What are the seven deadly sins?

Answer

According to Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins are seven vices or negative character qualities that, if unchecked, will lead to various other sins and ultimately harm a person’s soul. The seven “deadly” sins are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. This list was initially outlined by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, with Thomas Aquinas later expanding on the concept. In the fourteenth century, Dante depicted Purgatory in his epic poem Inferno as having seven terraces corresponding to the seven deadly sins.

The seven deadly sins are also known as the seven capital sins or the seven cardinal sins—cardinal in this context meaning “of fundamental importance” or “extremely serious.” They are considered the most fundamental sins that afflict humanity and are most likely to affect us. Each of the seven deadly sins can lead to other sins; for instance, anger can result in slander, violence, or even murder.

Here is a brief description of each of the seven deadly sins:

Pride—An exaggerated, unrealistic sense of one’s self-worth.

Envy—The belief that one deserves the possessions, success, virtues, or talents of another person.

Gluttony—An excessive craving for the pleasure of eating and drinking.

Lust—A self-centered focus on sexual desires or a longing for sexual gratification outside of marriage.

Anger—An excessive and inappropriate desire for revenge.

Greed—An intense craving for possessions, particularly those belonging to others.

Sloth—A lack of effort when faced with a necessary task, resulting in it being left undone or done poorly.

A common misconception about the seven deadly sins is that they are sins that God will not forgive. The Roman Catholic Church does not consider these sins to be unforgivable; in Catholic doctrine, the sevenDeadly sins can lead to mortal sins, which will send a person to hell immediately upon death, unless such sins are repented of before death. Catholicism also teaches that the seven deadly sins can be overcome with the seven virtues (humility, gratitude, charity, temperance, chastity, patience, and diligence).

Is the idea of seven deadly sins biblical? Yes and no. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things that are detestable to God: 1) haughty eyes, 2) a lying tongue, 3) hands that shed innocent blood, 4) a heart that plots evil, 5) feet that are quick to rush to do wrong, 6) a false witness, and 7) a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Of course, this list is not what most people understand as the “seven deadly sins.”

Yes, pride, envy, etc., are sins that the Bible condemns; however, they are never called “the seven deadly sins” in the Bible. The traditional list of seven deadly sins can function as a way to categorize the many different sins that exist. Nearly every sin could be placed in one of those seven categories.

In the final analysis, no sin is any more “deadly” than any other sin. All sin results in death «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23). Even one sin condemns a person as a lawbreaker «For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. », (James 2:10). Praise be to God that Jesus Christ took the penalty for all of our sins, including the “seven deadly sins.” By the grace of God, through faith in Christ, we can be forgiven (Matthew 26:28;Acts 10:43;Ephesians 1:7).