One thing I noticed is that if you want to stay relevant and have high ratings you have to constantly talk about s*x, so I decided to write this post:)
Here comes:
The more right-wing Evangelicals and other traditional churches have done a pretty good job covering s*xual immorality and abortion, which is fine, of course, however, on the other hand, it gives a lot of people an impression that being a Christian is only about not engaging in certain types of s*xual activity. Sort of as long as you live a chaste life you are automatically a good person and will go to Heaven in the end.
Yet, the traditional church teaching listed 7 deadly sins or vices, not only one (that would be lust). Gluttony, for instance, is one of them, and considering the obesity epidemic, is probably something that the churches could talk about more. Yet while they will often warn you against overindulging in alcohol, did you ever hear a sermon about the mortal sin of overindulging in food or luxury items for that matter?
Personally I have often wondered how could one call themselves a Christian and yet be so obsessed with status and pursuing material wealth as (some) modern Christians are? In fact, this status driven consumerist life style is covered by 4 deadly sins at the same time: lust, greed, envy (keeping up with Joneses) and gluttony.
Preachers
will often warn you against pride, wrath, and sloth. Yet, here is a funny thing: wrath is too often interpreted nowadays as any form of anger for whatever reasons, as if Christians are supposed forever to be some kind of a Milquetoast, yet our less politically correct ancestors used to distinguish between
righteous and
unrighteous anger.
To quote
Wikipedia (I know, I know:)
The neutral act of anger becomes the sin of wrath when it's directed
against an innocent person, when it's unduly unbending or long-lasting,
or when it desires excessive punishment. Kinda like when our tolerant elites crucify teenagers on social media for engaging in goofy behaviour or organise witch-hunts against those whose political ideas they disagree with (mostly working class persons who have no means to defend themselves and are dependent on the good will of their employers).
Sloth is also an interesting topic, isn't it? It's often explained as laziness, and guess who gets accused of laziness? You get it, housewives! Yet, the traditional explanation of sloth is apathy
and failure to do your duty. Now if you are a housewife, it's one of your duties to look well to the ways of your household and not to eat the bread of idleness. And yet, some women do exactly that. While they don't hold a job outside the home, they don't bother to do anything in the way of housekeeping, either.
As for apathy, it seems a malady of young people nowadays. While the elderly are often active and cheerful, too many youngsters are constantly bored out of their minds, have no creative hobbies, hardly do any sports and spend their free time glued to their phones. It's tragic, isn't it? Youth should be full of energy, vitality and the desire to explore the wide world out there. Get out into the woods, do things, get enough vitamin D, engage in wider community, there are so many things you could do with your life nowadays! (watching anime isn't one of them).
The next sin on the list is envy and/or jealousy. I once read an article which said that it was only natural to feel jealous of the success of others. I'm sure we all felt envious at times, yet when envy turns malicious, when folks become obsessed with what other people may have, when they are covetous, it can't be good.
Sometimes I think that the accusations of witchcraft were often directed at envious people who experienced joy at the downfall of their neighbours. After all, most of us can feel if someone is jealous of us. Sometimes it turns downright nasty and if, soon after such an encounter something bad happens...Well, it's only natural to think that may be the envious person put a spell on you or something, isn't it?
I'd like to end with a couple of words about pride. Since chastity is considered more or less the only virtue nowadays, chaste women sometimes have a tendency to feel quite Pharisaical about it and look down upon women who have made mistakes in the past (and, btw, chastity is also required of men so players who attack women for s*xual sins aren't any better themselves). Luke 18 comes to mind:
The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a
sinner.
14 I
tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the
other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It's a good reminder to all of us, don't you agree?
