7 Deadly Sins

7 Deadly Sins

A Term Paper
Presented to
Dr. Susanne Dominquez
Rizal Technological University

Joanna Michele C. Aguilar
CBET-18-202A

TOPIC OUTLINE

Thesis Statement: Sin a transgression of the law of God, especially when deliberate it is caused by an irresistible temptation.

I. Introduction
II. The 7 Deadly Sin
A. History
B. Why Seven?
III. Lust
Demon of Lust: Asmodeus
IV. Greed
Demon of Greed: Mammon
V. Gluttony
Demon of Gluttony: Beelzebub
VI. Envy
Demon of Envy: Leviathan
VII. Wrath
Demon of Wrath: Satan
VIII. Pride
Demon of Pride: Lucifer
IX. Sloth
Demon of Sloth: Belphegor
X. Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Everyone sins. But what are sins? Sin is an offense against religious or moral law cited in Merriam Webster Dictionary. There has never been a human who has never sinned, with the exception of Jesus Christ. All sins are an affront to God Almighty Who is holy, but some sins are specifically mentioned as an abomination to God. In fact, seven sins are said to be deadly. What are the seven deadly sins and why are they so deadly? What are the meanings of these seven deadly sins?
They say those 7 deadly also sins represent a demon. But what is a demon? How come they represent those deadly sins? Was it because they also sinned? Who or what are they?
Demons are supernatural being of Greek mythology intermediate between Gods and men, cited in Merriam-Webster dictionary. Demons are fallen angels who have managed to do the immortal. They were the ones who encourage humans to turn against God, they were the temptation. They were the temptation that could leads us to do this immortal act, and this immortal act is your key to Hell.

The 7 Deadly Sins

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.“ Proverbs 6:16-19

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a classification of vices (part of Christian ethics) that has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin. In the currently recognized version, the sins are usually given as wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.
The Catholic Church divides sin into two categories: venial sins, in which guilt is relatively minor, and the more severe mortal sins. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a mortal or deadly sin is believed to destroy the life of grace and charity within a person and thus creates the threat of eternal damnation. "Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us – that is, charity – necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation.”
According to Catholic moral thought, the seven deadly sins are not discrete from other sins, but are instead the origin ("capital" comes from the Latin caput, head) of the others. Vices can be either venial or mortal, depending on the situation, but "are called 'capital' because they engender other sins, other vices".
1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.”
In the above scripture, St. John talks about three basic types of sin - The lust of the flesh (gluttony, lust, sloth), the lust of the eyes (greed), and the pride of life (pride, envy, anger). Overcoming these things should be our life's work.
The Seven Deadly Sins have been used to summarize the condition of fallen humanity for the purposes of education and edification; in other words, they teach people about what displeases God and by avoiding them it enhances the believer's efforts to live as a Christian.
The History of the Seven Deadly Sins
"The Seven Deadly Sins" can be traced back to the 4th century A.D. when a monk named Evagrius Ponticus generated his own sin list, likely stemming from problems he saw in his own day (behaviors which undoubtedly were, and still are, present in other times and places).
His list included the following sins: gluttony, fornication/prostitution, greed, pride, sadness (i.e. envy – sadness at another’s good fortune), wrath, boasting (i.e. a verbal proclamation of inner pride), and dejection (i.e. gloominess, depression). Evagrius' list proved to have staying power in the Church and was translated from Greek into Latin and used for educational and devotional purposes.
In 590 Pope Gregory I revised Evagrius’ list, although the essence remained the same. Gregory’s list included sloth (a combination of three of the sins on Evagrius’ list), greed, pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, and added envy. Gregory also emphasized an order to the list: (1) lust, (2) gluttony, (3) greed, (4) sloth, (5) wrath, (6) envy, and (7) pride.
Gregory’s list, and its order, was cemented into Roman Catholic tradition for centuries to come when the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) used them in his epic tale, The Divine Comedy.

Why Seven?
The number seven is special to God. It took seven days to create the world. A week has seven days in it. God rested on the seventh day. In ancient Israel, they were to rest on the Sabbath and the seventh day was a commanded day of rest and assembly for worship of God and it was the fourth commandment given. The root word for the number seven in Hebrew means “to be full” or “to be complete.” Seven, being full and complete, means that nothing could be added to it or taken away from it. It is a number of completion and perfection. So if anyone has these particular seven sins, they are in a sense, in a complete state of sin as far as God is concerned. What are these seven, or complete and deadly sins that Solomon warned us about in the Book of Proverbs? Solomon was said to be the wisest man ever to live – except of course Jesus Christ Who is both God and man.

LUST
Lust or lechery (carnal "luxuria") is an intense desire. It is a general term for desire. Therefore lust could involve the intense desire of money, food, fame, power or sex.
Lust is a self-destructive drive for pleasure out of proportion to its worth.
In Dante's Purgatorio, the penitent walks within flames to purge himself of lustful thoughts and feelings. In Dante's Inferno, unforgiven souls of the sin of lust are blown about in restless hurricane-like winds symbolic of their own lack of self-control to their lustful passions in earthly life.

Demon of Lust: Asmodeus
Asmodeus also is referred to as one of the seven princes of Hell. In Binsfeld's classification of demons, each one of these princes represents one of the seven deadly sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride). Asmodeus is the demon of lust and is therefore responsible for twisting people's sexual desires. Demon of wrath; prince of demon; the father of monsters; inspires gambling, deceit, lust, and revenge.
In the Book of Tobit
The Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit is attracted to Sarah, Raguel's daughter, and is not willing to let any husband possess her (Tobit 6:13); hence he slays seven successive husbands on their wedding nights, impeding the sexual consummation of the marriages. He is described as 'the worst of demons'. When the young Tobias is about to marry her, Asmodeus proposes the same fate for him, but Tobias is enabled, through the counsels of his attendant angel Raphael, to render him innocuous. By placing a fish's heart and liver on red-hot cinders, Tobias produces a smoky vapor that causes the demon to flee to Egypt where Raphael binds him (Tobit 8:2-3). According to some translations Asmodeus is strangled.
Asmodeus would thus seem to be a demon characterized by carnal desire; but he is also described as an evil spirit in general: 'Ασμοδαίος τὸ πονηρὸν δαιμόνιον or τõ δαιμόνιον πονηρόν, and πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον (Tobit 3:8; Tobit 3:17; Tobit 6:13; Tobit 8:3). It is possible, moreover, that the statement (Tobit 6:14), "Asmodeus loved Sarah," implies that he was attracted not by women in general, but by Sarah specifically.

GREED
Greed (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice, cupidity or covetousness, it is like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "Greed is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things." In Dante's Purgatory, the penitents were bound and laid face down on the ground for having concentrated too much on earthly thoughts. Scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects, theft and robbery, especially by means of violence, trickery, or manipulation of authority are all actions that may be inspired by Greed. Such misdeeds can include simony, where one attempts to purchase or sell sacraments, including Holy Orders and, therefore, positions of authority in the Church hierarchy.
As defined outside of Christian writings, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one need, especially with respect to material wealth.

Demon of Greed: Mammon Demon of wealth; son of the devil; inspire gross injustice, idolatry, and the love of money over all other things. From Late Latin Mammon, from Greek Mammonas,from Aramaic Mamona. C. 1362.(Judeo-Christian). Christians began to use the name of Mammon as a pejorative, a term that was used to describe gluttony and unjust worldly gain in Biblical literature. It was personified as a false god in the New Testament. {Mt.6.24; Lk.16.13} The term is often used to refer to excessive materialism or greed as a negative influence.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible explains "mammon is a Semitic word for money or riches." The International Children's Bible (ICB) uses the wording, "You cannot serve God and money at the same time." During the Middle Ages, Mammon was commonly personified as the demon of gluttony, richness, and injustice. Thus Peter Lombard (II, dist. 6) says, "Riches are called by the name of a devil, namely Mammon, for Mammon is the name of a devil, by which name riches are called according to the Syrian tongue." Piers Plowman also regards Mammon as a deity. Nicholas de Lyra (commenting on the passage in Luke) says: "Mammon est nomen daemonis" (Mammon is the name of a demon).
Albert Barnes in his Notes on the New Testament states that Mammon was a Syriac word for an idol worshipped as the god of riches, similar to Plutus among the Greeks, but he cited no authority for the statement.
GLUTTONY
The sin of gluttony isn't mentioned in the Bible, but as early as the 4th century those of Christian faith believed that eating too much could send you to Hell. During the Dark Ages theologians believed there were seven ways to commit the sin of gluttony, from "eating too much" to "eating too daintily." Italian writer Dante said those who committed the sin of gluttony would be punished in hell by being force-fed toads and vermin. This sin is thought to be the cause of obesity and alcoholism – and crusaders fought against the sin with everything from religious fasts to Prohibition. Derived from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony (Latin, gula).
Because of these scripts, gluttony can be interpreted as selfishness; essentially placing concern with one's own interests above the well-being or interests of others. Thomas Aquinas went so far as to prepare a list of six ways to commit gluttony, comprising:
Praepropere – eating too soon
Laute – eating too expensively
Nimis – eating too much
Ardenter – eating too eagerly
Studiose – eating too daintily
Forente – eating wildly

Demon of Gluttony: Beelzebub
"Lord of the Flies"
The prince of demons; the lord of the flies or or "lord of the (heavenly) dwelling"; inspires gluttony, unholy desire, jealousy, war and murder. In modern times Beelzebub is often used synonymously with the devil.
Beelzebub was also known as Belzebuth or Baalzebub. He is believed to have been the controller and creator of the flies in the Philistine city of Ekron. He is said to be associated with diseases, especially diseases associated with flies swarming around corpses. He is also believed to use pride to tempt people for his evil purposes.
Beelzebub is one of the oldest and most demonic figures ever. His strength surpassed the extremes of evil and thus he was termed the "King of fallen Gods". He is also considered the ruler of the infernal regions.
Beelzebub’s Cyrenean name is Achor, or the Prince of devils.

ENVY
Like greed and lust, Envy (Latin, invidia) is characterized by an insatiable desire. Envy is similar to jealousy in that they both feel discontent towards someone's traits, status, abilities, or rewards. The difference is the envious also desire the entity and covet it.
Envy can be directly related to the Ten Commandments, specifically, "Neither shall you desire... anything that belongs to your neighbor." Dante defined this as "a desire to deprive other men of theirs". In Dante's Purgatory, the punishment for the envious is to have their eyes sewn shut with wire because they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others brought low. Aquinas described envy as "sorrow for another's good".

Demon of Envy: Leviathan
Leviathan (Hebrew לִוְיָתָן, livyatan of lava - "twisted, stranded") - "serpentine beast." a monstrous sea serpent, mentioned in the Old Testament, is sometimes identified with Satan, in modern Hebrew - a whale. Leviathan (Lefiafan, Lefian, Lat. Leviathan) - the demon of envy. Is a prince of the Seraphim, and with Beelzebub and Lucifer led a revolt of the angels. Leviathan ringleader of heretics, it entices people to sin, directly contrary to the faith. Leviathan is the gate of the subconscious, where they found of the whole of human strength and spiritual evolution. Lefiafan leads man to the most distorted perception of reality, which is due to a special state of mind and false representations.
Mythic al sea monster, the personification of all evil. In the mythological dictionary Leviathan is defined as an underwater fire-breathing monster with huge eyes lets him see through the dark water, column of the nostrils, which pulled out of pairs, a double row of sharp teeth glittering in the huge jaws and long, thin neck, which is crowned by a huge elongated head.
An enormous demon of darkness and chaos; associated with the sea; inspires arrogance, and envy.

WRATH
Wrath (Latin, ira), also known as "rage", may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Wrath, in its purest form, presents with self-destructiveness, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways, including impatience, revenge, and self-destructive behavior, such as drug abuse or suicide.
Wrath is the only sin not necessarily associated with selfishness or self-interest, although one can of course be wrathful for selfish reasons, such as jealousy (closely related to the sin of envy). Dante described vengeance as "love of justice perverted to revenge and spite". In its original form, the sin of wrath also encompassed anger pointed internally as well as externally. Thus suicide was deemed as the ultimate, albeit tragic, expression of hatred directed inwardly, a final rejection of God's gifts

Demon of Wrath: Satan
An angel expelled from heaven; evil personified; the great adversary; inspire man kind to turn away from God; inspires mortal sins. From Greek word Satanas.
Satan is the personification of evil. The name is often used synonymously with The Devil, and sometimes Lucifer.
In Judeo-Christian belief Satan is said to be a fallen angel. Originally he was one of the highest of angels but through pride and arrogance he refused to obey God's commands. Satan's purpose is to lead people away from God, his first such act being to speak through a serpent and convince Eve to disobey Him.
Many of the popular Christian beliefs about Satan are inferred from the Bible without being explicitly stated in scripture.
In Islamic belief Satan is known as Shaitan (شيطان) and is said to be a jinn who rebelled against God. Unlike an angel (who is always faithful to God), a jinn is said to be a pious human who normally follows God but retains free will—hence Shaitan's ability to disobey God.

PRIDE
In almost every list, pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris (Greek), is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the others. It is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour". In Jacob Bidermann's medieval miracle play, Cenodoxus, pride is the deadliest of all the sins and leads directly to the damnation of the titulary famed Parisian doctor. In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. In Dante's Divine Comedy, the penitents are burdened with stone slabs on their necks which force them to keep their heads bowed.

Demon of Pride: Lucifer A great angel cast into Hell; also known as light bringer, the bearer of light, and the morning star; inspires pride and rebellion. The name of Satan before his fall from heaven

SLOTH
Sloth (Latin, Socordia) can entail different vices. While sloth is sometimes defined as physical laziness, spiritual laziness is emphasized. Failing to develop spiritually is key to becoming guilty of sloth. In the Christian faith, sloth rejects grace and God.
Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do. By this definition, evil exists when good men fail to act.
Edmund Burke (1729-1797) wrote "No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavours are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united Cabals of ambitious citizens."When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."
Over time, the "acedia" in Pope Gregory's order has come to be closer in meaning to sloth. The focus came to be on the consequences of acedia rather than the cause, and so, by the 17th century, the exact deadly sin referred to was believed to be the failure to utilize one's talents and gifts.]Even in Dante's time there were signs of this change; in his Purgatorio he had portrayed the penance for acedia as running continuously at top speed.

Demon of Sloth: Belphegor Belphegor (or Beelphegor) is a mythical demon that assists people in making discoveries that may enable power, riches, and/or fame.
Belphegor has variously been depicted as a beautiful naked woman and as a bearded male demon with an open mouth, horns, and sharply pointed nails
According to Peter Binsfield's Binsfield's Classification of Demons, Belphegor is the chief demon of the deadly sin, Sloth. It has been said that he uses people's laziness to tempt them. The name Belphegor may have its origins in the Assyrian Baal-Peor, the god of the Moabites who was worshipped as a phallic deity by the people of Israel in Abel-Shittim. He was also associated with licentiousness and orgies that the Israeli people engaged in with Maobite women

Conclusion

As I have research, I therefore conclude that the 7 deadly sins are the reason for the others sins that human created from a lustful desire to a rape, from uncontrollable wrath to a murder, and more. The 7 seven deadly sins are act which human can’t resist its part of our lives we tend to be envious when we see a friend who was able to have the latest brand of gadget while we can’t have it, we get angry when someone provoke us, we are sometimes lazy, and also people sometimes become greedy for money. It is part of us, trying to resist to sins is a lifetime work, all we can do is we should not go overboard doing this sins, we have to limit and learn how to resist part of it, we have conscience that dictate if what we do are right or wrong, we must listen to it for we could be able to avoid committing the 7 deadly sins and the other sins.

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