An Eighth Sin? Pffff Whatever

So, what’s today’s Daily Post?

“Remember the seven cardinal sins? You’re given the serious task of adding a new one to the list — another trait or behaviour you find particularly unacceptable, for whatever reason. What’s sin #8 for you? Why?”

Me? Given the god-like power to create a whole new area of Sin? Whatever were they thinking? 🙂

Well, with the definition of a cardinal sin being along the lines of…

“…a classification of vices, where each is a form of Idolatry-of-self wherein the subjective reigns over the objective.”

…it meant that I needed to think inwardly about the aspects of humanity that to me are the most abhorrent. But you know what, I tried that and it was hard. The current sin system is pretty inclusive there was no way I was going to be able to think of one with that kind of restriction, so instead I decided to just think of one that would benefit most people.

My eight cardinal sin would be the sin of Apathy, or indifference.

 

All of the current sins focus on people having thoughts and feelings about things, so I wanted to make sure that ‘having no thoughts or feelings’ was represented in there as well. I should clarify that I’m not expecting everyone to care about everything that has, does or will ever exist. That’s a lot of extra brainpower needed for that and I’ve got sci-fi to watch and video games to play.

I assume that there are various levels within the other sins so there would be various levels within apathy. Ultimately though, not caring or seeming not to care when another human being is suffering would be a big no-no, yet laughing at someone who trips over slightly and looks a bit embarrassed is not going to instantly send you to any of the major layers of hell, unless it’s the pope or something and even then the current one seems like he’d find it fairly funny himself.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yeah, apart from it making confession a little weirder…

“Bless me father for I have sinned. I just don’t care about the injustices that take place within our current justice system.”

“Apathy is a terrible sin; perform 10 acts of contrition and say twenty hail Mary’s” etc.

…it should encourage us all to care a bit more about each other rather than ourselves.

Though there is one thing though. If you are only caring about something because it’s a sin not to care about it, then you’re not genuinely caring for it, you’re only thinking of yourself. Thinking only of yourself falls into the ‘selfish’ category, which then falls into the cardinal sin of pride. So you’re just trading one for the other.

Every sin must also have to have an equal and opposite virtue, and the opposite of apathy is sympathy, I think. And I don’t think that sits well with the other virtues.

Geez, this whole thinking of a sin thing, is hard. No wonder they stopped at 7. I know I’m not as godlike as my exterior confidence would have you believe that I believe, but I’d struggle to make that list into a nice even ten.

Can you think of a better eighth, or maybe a ninth or ten sin?

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