The Capital Sins: How to Discern them

[presidentjlh]

Note: I am not, by any means, a credited theologian, nor have I received the Sacrament of Holy Orders so as to establish some authority on these issues. I am merely a young man who has struggled with sin (who doesn’t?) and I feel I must share my thoughts on the capital sins, so as to help my fellow Christians. If anything I say is against Church doctrine, please inform me so that I might correct myself. I do not wish to promote any heresies.

Now, as to the capital sins, I have always wondered: Is every instance of these sins a grave matter?

As to this question, there is no single answer, but 7 answers: One for each sin. Let us start with the sin of lust, shall we?

Lust: The sin of lust is, by far, the easiest sin to understand. From what I can tell, sexual sins are mostly, if not all, grave matters.

The sin of lust is a grave matter. This is certain. Now, it is important to note that just because a sexual thought pops into one’s head, that is not necessarily lust. If one detects this thought, denies/rebukes it, and tries to focus on other things, they are not guilty of any sin at all. It is only when we willfully choose to further these thoughts that the sin of lust comes into play.

One question I used to ask myself was: “Okay, we know lusting after women we know is a sin, but if we imagine a woman (under the assumption she does not exist), is okay to think sexual thoughts about this fictional woman?”

I used to use that as a “loophole”, but I have come to the conclusion that this is still a grave matter, for it is still a misuse of God’s gift of sexuality (It is indeed a gift.) and does not, in any way, promote the marital act.

But, take note: We must remember that sex is not evil in itself. If we ever come to that conclusion, we are surely lost. Instead, we must think of sex as something so very sacred, so very fragile, that we must treat it with a great respect and never misuse it. Sex between a man and a woman married to each other that is open to life is not a sin at all. In fact, it is praiseworthy, for it is the sharing of love between a man and a woman joined by God.

Next sin: Gluttony

 

[presidentjlh]

Gluttony

Gluttony has definitely weaseled its way into our world. Look at the obesity problem (This is not to say that someone who is obese is a glutton. We cannot judge)

Indeed, I myself am a bit overweight. Not morbidly obese, but I have a bit of a gut, and I do admit I eat quite a bit (Pizza is both my friend and my enemy )

However, eating large amounts of food is not necessarily gluttony. Gluttony is not determined by the amount of food ate, but rather, the state of the eater.

Gluttony becomes a grave matter when one knows they are “full” (Trust me, you know when you are full.) and yet they continue to eat anyways. Additionally, eating a bunch, then purging so you can go eat some more, is also a grave matter.

Also, we can classify the excess consumption of alcohol as gluttony. Indeed, drinking until you have a little “buzz” is not a grave matter. But when one drinks until they are unable to reason, this is when it becomes a grave matter. Also, even if you can drink a lot of alcohol without getting to the point of complete drunkeness, it can still be a grave matter as you are undoubtedly harming your body (liver disease, for example).

Just before I started this little thread, I had lunch. I ate 5 slices of pepperoni pizza, at which point I acknowledged that I was full, and I was done.

“‘5 slices’!” you say, “But isn’t that overeating?”

Again, notice that I said after I ate those slices, I realized I was full, and I stopped. This is not a grave matter. We all have different appetites. I played football in high school (and that was only a year and a half ago), I’m a young man, my appetite is probably fairly large. I can eat at a buffet and have seconds, thirds, even fourths before I become full. It is when I eat pass the point of being full that it becomes a grave matter.

Next sin: Anger

 

[presidentjlh]

Anger

Anger is a tricky devil (lol pun). It is important to distinguish between anger the emotion and anger the sin. Additionally, sometimes anger can be a good thing (I will explain later)

Anger is usually not a grave matter. When you are, say, watching a sports game, and your team gives up a big score, you might feel a little anger and yell something like, “What the heck are you guys doing?!” This is not a grave matter. I doubt you truly wish harm on anyone.

Another example: You’re driving down the interstate, about to exit, when someone cuts you off. You might say a profanity (If you say the Lord’s name in vain, that’s a grave matter in itself) and you might even do an offensive gesture in the direction of the person that just cut you off. This is worse than the previous example, but I’d say it’s still not a grave matter, so long as you are not truly wishing harm on that person.

Anger becomes a grave matter when you get to the point where you are honestly hoping the person who has angered you suffers in some way. Let’s go back to that driving example. Let’s say, in addition to the profanities, you also start thinking, “I hope that guy crashes into something.” Now, your anger has become a grave matter, because you are wishing pain and misery on a person.

Now, it is important to note that anger is not always bad. Even Jesus got angry. Remember how He flipped the tables of the moneychangers at the temple?. But Jesus was not angry to the point of wishing harm upon the moneychangers, He was angry solely at their sin. He was angry at the defilement of His Father’s temple. This is called “righteous anger” for it is anger at sin. It is a way in which one rebukes sin.

For example, when someone commits a sin that affects you, and you are angry about their action, but do not wish harm against them, this is righteous anger. Simply put: Love the sinner, hate the sin. Hate for sin is the one time where hate actually is not bad.

Next sin: Avarice

 

[presidentjlh]

I will do avarice when I return from my Calculus class. Apologies for any inconvienence.

 

[presidentjlh]

Alright, I have returned from my class (final class for the school year, yay!)

Avarice

Indeed, avarice, also known as greed, is quite present in modern times. We (by which I mean those of us that live in developed nations) live in an age of consumerism and luxury. The recent news about Goldman Sachs is just one of many sad examples of greed consuming people.

However, there is a difference between avarice and simply having nice things. It is not bad to desire to be wealthier financially, provided this desire is ordered and kept in line. I would be happy to receive a million dollars for no reason, that would be wonderful. There is no evil in being wealthy or wishing to be wealthy. Likewise, there is no evil in wishing to have nice things, like a nice car, or a nice house.

It is when we let these desires supercede charity that we fall into sin. When one is willing to let others suffer so as to gain more money, that is a grave matter. When one is very wealthy, but does not use a fair portion of their wealth to help the less fortunate, that is a grave matter. Indeed, one could be a billionaire and be less greedy than someone who is in the middle class. If the billionaire gives great amounts of money to charities, regularly works with the less fortunate, and did not acquire his/her fortune through selfish, greedy practices, they are actually practicing charity.

Money itself is not evil, it is the love of money that is evil. Money is an object. It is morally neutral in itself. I have yet to hear of a pack of dollar bills roaming through the streets, shooting at houses and harming people. It is when we desire money to the point that we ignore or even harm others, that is when avarice is a grave matter.

Next sin: Sloth.

 

[presidentjlh]

Sloth

Relaxation is a good thing. Even God Himself set aside a day for rest (Sunday), so let us remember that it is okay to relax and enjoy recreational activities.

It is when we relax to the point where we ignore our duties that the sin of sloth comes into play. There’s a trend with capital sins: The capital sins are disordered use of gifts of God, not the gifts themselves. Lust is the disordered use of sexuality, Gluttony is the disordered use of food and drink, Anger is the disordered use of emotions, etc.

Sloth is the disordered use of relaxation. This is not to say that procrastination is automatically a grave matter, it depends on what one is procrastinating. If one thinks, “I would look a little nicer with a haircut, but I think I’ll put that off for now,” that is not a grave matter. It is technically procrastination, but the haircut is not a duty. It is not something necessary.

Most times, being a little lazy is not a grave matter. It is what we are being lazy about that can be a grave matter. Spiritual sloth is a grave matter. By spiritual sloth, I don’t mean that if you aren’t constantly thinking and contemplating about the faith that you are guilty of spiritual sloth. Indeed, Christ must be the center of our lives, but this does not mean we can’t think about other things as well. It is when regularly ignore caring about our faith, when we don’t bother to ever contemplate Christ, that spiritual sloth starts rearing its head.

Of course, when we think of sloth, we usually picture someone laying on a couch, eating chips, watching some dumb TV show. While that can be sloth, it isn’t necessarily sloth. If a person has completed all their necessary duties, it is perfectly fine to relax and unwind. Now, if a person decides not to go to work on a weekday in order to relax, even though it is their duty to work, that is sloth. People have different duties and amounts of duties as well. A child may have fewer duties than a parent. An elderly person who cannot do physical work may have fewer duties than a healthy 25-year-old.

So, remember, relaxation is not bad in itself. It is when we neglect our duties in order to relax that we start getting closer to committing a sin of a grave matter.

Next sin: Envy

 

[presidentjlh]

Envy

Envy is pretty similar to avarice when you think about it. They really go hand in hand. But envy still is different in many ways.

Envy is a disordered desire of something someone else has. Not all desire for things others have is a grave matter.

For example, let’s say I am walking down the sidewalk. I see this awesome car parked in a neighbor’s driveway. I think to myself, “Man, I wish I had a car like that,” and then continue on my merry way, I have not committed a sin of a grave matter. Heck, I probably didn’t commit a sin at all.

Now, let’s go back to that same example, but this time, I think to myself, “Man, that guy always has the nicest things. He doesn’t even deserve them, the jerk. That car should be mine not his.” Now I’m envying, and now it’s a sin. If I continue to dwell on it, and seriously think I deserve to have stuff he has and that he doesn’t deserve to have it, it becomes a grave matter. It is not the desire for the objects, it is the feeling that I am entitled to those objects while their owner isn’t. Simply put, it’s thinking, “If I can’t have it, then nobody should have it.”

So, it’s okay to wish that you could have nice things like your neighbor. It is not okay to think that you should have those nice things, and your neighbor shouldn’t.

Next sin: Pride

 

[presidentjlh]

Pride

Of the 7 Capital Sins, pride is arguably the worst. The sin of pride was the first sin committed (“better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven”), it was the sin of Adam and Eve. Pride leads to the other capital sins, it is the capital sin of capital sins.

It is important to note there is a difference between the sin of pride and the feeling of pride. To be happy that you accomplished something is not sin, provided it is ordered. Allow me to explain.

Let us say I win a race in the Olympics. I can react in two ways:

The first way I can act is to think, “I am so happy and proud that I won! However, I know that I am not the sole reason for this victory. Without God, I could not do anything, let alone win a race. Without the help of others, I could never have prepared myself for this. I served a role in this, yes, but the greater role was served by God and by others. I am thankful to them for helping me and giving me strength,” This is a healthy sense of pride, because while I am happy that I won, and am proud of what I did, I know that my contribution to this victory is nothing without God and others. God’s help in giving me strength and courage and the gifts of athletic talent is the reason I won. The help of others in training me and giving me encouragement is the reason I won.

It is okay to recognize that you have done well. It is when you refuse to recognize others contributions that it is a sin. If I were to win that same race and think, “Man, look how much I did! I am the best in the world! I’m better than all these people I beat! I made myself great!” That’s the sin of pride.

The sin of pride is not just disordered pride in accomplishments. In fact, that is the lesser form of the sin of pride, I think. The worse form of pride is when one rebels against good, because they think that their opinion on the matter is correct. It is when one thinks, “I know better than God. God’s idea of right and wrong is incorrect. I know what’s up.” It is refusing to humble yourself and recognize that you don’t know better than God. That’s what Satan did. That’s what Adam and Eve did.

God is perfect. How can we know better than God? How can we be better than God? God made us, yes, but we aren’t even close to God in terms of perfection. We are imperfect in our thoughts, our actions, and our desires.

The worst form of pride is summed up by this quote: “Ye shall be as gods.” It is putting yourself above God, that is the sin of pride.

 

[presidentjlh]

Summary

There is a reason the 7 Capital Sins are called capital sins. They are called such because they lead to worse sins. Lust leads to masturbation, fornication, pornography, adultery. Gluttony leads to hoarding, disrespect for one’s own life, and refusal to help others, and when drunk, can lead to all types of sins. Anger leads to violence, destruction, and murder. Sloth leads to neglect, despair, lukewarmness in faith, and apathy. Avarice and envy leads to fraud, theft, and lying. Pride leads to the other capital sins and all sins in general.

The 7 Capital Sins also are all disordered use of that which is ordered. Lust is the disordered desire and use of sexuality. Gluttony is the disordered desire and use of food and drink. Anger is the disordered use of emotions. Sloth is the disordered use of relaxation. Avarice is the disordered desire and use for wealth. Envy is the disordered desire of the goods of others. Pride is the disordered love of one’s self.

The 7 Capital Sins are the gateways to all sin. They are the greatest tempters, the hardest sins of grave matter to avoid. To defeat them, one must use the 7 Heavenly Virtues, each which combat the 7 Capital Sins.

Chastity is the ordered desire and use of sexuality. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of lust.

Temperance is the ordered desire and use of goods. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of gluttony.

Patience is the ordered use of emotion. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of anger.

Charity is the ordered desire and use of wealthy. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of avarice.

Diligence is the ordered use of relaxation, of one’s time. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of sloth.

Kindness is the ordered love for others, not their objects. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of envy.

Humility is the ordered love of one’s self. As such, it fights primarily against the sin of pride.

 

[presidentjlh]

Oh, and one final note. There is a reason I used the words “grave matter” instead of mortal sin.

It is important to remember that just because you commit a sin of grave matter does not necessarily mean it’s a mortal sin. It also requires full knowledge and full consent.

 

[Ace_of_Spades]

Two years after your last post I prefer these terms: 1. Gluttony, 2. Sloth, 3. Pride 4. Avarice 5. Envy 6. Lust 7. Wroth.