Guest Post from Dr. Dennis Ortman: Deadly Sins
DEADLY SINS
“Jesus now called the Twelve together and gave them
power and authority to overcome all demons and to cure diseases.”
--Luke 9: 1
“The unexamined life is not worth living,” proclaimed Socrates two and a half millennia ago. That timeless wisdom is an unfailing guide to happiness and fulfillment. The examination entails an honest assessment of both our strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, many of us tend to have an unbalanced view of our innate tendencies, exaggerating or diminishing one or the other. We also tend to take the moral inventory of others to avoid self-reflection. We have an astute awareness of others’ faults, while being blind to our own.
From an early age, I learned to make a nightly examination of conscience. As a child, I used the Ten Commandments, the list of what is forbidden, as my guide. I focused on the “thou shalt nots.” I tried to avoid doing what was wrong, fearful of punishment. When I sinned, I went to confession and performed the prescribed penance.
As I matured, my personal examinations became more balanced and in depth. I tried both to cultivate my virtues and avoid my vices. I also looked more inward at the motivations for my actions, which often escaped my awareness. I prayed that God would release me from my unknown faults. I sought to be more honest with myself and others. When I became aware of a failing, I quickly admitted it and asked forgiveness. I also tried to recognize the harm I caused, and then made amends. Genuine sorrow opens our hearts to compassion, humility, and forgiveness.
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
In addition to the Ten Commandments, I used the seven deadly sins in my self-review. The traditional seven deadly sins were identified by the desert fathers and mothers, who frequently wrestled with their demons. Pope Gregory formally listed them in 590 A.D. This well-known list includes lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, and pride. There is also a list of seven heavenly virtues that counteract these vices.
The interaction of vices and virtues comes from the Greek notion that “virtue stands in the middle.” Any vice is really an unbalanced, exaggerated exercise of a virtue. The antidote to any vice is to cultivate its opposing virtue. For example, healthy self-esteem can degenerate into pride, an exaggerated sense of self-importance. The cure is humility, the honest acknowledgement of who we really are. Our natural desires can devolve into greed, wanting more and more for ourselves. We counteract that vice with generosity, giving freely to others. Self-protection can become wrathful, seeking revenge for wrongs done to us. Only patience, the willingness to bear suffering for the sake of others, can relieve that self-centered, destructive anger.
We are accustomed to making personal examinations of conscience. However, we do not live in isolation from others. No one is an island. We live in community, sharing the same resources and destiny. It only makes sense, then, that we make communal examinations. In whatever group we belong, whether the family, nation, or church, we need to make honest assessments of our values and behaviors.
SEVEN SOCIAL SINS
In 1925, the young Mohandas Gandhi wrote an article entitled, “Seven Social Sins,” in a weekly newspaper, Young India (October 22, 1925). He listed the sins without explanation. This list can serve as a communal examination for us Americans. We Americans aspire to high ideals expressed in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We acknowledge that all possess “the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We affirm that “all are created equal” and guarantee “freedom and justice for all.” Unfortunately, in practice these high virtues can become unbalanced and degenerate into vices. The following is Gandhi’s catalogue of social sins:
1. Wealth without Works:
America is a land of opportunity. We have expansive territory and vast resources. People have immigrated from all over the world for four centuries to seek a better life here. However, the opportunities we pursue can easily degenerate into chasing after money and material possessions. Greed creeps in. We want it all and want it now, without effort. Who does not dream of winning the lottery? The craving for easy wealth can be balanced by the Protestant work ethic that motivated our ancestors. We believe hard work brings success. There is a dignity and sacredness in work. We share in God’s creating a new and better world.
2. Pleasure without Conscience:
We value the dignity of every individual who has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That high calling can easily devolve into a narcissistic craving for our own pleasure. We come to believe that happiness comes only from physical indulgence and comfort. We seek our own pleasure, ignoring the needs of others. However, our nation was born with a sense of conscience. The Puritans came to escape religious persecution and establish “one nation under God.” The Puritan ethic lives even today within our national psyche. We desire to be a witness of human dignity and a beacon of freedom for the world.
3. Knowledge without Character:
We Americans believe in progress. We also believe that the road to progress is a good education. Our nation invests in quality public education and defeat of illiteracy. We further believe that knowledge gives us power and freedom to pursue our career goals. Unfortunately, our quest for knowledge can be diminished into a self-centered means simply to make for money. “I’m going to college so I can make lots of money,” some young people say. A well-rounded education includes the pursuit of self-knowledge and high ideals. In knowing ourselves in our depths, we grow in moral character. As noted above, we acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses, aspiring to become our best selves and make a contribution for a better world.
4. Commerce (Business) without morality (Ethics):
We Americans are an enterprising and practical people. We believe that competition brings out the best in us. We also believe a free market can facilitate a better life for all. If we work hard, we will be rewarded with a comfortable, secure life. Taken to the extreme, the spirit of enterprise can drive us to become number one by defeating everyone else. Our goal, then, is only the unlimited expansion of our own business, often at the expense of others. However, our moral roots in Puritanism can engender a sense that we are all members of a community together. We form one body. When others succeed, we also benefit. When others fail, we suffer. Our nation is as strong as its weakest members.
5. Science without Humanity:
The United States is the most technologically advanced nation in the world. We take pride in our scientific accomplishments and their promise to improve the world. However, we are learning today the limits of our ability to master the universe through science. Climate change and the exhaustion of our natural resources are children of our unbridled pursuit of control over nature. We are terrified by the powers unleashed by nuclear fission and artificial intelligence. In response, scientists around the world are begging us to stop and reflect on what these advances mean and how to use them wisely and well. They are inviting us to view science from a larger perspective. How can it benefit all of humanity?
6. Religion without Sacrifice:
Our ancestors believed they were bringing God’s Word into the wilderness of the new world. Religious idealism promoted the growth of our country. Over time, though, religion became too powerful. Today many have become disillusioned with organized religion. The self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and abuse of many church members have caused scandal. Many now no longer affiliate with any church and consider themselves “spiritual, not religious.” The bright light of the resurrection has been obscured. Nevertheless, authentic religious practice also includes the cross. There is no new life except through the suffering and sacrifice of the cross. Jesus said, “If you wish to be my disciple, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” The love commandment demands that we make sacrifices for the good of others.
7. Politics without Principle:
We take pride in our Constitution and dedication to the rule of law. We are a democratic people, believing in the equality of all, one vote for each person. Every individual is involved and has a say, guaranteed freedom of speech. Unfortunately, our political aspirations can degenerate into the pursuit of private interests. Special interest groups lobby for their own benefit. Politicians seek re-election at all costs and pander to the public, telling them what they think they want to hear. Yet the high principles of our founding ancestors keep calling us to practice government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Personal interests must give way to the common good. Only open and honest dialogue will arrive at a consensus of what needs to be done for the good of all.
These are times that try our souls. We feel like we are drowning in the sea of competing demands for our attention. How can we keep afloat and in balance? Only a humble and honest personal and communal examination of conscience will enable us to negotiate the rapid, tumultuous currents of change. Let our consciences be our guide. Then our sincere moral inventories can inspire us to acknowledge our faults and embrace the angels of our better nature.
For more posts by and about Dennis Ortman and his books, click HERE.
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