THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

"Sin creates [an inclination] to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root."

Para. 1865, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994

Now that we have that out of the way, I've been thinking about the top 7 lately, and how they apply to me in my current incarnation. (Paragraph 1865???WTF catholics?!)

Envy: I envy people with wealth because of their ability to have stuff, unlimited stuff. Then I remember that almost all the wealthy people I have ever known were shallow and unhappy underneath all that stuff. I have occasionally been wealthy in my life, and when I was I accumulated a lot of stuff, with the exception of my musically related stuff, I look at this stuff and think " I should throw this stuff away".But I haven't yet, because I'm apparently still resolving the sin of envy.

Gluttony: This one is easy, I drink too much, I smoke too much...I used to do a lot of drugs.I'm a sucker for ol' gluttony, but I'm learning. Gluttony, for me, ties into pride. It's a lot easier to get fucked up and forget about it than deal with a problem. To admit you have a problem involves pride, usually a loss of it...you can falsely preserve your pride by practicing gluttony. Gluttony, unless you're hooked on twinkies and weigh 350 lbs. can actually be fun, but then again...what do I know? I'm 185 lbs. and hooked on margaritas. Eating twinkies and slapping baby powder on your many rolls might be a veritable laugh riot.

Pride: In layman's terms...big headed. That's not me, but I do buy into the notion (sometimes) that I am too proud to admit a weakness, like drinking or smoking.But I have always been up front about my limitations.

Lust:Fuck yeah! I generally focus a majority of this sin on my wife (:)), but my feeling is, if you ain't looking-you ain't living...there are so many beautiful people in the world worthy of your lust, and if you turn yourself off to this most natural impulse you'll end up like that guy from INXS-strapped by the neck to a doorknob with your dick in your hand...or worse. It's like a friend of mine once said " It doesn't matter whose menu you peruse, as long as you take your meals at home" .

Sloth: I am, to quote John Lydon, "a lazy sort"...I wish I wasn't, but I am. If this is a one way ticket to hell, so be it.

Wrath: I am so into wrath, but in a detached, indirect sort of way.My wrath is an ill focused remnant of my punk rock past. It doesn't feel good to be angry anymore, but the memory of that anger, of that passion, makes me smile every time. Wrath, in my opinion should not be a deadly sin, rather, it should be relegated to fond memory of youth.

Greed: I am not greedy, but I was in the deep dark past. Speed made me greedy, especially when the vial was getting empty. I wanted my bump, dammit. Greed is not an issue for me now, nor has it been for many years. In fact, I am quite the opposite...

How do you match up with the 7 deadly?

[Listening to: Dante's Prayer - Loreena McKennitt - Book of Secrets (7:11)]