Blaming others instead of yourself has always been a popular strategy.
The Vatican recently chose this route by announcing a second round of Seven Deadly Sins.
The majority of the new sins aren’t committed by individuals, but by corporations and governments. The Deadly Sins for the 21st Century are genetic modification, experimentation on humans, polluting the environment, causing social injustice, causing poverty, being obscenely wealthy and doing drugs.
Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti made the announcement in March. I bet Preacher Bob was delighted that drug use was added, but I’d like to see his dismay about fornication and masturbation being left out. It’s noteworthy that fornication was a deadly sin according to Evagrius Ponticus, an Egyptian monk in the 4th Century A.D.
Think carefully about the last time you genetically modified something. Exactly — you didn’t!
At least the previous Deadly Sins focused on things that individuals could control. In case you haven’t read Dante’s Inferno lately, it’s good to remember that the capital vices created by Pope Gregory I (and based on Ponticus’ list) are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride.
I can’t comment on the drug use of other students, but I’m with the Pope on making pollution a deadly sin. Shame on you for littering Library Lawn!
He forgot to mention reducing your carbon footprint and conserving resources. There are a lot of things we can do.
So, I offer you several ways to save your mortal soul. It’s nice out right now, so consider walking to class. When you go out to eat, ask for a real glass instead of accepting a Styrofoam or plastic cup.
You can also turn off lights, wash your face with warm water instead of hot and use your air conditioner and heater less.
My roommates can attest to my stinginess because I sit in my dark room and make them use extra blankets. You can save money and help the environment!
Instead of focusing on the negative, the Vatican should have offered Seven Holy Virtues for modern times. Let’s hear it for Catholics. I approve of the Contrary Virtues.
They are incredibly necessary for several reasons. Temperance is key to being healthy and happy. Too much wine and money are good for no one. Charity is needed to help improve the world. Diligence and Patience go hand in hand. Our society is being reduced to people who don’t work hard, feel entitled to things and want instant gratification.
The next virtue, Kindness, is especially important. It’s vital to the emotional wellbeing of every creature on the planet. Humility, is also necessary since so many people are becoming arrogant.
Being the opposite of these virtues holds back progress. As far as Chastity goes, I feel that it can be thrown out and replaced with a more important virtue: Tolerance. This is needed to repair the world and will fix most existing problems.
Because we can only control our selves, the new sins probably won’t be remedied. In the mean time I’m going to sit back and hope that the next David Fincher film based on Catholic doctrine will be as entertaining as “Se7en.”
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I think that Ms. Daitch is hitting at a straw man. Looking into the matter a bit, you will see that the Vatican has issued no “list of new mortal sins”, rather, the Cardinal merely stated that sins today have a certain social dimension really unknown before the modern times.
Does the virtue of “tolerance” include tolerance of faithful Catholics who refuse to relativize morality?
yes, this is the most over-played-out un-story that I think I have ever seen sweep the blogiverse and I wish people would just stop it. you (bloggers) aren’t commenting on anything the Vatican or the pope supposedly did, you’re taking each other’s fantasy stories and then running with those.
stop taking trash yellow press for gospel. how these bloggers can condescend to the Church for its “being out of touch” when they themselves cant even begin to get a grip on what they are themselves commenting on is wildly beyond me. oy vey!