The Deadly Sins as we know them
today actually began as a set of eight temptations described by the fourth century monk, Evagrius Ponticus. He suggested that those temptations served
to alienate one from God; to block one's soul from the spirit of God; indeed,
to kill the soul of its spirituality.
It was not until the sixth century that Pope Gregory the Great reduced
the list to seven temptations, and declared those temptations to be what we now
know as the Seven Deadly Sins. The
Seven Deadly Sins include Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and
Pride. Interestingly, that list of sins
does not appear anywhere in the Bible, but has been an integral part of the
Catholic (and Christian) thought ever since.
To understand why the sins are important, consider the time in which they
were promulgated. In the days
surrounding the creation of this list, life was very different from what we
know today. Eking out a living was
harsh, taxes were high, and food was generally scarce. Paradoxically, the population had been aware
of the Roman excesses in their orgies of food and sex. The Catholic Church held enormous power over
the population, and adhering to its rules was paramount. Any infringement from its teachings was met
with severe punishment, sometimes to the death. Any behavior that potentially alienated a person from the worship
of God was forbidden. Any threat to
one's spirituality was condemned.
Spirituality meant one's closeness and devotion to God. Such devotion took various forms in the days
after Christ. Suffice it to say that
prayer was integral, as well as performing good deeds and giving alms to the
poor. Engaging in any of the sins
could potentially detract from a full
and abject prostration of oneself to God.
Those temptations would be antithetical to worship, devotion and
sacrifice. And the sin of Gluttony was
high on that list.
The Romans' orgies were looked at as debauchery of the body. Indeed, gluttony was considered deadly to
the body as well as the soul.
Over-stuffing oneself with food created a fog of the mind, thereby
alienating one from ascetic prayer.
With too much food, one would rather sleep rather than pray. Such consequences to overeating are not confined to Roman times, but are alive and well in today's lifestyle. This time of year, the mere thought of controlling our appetites seems antithetical to sanity. And yet, consider that gluttony in our day and age is not confined to the holiday season, but is, in fact, a year-round contest among restaurants. Despite the irony of enormous quantities of available food, we persist in eating as if there is scarcity. And we are paying a very high price for our gluttony. Our health care system has certainly seen its share of gluttony-related diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other "deadly" maladies. Surely, one can recognize the association with the so-called temptations and sins of yore. Those who pray regularly may well realize that gluttony is one factor that can alienate one from communion with the Almighty.
The Seven Deadly Sins are not an antiquated set of irrelevant tenets from the past. They are alive and well, and are worthy of respect, if not adherence.
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