Seven Deadly Sins 101
If your knowledge of the Seven Deadly Sins extends only as far as the 1995 movie “Seven” with Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow, never fear.
Here’s a brief overview based on a tidbits and research from various sources.
According to Bibleinfo.com, the seven deadly sins were first compiled by Pope Gregory I around the year 600. They are pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Perhaps unwilling to leave out any thought of hope, Gregory also compiled a list of the seven virtues: faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude.
They are not written in the Bible as such, but were seen as spiritual markers for people to steer clear from if they wanted to avoid Hell and enter Heaven.
Proverbs 6: 16-19 does list seven things the Lord “hates” but they are not Gregory’s seven deadly sins. Here’s what Proverbs says: “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren.”
You also might be interested to know:
– According to sevendeadlysins.com, a Web site that contains a bunch of insightful information, Pope Gregory actually ranked the sins from the most serious to the least serious. He ranked the sins like this: pride, envy, anger, sadness, avarice, gluttony, and lust. However, medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas did not think the sins could or should be ranked.
– Gregory had “sadness” as one of his original seven deadly sins, but it was changed to “sloth” in the seventeenth century by the Roman Catholic Church.
– According to “The Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft” by Ernst and Johanna Lehner, people once thought that a special punishment in Hell was reserved for folks who committed certain sins.
Those whose sin was pride were to be broken on a wheel. Envy got you placed in freezing water. A problem with anger meant you were dismembered alive. Those guilty of sloth were thrown in snake pits. The greedy were put in cauldrons of boiling oil. Gluttons were forced to eat rats, toads and snakes. The lusty were smothered in – what else? — fire and brimstone.
– Mohandas Gandhi had his own seven deadly sins he considered the most spiritually perilous to humanity. They are: Wealth without Work; Pleasure without Conscience; Science without Humanity; Knowledge without Character; Politics without Principle; Commerce without Morality; and Worship without Sacrifice.
– Over the years some people have suggested that these seven sins are deemed unforgivable by God.
One last thing: The seven deadly sins were discussed extensively during the Middle Ages as clergy sought to save the souls of sinners. Do you think religous leaders should bring them to the forefront today?
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i have been researching the seven deadly sins for awhile for some of my random projects, and have come across many different symbols for the animals. im not sure which ones are exact, could you help me out?