Are the seven deadly sins still relevant?

[angelica009]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

 

[Monk Brendan]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

I know the Seven Deadly Sins, they are still taught by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and I learned it in Catholic Grade School

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

They are mainly relevant only to those who love God and are called according to His Purpose.
Those and everything else in His Word , LIGHT TO SEE BY, in HIM, by GRACE.

 

[Audacious]

I'd say they're as bad as any other sins, but not particularly important except in specific, individual cases.

For example: gluttony and people who have a serious need to make healthy lifestyle changes (including eating less food).

 

[Serving Zion]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

I was 34 years of age when I first learned of the Seven Deadly Sins. I had been raised as Christian and had always had faith (of varying degrees and philosophies throughout that time). As soon as I read the Wikipedia article on Seven Deadly Sins, a light went on for me that brought my mind out of a place of deception. The Christians who had taught me through adolescence were apostates and adulterous, teaching blasphemies to make allowance for their sin (it is happening everywhere now). This led me to really question and uncover the fundamentals of salvation. As soon as I realised how essential this knowledge is, I created a tri-fold brochure "What is Sin?". I firmly believe that the Seven Deadly Sins should be taught in schools, because it is not only a religious issue, it is knowledge of a universal human defect that is the root cause of all human disorder, strife, conflict, immorality .. basically it is what makes the world become hell when it could become paradise instead.

Here, I'll attach the proof copy of the PDF. I normally leave a few of these in church foyers when I visit. (Usually the antichrists remove them promptly because it feeds the flock, but the food is not being dispensed from their hand).

 

[zephcom]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

I didn't learn it in church, school or family. I likely heard about it first just in general conversation.

I think, at best, they are only good for trivia competitions. ("For one hundred dollars, list five of the seven deadly sins")

At least in America, they have never been a part of the national culture. The entire economic system is based on greed. And that system is promoted through the use of the rest of the deadly sins. And that is especially true of lust and pride.

 

[Halbhh]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

The #other# list -- sins God hates -- that list that is actually in the scripture, is useful to us. Proverbs CH 6, v 16-19. We want to learn what matters, really get it, so that we can appreciate God's righteousness better. And so that we can repent as needed, so we are forgiven, if we do any of them, even slightly. All sin we read in 1 John 1, and we must confess to God for his mercy, and not try to remain unrepentant, but instead confess and rely on His forgiveness and mercy.

 

[Nithavela]

Nope, at least not on this board. Nobody cares about anything but lust, anymore. You'll have to search long and wide to find a christian on here condemning glutony or wrath, and pride is rampant.

 

[samir]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

I am interested in the seven deadly sins and I'd like to know what everyone thinks, and where you learnt it from.

The congregations I attended (all non-denominational "evangelical"/Protestant) taught that believers would go to heaven regardless of how much they sinned which means they taught that there weren't any deadly sins with the only possible exception being unbelief.

 

[Zed Aliz Zed]

"there are seven deadly sins of man Lust, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath, and Pride. Of course, excessive want will destroy anyone, but those same desires are necessary to understand what it means to be human" - Van Hohenheim

Yes, I would say they are still quite important. they are key components to Humanity. they are not evil, however. just as happiness and sadness and anger and love are not evil. they are desire's a deep aspect that governs emotion.

it's sort of ironic though. if you strip away all seven you end up getting something very similar to how angels are depicted and stated. it's a bit terrifying. and if you completely bathe a person in excess of either one or seven. you get something that appears to be a demon.

though ironically. you can get "Evil" from either path. those without the seven are almost holy yes but are also alien. its like staring into the eyes of a robot that looks human in every way but there is just something off.

and if you look at something with an excess of all seven, you see madness. insanity. something animalistic. and... too Human...

 

[DogmaHunter]

I find it curious how god himself, in the bible, seems to be guilty of these sins at times.

 

[Zed Aliz Zed]

I find it curious how god himself, in the bible, seems to be guilty of these sins at times.

its because the seven deadly sins were thought up by a monk and only applied to monks and were the 8 deadly temptations that will send a man to hell. but the pope can't remember which one found them a couple years or later and narrowed the list down to 7 as he believed 7 a holy number so there would have to be an equally unholy number.

the reason why the Abrahamic God in the old testament is shown to commit these is that the idea of them did not exist at the time. the only sin back then was disobeying God. that's it.
but due to the Catholic church which is responsible for the mass creation distribution of the bible along with deciding what gospels go where what is canon and not. a lot of things Christians consider canon is not.

an example would be Hell. which is an idea stolen from the Norse who worship the Goddess Hel who rules over Helhiem. the old testament has Sheol which is a place all dead go. it's not good or bad. and heaven is only reserved for the angels and God. hints why the definition of Heaven is where God resides. but due to changing idea's at the time the idea of Hell and the reformation of Heaven came about and you got the punishment and reward system the Catholic church. and in turn Christianity itself. loves

 

[Halbhh]

its because the seven deadly sins were thought up by a monk and only applied to monks and were the 8 deadly temptations that will send a man to hell. but the pope can't remember which one found them a couple years or later and narrowed the list down to 7 as he believed 7 a holy number so there would have to be an equally unholy number.

the reason why the Abrahamic God in the old testament is shown to commit these is that the idea of them did not exist at the time. the only sin back then was disobeying God. that's it.
but due to the Catholic church which is responsible for the mass creation distribution of the bible along with deciding what gospels go where what is canon and not. a lot of things Christians consider canon is not.

an example would be Hell. which is an idea stolen from the Norse who worship the Goddess Hel who rules over Helhiem. the old testament has Sheol which is a place all dead go. it's not good or bad. and heaven is only reserved for the angels and God. hints why the definition of Heaven is where God resides. but due to changing idea's at the time the idea of Hell and the reformation of Heaven came about and you got the punishment and reward system the Catholic church. and in turn Christianity itself. loves

It is interesting and...even helpful really, to see the actual list of sins God "hates" (yes, hates, no less!), the list that is actually in scripture, instead of only made up somewhere later as you pointed to in that other case.

16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.


Interesting isn't it!? We all hate these, because they are especially damaging and cruel. Anyone that has suffered being smeared or lied about knows how vicious and wrong such can be.

Scripture is like that -- over and over it is better than we expect, and not like we've been told. This isn't even the best example, but just one of hundreds of ok examples.

The really different and unexpected and deep stuff is in the four gospels. In the words of Christ, amazingly new over and over.

And to a lesser extent at times in the epistles, like 1 cor 13 (or another is the the epistle of 1 John).

 

[Zed Aliz Zed]

It is interesting and...even helpful really, to see the actual list of sins God "hates" (yes, hates, no less!), the list that is actually in scripture, instead of only made up somewhere later as you pointed to in that other case.

16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.


Interesting isn't it!? We all hate these, because they are especially damaging and cruel.

Scripture is like that -- over and over it is far better than we expect, and not like we've been told. This isn't even the best example, but just one of hundreds of ok examples. The really different and unexpected and deep stuff is in the four gospels. In the words of Christ, amazingly new over and over, for us.

And to a lesser extent at times in the epistles, like 1 cor 13 (or another is the the epistle of 1 John).

ironic though. the gospels in the new testament are the only the ones the Catholics picked, in the Vatican, there is an entire library of "heathen scriptures" many of which are far older than the new testament and contradict it completely. the oldest bible found bible around the time of Jesus told the story of Jesus but left out the crucifixion

 

[jayem]

The most literate depiction of the 7 deadly sins is in Christopher Marlowe's play, Doctor Faustus. In one scene, Faustus renounces heaven and God. Lucifer rewards him with entertainment. In which the Seven Deadly sins appear, and tell their stories. It's actually a comic interlude. Especially, Faustus's conversation with Gluttony:

Faust. Away, envious rascal! What art thou—the fifth?

Glut. Who, I, sir? I am Gluttony. My parents are all dead, and the devil a penny they have left me, but a bare pension, and that is thirty meals a day and ten bevers —a small trifle to suffice nature. O, I come of a royal parentage! My grandfather was a Gammon of Bacon, my grandmother a Hogshead of Claret-wine; my godfathers were these, Peter Pickleherring, and Martin Martlemas-beef. O, but my godmother, she was a jolly gentlewoman, and well beloved in every good town and city; her name was Mistress Margery Marchbeer. Now, Faustus, thou hast heard all my progeny, wilt thou bid me to supper?

Faust. No, I’ll see thee hanged: thou wilt eat up all my victuals.

Glut. Then the Devil choke thee!

Faust. Choke thyself, glutton!

Gluttony is typically played by an actor in an enormous fat suit, and carrying a huge, partially eaten turkey leg. An annotated version will explain some of the 16th century food references, but it's still pretty funny. Those Shakespearians could be a witty bunch.

The entire scene is here.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Scripture is like that -- over and over it is better than we expect, and not like we've been told.

That is amazing, isn't it? I couldn't begin to remember all the people I've known who, upon actually reading the Bible, discovered much of what they thought they knew was wrong.

 

[Cearbhall]

I learned them at some point in my Catholic school theology classes. I can't remember all seven now, though. I think that building critical thinking skills is much more important to morality than memorizing lists.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The seven deadly sins are basically the antithesis to the seven heavenly virtues, evolved from Christian reflection on the four cardinal virtues of Greek philosophical thought, and the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and love). So, for example, the Christian is to be humble, the antithesis of humility is hubris, vanity, and/or arrogance--pride.

I think that as a teaching tool for self-examination this is helpful. But to what end they are formally taught probably depends. They are certainly a major part of Catholic moral teaching. They may be treated perhaps more informally in other traditions, if at all.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Divide]

I think the seven deadly sins are a lie.

That would imply that many sins...are not deadly, hence ok? LIE.

My study of scripture teaches me, that God sees all sin the same. All sin leads to death.

So if you want to study seven deadly sins, go ahead and little white lies to the list.

God said if we're guilty of one, we're guilty of all.

 

[Radagast]

Everyone knows about the seven deadly sins, but is it still taught today? In schools, churches or families? Is this knowledge still passed around, or do people only bring it up to use in pop culture?

The writer Dorothy Sayers gave a great speech on the Seven Deadly Sins in 1941. I believe it's reprinted in one of her books.

She also points out that the Seven Deadly Sins would be better named the "Seven Roots of Sinfulness," in that they are more about motivations for sinful actions, rather than about the sinful actions themselves.