The 14th century church divides sin into two types:
- Venial - forgiven through the sacrament of Confession.
- Capital - meriting damnation.
Seven deadly sins. To make it sound more melodramatic, Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins.
- Lust (Latin, luxiria) - Depraved thought, unwholesome morality, desire for excitement, or need to be accepted or recognized by others
- Gluttony (Latin, gula) - Thoughtless waste of everything, overindulgence, misplaced sensuality, uncleanliness, and maliciously depriving others. Marked by refusal to share and unreasonable consumption of more than is necessary, especially in the case of food or water
- Greed (Latin, avaritia) - A strong desire to gain, especially in money or power. Disloyalty, deliberate betrayal, or treason, especially for personal gain or when compensated. Scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects.
- Sloth (Latin, acedia) - Apathy, idleness, and wastefulness of time. Laziness is particularly condemned because others must work harder to make up for it. Cowardice or irresponsibility. Abandomment.
- Wrath (Latin, ira) - Inappropriate [unrighteous] feelings of hatred and anger. Denial of the truth to others or self. Impatience with the law, or seeking revenge outside of justice. Unnecessary vigilanteism.
- Envy (Latin, invidia) - Grieving spite and resentment of material objects, accomplishments, or character traits of others, or wishing others to fail or come to harm.
- Pride (Latin, superbia) - Pride is known as the father of all sins. Pride is a desire to be more important or attractive to others, failing to give credit due to others, or excessive love of self.
Since i took the trouble of digging up the seven sins, i thought i might as well go the distance and dig up the seven virtues as well.
The Seven Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia ('Contest of the Soul'), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. 410) entailing the battle of good virtues and evil vices. The intense popularity of this work in the Middle Ages helped to spread the concept of Holy Virtue throughout Europe. Practicing these virtues is alleged to protect one against temptation from the Seven Deadly Sins, with each one having its counterpart.
The virtues ranked in ascending order of sanctity:
- Chastity (Latin, virtus) - opposes lust. Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment.
- Abstinence (Latin, frenum) - opposes gluttony. Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
- Diligence (Latin, industria) - opposes sloth. A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic.
- Liberalty (Latin, liberalitas) - opposes greed. Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
- Patience (Latin, patientia) - opposes wrath. Forebearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence.
- Kindness (Latin, humanitas) - opposes envy. Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice.
- Humility (Latin, humilitas) - opposes pride. Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect.
Restraint is the keystone of the seven holy virtues. The other holy virtues are created through selfless pursuits:
Valour — Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
Generosity — Pursuit of Will
Diligence — Pursuit of Ethics
Patience — Pursuit of Peace
Kindness — Pursuit of Charity
Humility — Pursuit of Modesty
Several of these virtues interlink, and various attempts at causal hierarchy have been made. For example, restraint is implied in patience, as well as humility and most of the others. Each sin is a particular way of applying heroic attributes.
Prudentius probably wrote about seven virtues only because St. Gregory came up with the seven sins. This is very much in keeping with the concept of duality.
Its amazing. The complex nature of the schema that was developed in cross referencing each of these attributes.
Why did i type all that ?? 'Cos i got curious. Where does the concept of God fit into any of the above mentioned ??
I believe God is a notion. God is the quintessential human being that our forefathers made out to be. God is an icon that we should aspire to be. Faith is a social norm. The constant propagation of faith has made it conventional wisdom. With time, the true purpose of its creation has been forgotten and has been replaced with malicious undertones.
One should not blindly have faith. One should understand and then believe.
11 comments:
hi...my daughter wld probly agree with u :)
maya,
its always a nice feeling to know that you are not alone :)
Hi Sowji ,
I just had a debate on this topic with a few atheistic Europeans and believe me ,Europe is the heartland of atheists . Finally ,many gave up because they could not answer the questions put up and some even got so frustrated that they resorted to swearing.
Okay ,it is always easy to say God does not exist and it also sounds cool for many . Intellectuals are supposed to be the people who think on these lines .However ,while most of what you said made interesting reading ,I got to tell you that your argument falls flat if you are unable to answer questions .
What is the main argument for atheists ? That the world came into existence by the big bang and species evolved through evolution .Interesting !
However ,do you know that the big bang is what formed hydrogen ,iron and plasma ? It is true but my question is where did the initial matter come from for the big bang to take place ? Of course ,if one thinks like this ; you can ask how did God come into existence .True but if you believe in God ,this is something beyond us .
I will tell you why I believe in God .
1.) No one has been able to explain how the initial matter came into existence. ( Many scientists said that living matter came from non living matter ) .However, till date scientists have not been able to create the simplest form of life in a lab .It was said to be created at random . However, even with non random events ,nothing has been created .More literature on this can be provided by me if required
2.) Personal experiences ( What people call miracles ) Can elaborate on this if required depending on your response
If one can explain to me ,how this world came into being, your arguments would seem more reasonable .The truth is that no one has been able to explain anything and just saying God does not exist with no proof is pretty preposterous. ( no offense please )
One more thing; I too have thought about this .Why doesn’t God heal amputees and why are children born into this world with AIDS ? The truth is that I have no answer as yet that might convince you .
You say that one should not have blind faith .Well ,mate ,at times ,blind faith is all one can have because even if there is a God ,you do not see him .
One cannot prove belief. You can only experience it . It is like an orgasm. You do not see it but you experience it
I welcome your thoughts on this
Adios for now
Matt
Matt,
You are fundamentally flawed in your understanding of what I think.
I have news for you. I am NOT an atheist. The word you should be looking for is agnostic. My exact words, as present in my original post, are "I believe God is a notion".
I have faith my friend. I have faith in myself, my abilities, my fellow man, his abilities and most of all, in the potential achievements that can result from our collective effort.
I believe what I understand. The rest I speculate,I question, NOT deny.
If god, as an independent entity, does exist I am sure that the human intellect will one day evolve to recognise and ultimately acknowledge the same.
I refuse to be drawn into an argument between science and religion. The best of minds have not reached a conclusion. It would be arrogant of me to assume that I can.
If the existence of the material universe is your only stand for the existence of god, then I am sorry to say your stand is very poorly endowed. Other points like the kids with AIDS etc are of absolutely no relevance to the discussion at hand. You cannot question god if you think there is no such thing. Our bodies are machines and machines break down. Sometimes when we are old, sometimes before we are born.
If enough people have faith in the same thing, it does not make it a fact. There is a difference between fact and statement.
Everybody knew the earth was the centre of the solar system until they were proven wrong.
Everybody knew the earth was flat until they were proven wrong.
Everything can, will and should be questioned. It shows progressive thinking. What you have just displayed is conventinal thinking.
I made a statement with my blog and you made a statement with your comment. I am open to the thought that I may be wrong and god may be everything that he is made out to be. Are you open to the chance that your belief may be misplaced ?
Like you said, there are many unanswered questions. Until we find an answer, we are both right. Even after we find an answer, neither you nor I would be wrong. We would only be less right.
I experience the ability of the human mind everyday. It has taken time and it has taken effort in evolving. You dont think I will have an orgasm now and experience it that very instant. You work towards it. There is effort involved.
Faith is everything. I have mine in something more tangible - the ability of the human mind. You have yours in something more abstract - god.
I am starting to think they are one and the same. As somebody once said, God only helps those who help themselves. I wonder why. Do you ?
I'm open for more discussion on this if you choose. If you are looking for an argument, I'm sure you can someone juvenile enough to indulge you. Arguments are vulgar and often convinving.
I choose not to continue discussion on this topic in this forum. If you have more to say, you can find me at sowjiv@yahoo.com
I did not say you were an atheist. You assumed that I said that .I just said that I had a debate on this topic with atheists. You might be agnostic .According to you ,no one has proven beyond doubt God’s existence.
There is no need to get yourself involved in an argument between faith and science . Both are two different things . However, I just tried to tell you what I believe . You keep telling me that my stand is poorly endowed just because I think God exists only because of the existence of a material universe .Why is that ? You stated that my reasoning is wrong which means you are being judgmental .Well ,I have no problem with that but you have never implied why I am wrong . If we knew we created the world and we could create life ,there would be no reason for us to believe in God . Period.
It surprises me when you tell me that the fact that kids are born with AIDS et al hold no relevance .It does because if God is the loving God he is made out to be ,why doesn’t he stop this . It seems like you have some valid points at times but at times ,you are probably trying hard to come across as an intellectual by taking detours ( by stating things that are actually quite irrelevant ,for example ,machines breaking down before people are born ;Kids are not born with AIDS just like that .It is transmitted to them from their mothers and my question is why does God allow this to happen if he exists ) .However, you really may be an intellectual.
A lot of people talk about people believing the world was flat until they were proven wrong .All agreed but till date no one has been able to prove God does not exist or tell anyone how the world came into being from scratch .Hasn’t it been too long ,my friend ? How much more do we have to wait till someone can prove that God does not exist ?
The orgasm thing was only stated as an example . I do not see why you stated that you need to work for it .In this world ,you have to work for almost everything .You certainly need to help yourself .You can’t expect to sit on your posterior and believe everything will be delivered to you on a platter.
I am also open for discussion and thought this forum was for that .I do not think mailing you is a nice way to go about it .I am not here to win and neither are you ( I think ) .I like making friends and actually very social but if you are interested ,we can talk about this on this forum or else ,we can put an end to this discussion
Take care
correction *
that kids are born with AIDS et al holds no relevance .
The day one can prove that the world ,you and me were created by something else other than a super being ,then ,your statements will make more sense .
You are an agnostic .Agreed but don't you think what created such complex human beings ? Just take a look at our nervous system .Denying God's existence is easy but I think saying God probably does not exist just because you have no proof is a bit stolid given the fact that no one has come even close to explaining how we all came into being from scratch ?
Matt,
Aah, thats right. You didn't call me an atheist.
Faith and science are competing for the same prize - an explanation for our existence. They will cross paths at some point or another.
I do not think about who created human beings. Man was not created the way he is now. The answer is evolution.
If I am not mistaken you state god exists because natural sciences has failed to explain the existence of the universe. I say natural sciences is not done yet. You are not wrong, just not well supported. If I am being judgemental, you are being dismissive.
"Patience is the companion of wisdom" - St. Augustine. The other side being, more patient you are the more you will learn.
Children with AIDS is irrelevant. We have learnt how to prevent AIDS from spreading. Hopefully sometime in the near future we will know how to cure it. Ideas and cures have incubation periods. We certainly know how to have an abortion. Choices have been made. Bad one's. That is probably why we have kids with AIDS.
If I am trying to be an intellectual you are trying hard to prove I am not one.
You have a question and you have multiple theories competing to answer that question. The best way to get to the right answer is by exclusion. That is empirically proven might I add.
God and natural sciences are two of the theories. I think its premature to rule out either of them.
You dont expect our understanding of geography and our understanding of life to evolve along similar time lines.
I will give science the benefit of time.
And yes, we can keep this discussion in this forum.
Better sense prevailed and you agreed to discuss on your forum .Thanks
Of course ,I think evolution might have actually happened and is still happening .But ,you got lost somewhere .I agree that the big bang might have happened too . However, my question is still the same .How did all this begin ? If evolution had to take place, how did the primordial life form come into existence ? There are far too many gaps in the explanation of the creation of life that many scientists have accepted it . I know it sounds easy to say God exists when you do not have an answer but I think saying he exists given the complexity of the world is more reasonable than saying he does not exist just because one expects another answer .You are saying it is just a matter of time .It took some time for people to prove the world was round .It has been ages since man has been trying to create life in a lab or has been trying to prove God does not exist .When ,my friend ,when ?
Just because people were proven wrong when it was found that the world was round does not mean that believers will be proven wrong . Thanks for accepting I am not wrong regarding why I believe God exists . I am not being dismissive because I never indicated that all your thoughts were wrong.
Children with AIDS is not irrelevant in this context .It is one major argument for people who say God does not exist and that is why I raised the point. I tried excluding many theories but one question still remains .How did it all begin ?Give me an answer if you can . Yes ,we can give science the benefit of time but have you ever pondered ? What if you are wrong and what if God exists ?
Just by taking a look at the human body ,you can imagine how complex our systems are . You think all this could just come into being randomly ? Highly unlikely . Did you not read what I said about random and non random events ? Many atheists say that life was created randomly .Scientists have miserably failed to even create life non randomly .
I am not trying to prove you are not an intellectual .I am not an asshole .he he .I thought I already told you that maybe you might be one
Good for you.
By the way ,I checked your profile .You are from Tamil Nadu or at least work there or live there .What religion were you born into ? I know you are not religious now.
One more thing ; You display good command of the English language .Good on you .People like you can shut up people who like stereotyping .Lol
Bring more on mate
God does not exist is very definitive. That is not my stand.
But, I am still not decided. If god does exist, one day I will learn to accept it. I don't see it happening just yet.
I think we have reached the end of the discussion. The conversation is getting redundant. I don't see how this can end without getting into a vicious circle.
I cannot answer the question of when. To me it is a rhetorical question. Man is not where he is because he stopped looking for an answer.
And it is not, "just" a matter of time. That is not what I meant. I meant exactly what I said. I will give science the benefit of time.
I have stated my opinion. You have stated nothing to change it.
We are having an objective discussion here. My religion is of no relevance.
Thank you for all your compliments.
One of our beliefs will stand the test of time. I am prepared to wait it out.
Cheers.
I guess you said it . We are both being objective . This discussion is going nowhere .Time will tell ,eh ?
Okay ,here goes stuff about me ,
Mathew Philip M from India ( Kerala to be precise)
Born and brought up in Kuwait
11 years in Kuwait ,15 and a half years in India and one year and 4 months in Germany .I am an engineer with an MBA ( did my MBA in Germany ) and I work in Berlin.
If you use chat clients ,you can add me on either of the following
mathew7aby@yahoo.com ( yahoo messenger ) and
mathew7aby@hotmail.com ( msn live messenger )
I like making friends. More later
Keep in touch if you are interested to do so .
Take care and I am not saying God bless
he he
With all due respect, you know where to find me.
I'm not big on chatting.
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