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October 26, 2009

Seven Deadly Sins: Consequences

It is often said in the Bible that God punishes the wicked, and this is something that people often cite as unfair and a reason to avoid religions that believe it. Does God punish the wicked for not living up to His standards, or does everyone simply get what they want? We call the results of these sins consquences

Deadly Sin
Consequence(s)
Pride Proud people have to work hard to keep up their illusions, and clever people can easily manipulate them through flattery. They fail to grow as human beings because they never engage with life directly, only through illusions, and these may cause a financial impact. Because they cannot admit the truth, they can crash hard when it can no longer be avoided. In some cases, they are a joke to others but are never aware of it. Paranoia and delusions of grandeur ensue. The proud usually fail to achieve because they cannot play well with others, but also because success in life is best achieved when in touch with reality.
Avarice/Greed Greed may result in wealth, but not peace of mind. There is always a concern that some gain was missed, some opportunity not fully exploited. People are tools to obtain more, so genuine love cannot be given. Others resent being tools, or valued less than gain, which leads to hurt feelings all around. Like the proud, the greedy can be manipulated easily, and may lose everything because they tried too hard to have it all.
Envy Envy never knows the joy of seeing someone else succeed. Personal success is not appreciated because someone else is always doing better. The bitterness of envy can keep others away, and the envious person may not be aware of the nasty remarks they make. It is a lonely life.
Wrath/Anger Anger may, of course, result in jail time. It also drives most others away, except masochists, who will not encourage the angry person to pursue peace. Anger is so overwhelming that many good feelings in life will be drowned out. Guilt, regret and depression follow from anger, and much of anger is turned inward at some point, bringing additional stress and even illness.
Lust Being a very physical sin, lust of course brings diseases, and the medical profession is not even close to removing the physical consequences. The spiritual consequences are a deadening of the senses, so that the person is just after their next sexual fix. The lustful person may be reduced to a pathetic shadow, masturbating and desperately looking for some pleasure without too much embarrassment. There may be jail time involved, or divorces. In some cases, what appears to be lust is really a desire to exert power over others and use them for pleasure, in which the person is reduced to an animal state in which their humanity is very nearly lost. There are often financial implications as well: sin is expensive.
Gluttony When it comes to food, gluttony results in fat. This is denied with surprising frequency and indicates the way we deceive ourselves. If we are gaining a lot of weight, we must be gluttons (aside from medical conditions that cause water retention, etc.). All kinds of illnesses result from gluttony, including cancer and skeletal issues from the excessive weight. Gluttony takes resources away, and may impact financial well being. The glutton may have to buy two airline seats.
Sloth Laziness often brings financial ruin, but it also brings failed marriages and lost love. The slothful person may have to work harder in bursts, though, when their inaction has brought them to dire straits. Because they fail to take action, action is forced upon them, and their failure to choose costs them their freedom, as they can be forced into situations because they failed to move at the right time.

 

 

 

 

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