The Seven Deadly Sins Explained: How Do They Affect Your Life?

Everyone has heard about the seven deadly sins - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride - but where did this list of bad character traits come from and how can the list be relevant in today's society? Read on and learn how you may be falling prey to any or all of these seven deadly sins without knowing it!

First, where did they come from? Originally created as a way to classify "vices" as defined by the early Roman Catholic Church, these seven deadly sins became more and more popular as a way to encompass all of the evil that man could inflict upon himself and move further from God. In fact, there are also seven holy virtues - exact opposites of the seven deadly sins that do not seem to get as much publicity as their nastier brethren. The holy virtues are humility, diligence, temperance, abstinence, patience, chastity and kindness. As you can see, one offsets the other and in theory one should devote him or herself to pursuing the holy virtues instead of the seven deadly sins - but that does not happen as much as perhaps we would like in our society.

But how can you be guilty of one of the seven deadly sins and not even know it? Well, let us take a look at the list and how these seven deadly sins may have ensnared you without even knowing!

First, lust. The obvious answer to the casual observer may be that lust is a sexual sin and thus one cannot be guilty unless one is having an affair or some other illicit activity. But in theory this also extends far past just having an affair with someone to perhaps a sexual addiction to the Internet or to pornography where there may not be an easily visible victim. In today's society where online addiction to pornography and the rise of sexual addiction there may be more people falling prey to the first of the seven deadly sins that at first glance.