Pope Benedict XVI
The Associated Press

Adding to the list?

Featured Topic | Posted 37 weeks 6 days ago

Vatican: Seven new sins?

A Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution, genetic manipulation and social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior. Some wags have dubbed the list the "seven new deadly sins," and there are critics who dispute that the named behaviors are sinful. Listen to Ben and Joel's discussion in today's podcast.

Does the world need more sins?

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Ben likes: Sins of emission

Ed Morrissey/Hot Air

Several commenters point out that the Church also names “excessive wealth” as a sin. I can think of few institutions with less standing to make this point than the Catholic Church, but this isn’t really new, anyway. It misses the same point as tailpipe sin does. Wealth in and of itself isn’t sinful, because it’s inanimate. What matters is what’s done with the wealth. If one hoards it for one’s self and refuses to assist others in need, thenthat’s the sin, not the wealth. Wealth is just a tool for other ends, and it is the human pursuit of those ends which can be virtuous, sinful, or both.

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Joel likes: Seven (new) deadly sins? Or not?

James Martin/America

The Vatican's intent seemed to be less about adding to the traditional "deadly" sins (lust, anger, sloth, pride, avarice, gluttony, envy) than reminding the world that sin has a social dimension, and that participation in institutions that themselves sin is an important point upon which believers needed to reflect.

In other words, if you work for a company that pollutes the environment, you have something more important to consider for Lent than whether or not to give up chocolate.

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