What's the purpose of the 7 Deadly Sins?

Question

Who created them and what is the purpose of it?

Answer 1

1. What are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604) described Seven Deadly Sins in his Moralia in Job.

1. Superbia Pride
2. Invidia Envy
3. Ira Anger
4. Avaritia Avarice
5. Tristia Sadness
6. Gula Gluttony
7. Luxuria Lust

2. Why were they called ‘Deadly’?

The church made a division between sins which were venial and could be forgiven without the need for the sacrament of Confession and those which were capital and merited damnation. Capital or Deadly Sins were so called because they could have a fatal effect on an individual’s spiritual health. British wall paintings stressed the connection between committing the Deadly Sins and ending up in Hell.

3. Why did people need to know about these sins?

You might imagine that the church would want to prevent people even thinking about such spiritually dangerous actions. But there were two good reasons why churchmen felt it was important to educate people:

so that they would not commit these sins without realising how serious they were,
so that they would be able to confess any such sins and gain absolution.

Also...
After three, seven is the number of greatest religious significance in ancient Judaism. God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, hallowing it. The number seven consequently had connotations of completeness or perfection.

It was also significant in the Ancient World, associated with the seven planets, the seven ages of man and the Seven Wonders of the World. Given its prominence in Jewish and Antique thought, it is not surprising that it retained its significance in the early Church.

The Seven Deadly Sins became one of a number of important groups of seven current in the medieval church, for example, the Seven canonical hours, the Seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, the Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows of the Virgin and, of course, the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy.

Answer 2

The seven deadly sins are inherent to all human beings to varying degrees. It is our struggle to keep the "right sized" that makes us human. After all, we are all prideful,or nothing would ever get accomplished, lustful or there would be no one to populate our planet, angry or no one would fight for what is right, greedy or we wouldn't have any thing (greed is not just money), gluttonous or we'd all be living commercials for Jenny Craig ( but again, gluttony is not just about food either), envious or we would not aspire to greater things, or slothful because we are human and can never give 100% at all time. These are just the thoughts of an ordained minister who struggles with the 7 deadly sins everyday, as do all human beings.

Answer 3

The list was developed by Catholic theologians during the Middle Ages was a way of classifying the major sins. Beside the seven "deadly" sin, that they believed would send you to hell, there were also seven lesser sins, that only required penance to be forgiven.

Answer 4

Isn't it from the Bible? I'm sure that its purpose is to minimize "evil" in the world, if something like gluttony is known as a sin, then you will try to cut down on eating like a pig, because you know its not good. Even though it is said you shouldn't do these sins, I think they are put there for us to just cut down on them, because most of us are bound to sin.

Answer 5

I suspect it was an attempt to create "balance" with the "Seven Cardinal Virtues."
Or maybe just because the wicked need to set goals, too.
"Oooo, ooo, I just got number 5! Yeah! Only six more to go!"
I suppose I would be more worried if "Sarcasm" were a Deadly Sin.

Answer 6

Like has been stated here it was the Christian Church setting Dogma.

Some of the ancient Greeks practiced and taught the Golden Mean whose main tenet meant to take nothing in life to extremes and since this included the church, god and religion the Church leaders choose to create their own version.

When we allow any aspect of our life to get out of balance it becomes dysfunctional and can if carried to extremes becomes self destructive and pathological. ~ Rudy

Answer 7

A guide line for doing the right thing (not the movie)

Answer 8

I think someone made the phrase up in the Middle ages.

But they are all still sins.

Answer 9

So you know when u r not doing the right thing-

Answer 10

I always thought it was a checklist!

Ooh, sorry. My bad.