'The seven deadly sins are outdated' (lust & gluttony are OK now, hypocrisy & bigotry move up)

Sunday Times (South Africa) ^ | Tuesday February 08, 2005 09:20 - (SA)

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LONDON - The Seven Deadly Sins - anger, gluttony, sloth, envy, pride, lust and greed - are out of date and should include cruelty, adultery and bigotry, the results of an opinion poll suggest.

Greed is the only one of the seven that should remain a sin in today's Britain, according to the poll by the Mori organisation for BBC television's "Heaven and Earth" programme.

Cruelty was ranked the worst sin by 39% of respondents, followed by adultery (11%), bigotry (8%), dishonesty (seven percent), hypocrisy (six percent), greed (6%) and selfishness (5%).

"Attitudes towards sin have changed. We're less concerned with the seven deadly sins and more concerned with actions that hurt others," said Ross Kelly, presenter of "Heaven and Earth", a religion and ethics programme.

Of the 1,001 adults interviewed, only 9% said they had not committed any of the sins. 79% said they were guilty of anger - while 41% of men and 26% of women said lust was the sin they "most enjoy committing".

AFP

[viaveritasvita]

I don't think God has much use for opinion polls! LOL! After reading these opinions, I can see why.

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[ClearCase_guy]

Let's take a poll to figure out our Theology. But it shouldn't be binding -- we can choose to believe whatever seems best to us. We'll call outselves Unitarians ...

[small voice in the wilderness]

...I don't see smoking...

[thoughtomator]

And 23% of respondents' first choices were "Republican".

[stainlessbanner]

8th deadly sin: Pizza!

For you parrotheads...

[Lazamataz]

G-d will immediately change the moral code of the universe to keep within the trends of modern society.

[KC Burke]

Interesting find.

Of course the first principle of conservatism is, "Belief in an Enduring Moral Order" and according to this paper Morals are more of a fashion, trend or an educational process.

[fml]

I don't think God has much use for opinion polls

Thank God.

[Conservatrix]

Woe to them that call good evil, and evil good....

[Unam Sanctam]

Moral truths are not determined by opinion polls, thank goodness.

[viaveritasvita]

LOL! Yes, thank you LORD!

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[cyncooper]

The Seven Deadly Sins - anger, gluttony, sloth, envy, pride, lust and greed - are out of date and should include cruelty, adultery and bigotry, the results of an opinion poll suggest.

The latter are included in the former (adultery goes with lust, bigotry with pride, cruelty with anger). The list remains the same as ever.

[Rocketman]

Where did Christ say these were the seven deadly sins?

No place.

Where did the apostles list these as the seven deadly sins?

No Place

There are "deadly sins" in the New Testament can we find them and say what they are?

[tjwmason]

And 23% of respondents' first choices were "Republican".

Given that it's a British survey, I would hope so. Only communists and other lefties want rid of our beloved Monarchy.

[Peach]

The latter are included in the former (adultery goes with lust, bigotry with pride, cruelty with anger). The list remains the same as ever.

An excellent point.

[eyespysomething]

OK, but they have to tell God, not me.

[SignersSon]

The seven deadly sins are not referenced biblically. They were written about by Milton in Paradise Lost and Dante in Inferno.

All the same, this is nothing but an example of Moral Relativism at its best.

[Rio]

from a better-researched article on this: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=142672005

It is thought that the Greek theologian, Evagrius of Pontus, first drew up a list of eight wicked human passions, which were then whittled down by the 6th century pope, Gregory the Great, to the seven vices he thought were most at odds with divine love.

I had always wondered about where they came from... did not recall finding them in the Bible anywhere.

[Steve_Seattle]

According to a female Brit who I talk to on the Internet, the favorite sin of British men remains drunkenness; lust is a distant second. After the age of 25, they'd rather be boozing with the boys than chasing the ladies. There was an obscure Rolling Stones song called "I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys," and that seems to sum it up.