What Sin Are You Most Guilty Of?

[GenMarshall]

Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Envy. Some overlap one another in my case.

 

[Ramius75]

There should be an eighth sin - fear.

If that's the case, then that'd be my worst.

Edit: just remembered that the whole "religion" thing is based on fear...

fear is the consequences of the "Sins".

Im rather proud of my sins thou... oh, i just sinned again.

 

[Turner]

Yes, that's true. That's a different discussion. I don't know how we could say it's moral to buy our kid a $12 music CD if our other kid was starving to death, if our neighbour's kid was starving to death, either. No. We'd spend that $12 on some food, our kid doesn't need the CD that much. It's only because I've got 4 degrees of separation that the horror is diminished to the point where people justify my behaviour if I spend money on luxuries for my kids.

I think this point overrides your point below. I hate to bring the bible into it (at least, me using it) but Matthew 7:3 says:

3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

This is pretty good advice. Make sure your own home is in order, then you can look at taking care of others.

But that's not what I'm getting at. I'm getting at the slothful slowing down on my own part. The overconsumption on my own part. It's impossible to deny that (a) I know that I'm doing it (b) that I know better and (c) there are real-world victims of this behaviour.

Just out of curiosity, what over consumption on your part? Are you hording things? Is it so bad that no one else around you can have what you're hording? Or are you saving just enough so that if something were to happen, you'd be able to get through the emergency?

I don't really think that the concept of greed includes over consumption. It does appear that way on the surface. The bible was written as a guide for a very small group of people. Even in this day and age, Xtians amount to about a third of the population. While I'm sure that every group of people, from the smallest groups to the larges of nations have rules like this, it's about the person putting their group ahead of themselves. Sure, you could expand the groups, lump those together with certain rules and call it good, but that's still about group preservation over personal preservation.

Hmm... it occurs to me that the I'm making my point very clear. Suffice it to say that I think greed or gluttony only includes over consumption when you're taking away from those near you or those you're responsible for. Taking the last pork chop when you've had three already and your kid doesn't get any, yeah, that's wrong. Taking the last pork chop when you've had three already, and some kid halfway around the world doesn't eat...that's a much larger stretch.

 

[El_Machinae]

To be honest, I think that your criticism is incoherent. If you're saying that I'm wrong about my gluttony and sloth, then it's either the situation that:
- I can ease back on my charity efforts and increase my leisure consumption, and it would be morally commendable OR
- my current levels of consumption are morally ideal, and I should not change them.

Now, the second position is preposterous, so I'll dismiss it. Are you really suggesting that I morally SHOULD be decreasing my charity efforts and to increase my leisure consumption? I don't see how you can suggest that. In fact, I think it would be wrong to suggest that: if you convinced me of your position, you'd change the world so that more people would die suffering.

As well, please consider the bias that you're expressing "take care of those near you and those who you're responsible for". Okay, yes, I should be taking care of those I'm responsible for: no question. But why should I then focus upon who is near me? To bring up an old argument of mine "taking care of family and friends is what Baboons do". This is the morality that is evolutionarily programmed into us, and it does not show higher thinking.

Out there are women who're willing to skip a meal to delay her infant's death by a day. Some of them won't succeed. If I were to refocus my efforts away from slothful leisure, or if I were to refocus my lifestyle from gluttonous overconsumption, I could help out, too. Or, help out more than I am. To think that I should spend money on frivolous things instead of these crises is something that cannot really be defended; we'd need to introduce self-justifying biases to do so.

Obviously I should be saving for my future (I am on track) and taking care of my kids (they're on track). I could be spending more on personal leisure or pleasure. That money (or time) would have to come from somewhere. OR, I could be cutting back on leisurely waste, and increase my efforts towards things I should be doing.

 

[Arakhor]

Sloth, definitely, and probably a little Pride and a smidgeon of Wrath. I don't qualify for Lust, Avarice or Gluttony.

 

[onemoreturnmike]

with me its Lust...and only lust...

I exhibit the other sins only in a lustful manner...

Gluttonous Lust - where i want more and more of it.


Greedy Lust- where i want to hoard my lust so no one else can have it.

Slothful Lust - which though it sounds like a contradiction of terms, really does combine well....just lay back and be lustful in quietude. sometimes this can be self lust, but othertimes its kind of like the emperors of old.

Wrathful Lust- where its barely controlled anger, the beginnings of making up.

Envious Lust, where you want what others have, and fantasize, at times going back to Slothful Lust.

and finally

Prideful Lust- after all I am the best at what I do....

'the world according to Mike'

 

[Steph]

The closest would be gluttony. If I have something something to eat, I eat, even if I'm not hungry.

But still, I'm not going out of my way to eat more.

 

[Turner]

Unfortunately I am pretty incoherent in what I'm trying to say. I often times have problems getting what's so clear in my head into words on the page. This is one such case.

I could go with the broken window fallacy, which isn't really a fallacy I think in this day and age, but for the sake of brevity I won't go there. Suffice it to say that I think by doing things locally it will take care of things globally.

Really, with trying to survive and take care of my own, I really can't be bothered with people 12,000 miles away.

So I guess my sin, which I don't really believe in to begin with, is a lack of caring on what's going on 12k miles away.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I've been really angry lately over relatively minor things. People around me just annoy me.

 

[Turner]

I've often said that 90% of the people on this planet could simply disappear and I'd be happy.....

 

[Mango Elephant]

I've often said that 90% of the people on this planet could simply disappear and I'd be happy.....

That'd probley be you, though

 

[Turner]

Obviously not! I'm perfect!

Pride? What's that?

 

[MilesGregarius]

1.Sloth, as it gets in the way of me doing all those other sins, not to imply I'm innocent of the others.

Yup, too lazy to get around to the other six.

murder.

Yes, but did you kill because:

a. you wanted their stuff?

b. they just really set you off?

c. killing them was too much of a turn on?

d. you could not suffer their better fortune?

e. you were so much better than them?

f. it took too much effort not to kill them?

g. they were really delicious?

There should be an eighth sin - fear.

In earlier incarnations of the list, apathy, extravagance, and despair were considered to be mortal sins as well.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Lust, sloth, and wrath. Equally.

Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Envy. Some overlap one another in my case.

Your avatar reminds me of The Sims 2, for some reason.

 

[Disgustipated]

easy one for me. Lust without a doubt.

Although right now I only lust for one woman. So that's good for me.

 

[Millman]

Gluttony and I can't say I quite qualify. I simply don't work out as much as I should. I'm more passive about my physical health but I don't have a huge desire to eat.