
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They don’t mean deadly in the sense of putting you in physical danger, muttonhead, they mean destructive of your immortal soul. But it’s not hard to imagine scenarios in which gluttony, envy, greed, and so on could get your literal butt in a bight, too. I can think of any number of parties (rap artists, oppressed high school students, past NFL players) who might have benefited from a course in anger management. You raise a good point, though. I mean, how did sloth make the list? In a world of slaughter, fanaticism, and pain we’re worried because somebody is taking too many naps?
To be strictly accurate, the preferred term isn’t seven deadly sins but seven capital vices, which better conveys the thought that the seven aren’t sins in themselves, merely habits or predilections disposing one thereto. This point was made by Saint Gregory the Great in the sixth century AD and later restated by Aquinas. But the term seven deadly sins survives for the obvious reason–it sounds a lot snappier.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Slug Signorino.
