good dolphin wrote:
What do other sources feel is the Enemy. I am trying to remember what is considered to be the principal sin of the 7 Deadly Sins. Can you help me (as a side note I bought a children's version of the canterbury tales. children's publishers are producing some incredible products these days).
Mr Dear Friend Mr. Dolphin,
What do other sources feel is the enemy? Well, my fine internet message board friend, that is quite an interesting question. In older civilizations, the populace was more or less inclined to consider their very own gods the enemy. Bad things to happen to people, or to cities, was largely the result of an angry or unappeased diety. Our ancestors struggled mightily to offer sacrifies to their respective god of the volcano, only to have it erupt anyway. The angry seas were the fault of Mighty Neptune, and the bolts of lightning from an incensed Zeus caused fires that devoured whole cities.
There were many civilizations that felt that physical, natural dischord was the root of Evil. It was when they did not honor the Laws of nature that their crops did not germinate.
However, the Christian principal of the seven deadly sins is an interesting one. They are: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Interesting list of deadly sins. Why? These sins, when looked at individually, could be considered 7 synonmyns for Human Instinct. Lust, the basic instinct to reproduce and spread our seed (intrestingly, one of the very first things that God tells man to do, right from the get go in the Garden Of Eden, long before man created these deadly sins). Gluttony, as human beings in "the wild" may have no idea where their next meal comes from, and need to eat as much as possible and store as much fat becuase you might not know when the next meal is coming. Greed, again the need to accumulate as much as possible in order to survive should times become harsh and unaccomidating. Sloth, or as we have discussed earlier apathy. Wrath, or anger, the desire to eliminate your rivals, becoming the alpha male. Envy and Pride, which are basically one in the same, two sides of the same coin. Which is the worst you has questioned earlier.
My friend, none of them are worse. They are just simple one word definations of what we are.