Can't You Read The Sign?

In line with yesterday's blog about the most sinful cities in America, I thought I'd discuss the 7 deadly sins again. But, for today, a different set of sins. In case didn't hear, the Vatican announced in L'Osservatore Romano ("The Roman Observer" is the official Vatican newspaper) new and updated deadly sins earlier this spring.

Here are the original seven deadly sins:

• Pride
• Envy
• Gluttony
• Lust
• Anger
• Greed
• Sloth

The new seven are as follows:

• Pedophilia
  
• Abortion
• Ruining the environment
• Carrying out morally debatable scientific experiments
• Allowing genetic manipulations which alter DNA or compromise embryos
• Dealing or taking drugs
• Social injustice that causes poverty or the excessive accumulation of wealth by a few

Now we have 14 deadly sins and I can't help but wonder...why the need for "deadly" sins at all? Is not all sin deadly? Perhaps people need to have a handy little check list to look over when the day is done--Nope! Didn't ruin the environment today. Whew! People are inherently sinful and I am of the opinion that those concerned with sinning know full well when they are sinning; they don't need a list to tell them.

These specific 14 sins should not be elevated as "worse" than all the other possible sins. Of course, it would be impossible to make a list of every possible sin because people are in disagreement of whether or not something is a sin. There are those out there that think that dancing is a sin. (Go ahead, google "dancing is a sin" and you'll come up with advice articles and forums discussing whether or not this pastime and it's possible consequences.) Clearly, this is one example with which I would whole heartedly disagree. By having listing out particular sins, people may be tempted to think something like "Okay, well, I didn't do anything that's on that list and I didn't break any of the commandments...I'm good!" and turn living for Christ into a long list of "do this, don't to that."

That is not what this life is about.

In my search for more information about these new sins, I did find this humorous list on 23/6 (Some of the news, most of the time):

MORTAL (DEADLY) SINS

• Updating your blog too much
• Assuming anything Sherri Shepherd says is true
• Using capital letters in personal email correspondence
• Farting in car full of passengers, then locking the windows (silent but deadly sin)
• Men's capris
• iPhone worship
• Calling a presidential candidate a "monster"

VENIAL (MINOR) SINS

• Ingesting tiny amounts of pharmaceuticals via municipal water supply
• Finding Christopher Hitchens insufferable
• Not updating your blog enough
• Being kind of excited about the "Sex and the City" movie
• Rolling your eyes at people who own the "I AM NOT A PLASTIC BAG" tote
• Being Diablo Cody
• Using "Wikipedia" or "YouTube" as a verb

STILL NOT SURE

• Buying stuff from J. Crew online, wearing it once, then returning it
• "Rock of Love"
• Talking on cell phones in restaurants
• Dating Adrian Grenier