the seven deadly sins

okay, so here's something i was thinking about. the seven deadly sins and how they relate to our society...

sloth -- a mild sin. frowned upon, but certainly not illegal. we have a safety net to catch the really slothy among us.

lust -- a conflicted sin. lots of laws that outlaw certain sex acts, and a serious effort to sell the rest of them.

wrath -- we're sorta neutral here. society steps in and deals with people that do wrong. our system of justice is reasonably fair, tho at heart it is punishment.

pride -- somewhat of a virtue. america rewards those that sell themselves well and believe in themselve. celebrities wouldn't exist without pride and we wouldn't knock them down if we didn't think they were too proud.

greed -- this is the prime american virtue. the country runs on greed. everyone is encouraged to do their best and accumulate as much as possible.

envy -- another virtue of america. you are rewarded for seeing what you want and trying to attain it.

gluttony -- yet another virtue. our country is all about consumption. when we were attacked on 9/11 our president asked us to keep buying things.


any comments?

 

Ironic, eh? You know, being a religious country and all.

 

that's why i started thinking about this. of course, this is my take on it. others may differ with how these sins are viewed by the country.

do you think i am accurate in my categorizations?

 

lust? our president got a BJ in his office.

wrath? look at the reaction to 9/11.

this is a disturbing thread already.

 

Pretty much. The ones I quoted though? Yeah, dead on. They bug me a lot.

Try and get a right leaning Christian fundamentalist to explain how they reconcile trickle down economics with religion's warnings about worshipping money. That's really fun. It was my favorite thing to do back in college. Eventually smoke comes out the ears and arms fly like the robot in Lost in Space.

Greed is what pumps the economy. Damn shame everyone is going to hell for it.

 

but he got taken down for it. i think lust is the only real sin left, honestly.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that.

 

actually, that was adultery.

lust is just a strong sexual desire.

and that's in EVERY FREAKING ADVERTISMENT.

and the porn industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.

 

if you switch the sins around and examine their inverse, what does it tell us?

industry (-slot) -- that is absolutely a virtue of america.

chastity (-lust). this is generally reserved for the most pious among us.

forgiveness (-wrath). not exactly running rampant in our society.

humility (-pride). occasionally carries the day, but generally the sqeaky wheel gets the grease. but if you're truly humble, it doesn't matter.

charity (-greed). we are the most charitable nation on the planet, so it's an interesting dichotomy.


(these two are difficult to find real antonyms for, but i think these are close
satisfaction (-envy). interestingly, self-satisfaction is another word for pride. if you're happy with what you have, then you're not living the american dream, it seems to me.

reserve (-gluttony). this sense seems to come and go. these days, it's definitely gone and gluttony rules.

 

sloth -- a mild sin. frowned upon, but certainly not illegal. we have a safety net to catch the really slothy among us.

Not illegal, but one could argue the elite would consider it a "sin". Most vacation packages feature workout facilities. I don't see leisure and/or relaxation really embraced in mainstream media anymore.


lust -- a conflicted sin. lots of laws that outlaw certain sex acts, and a serious effort to sell the rest of them.

"Conflicted" isn't a bad word, but "hypocritical" would be a better one. The whole country railed in moral outrage against President Clinton, when a good percentage of men (and women) in this country have done the same. Laws restricting sex acts are considered antiquated and prudish at best. Sex is being used to sell just about anything and everything, and no one is apologizing for it. The use of porn by men is now an accepted and normal rite of passage from the early teens on with zero shame, and now women are using it too.


wrath -- we're sorta neutral here. society steps in and deals with people that do wrong. our system of justice is reasonably fair, tho at heart it is punishment.

Sort of agree with you here. Getting pissed off is celebrated in this country, as long as it stays within the boundaries.


pride -- somewhat of a virtue. america rewards those that sell themselves well and believe in themselve. celebrities wouldn't exist without pride and we wouldn't knock them down if we didn't think they were too proud.

Somewhat of a virtue?? Pride is what America is all about. Independence. Strength. Power. Possession. Pride is celebrated on every level.


greed -- this is the prime american virtue. the country runs on greed. everyone is encouraged to do their best and accumulate as much as possible.

Agreed, wholeheartedly. Capitalism does not work without it. Period.


envy -- another virtue of america. you are rewarded for seeing what you want and trying to attain it.

I don't know if I'd say "rewarded for" as much as "manipulated by".


gluttony -- yet another virtue. our country is all about consumption. when we were attacked on 9/11 our president asked us to keep buying things.

Hmm. I was thinking food here, but sure, we could broaden that to sheer indulgence. You said it best -- our society is all about consumption, and immediate gratification -- whatever it takes.

Good thread, Nut.

 

We are no longer a religious country. At least not full-time anyway.