The New Seven Sins
There might be an epidemic going around, because after the new seven wonders we have the new seven sins. The Vatican decided it’s about time to update the list by adding seven more sins that, in their view, send a soul on a one-way trip to Hell. Of course, confession is still the panacea. Screw personal responsibility, right?
Let’s take a look at the list: environmental pollution, genetic manipulation, accumulating excessive wealth, inflicting poverty, drug trafficking and consumption, morally debatable experiments, violation of fundamental rights of human nature. I should also add that in plenty of places accumulating excessive wealth and inflicting poverty were considered a single item on the list, as in creating social injustice by the concentration of wealth, and the violation of human rights was replaced by two very specific actions, namely abortion and pedophilia.
I’ll start with a comment on including abortion on the list. I didn’t see the original article or a full statement and I frankly can’t be bothered to look for it, but it doesn’t really matter whether it was listed as one of the new sins or given as an example of violation of human rights. Either way, setting it aside means the Catholic Church admits that an embryo is not actually alive, because if it would be alive then abortion would be killing it, therefore violating one of the Commandments and therefore already being a capital sin. And an even more interesting thing is that it was presented as a violation of women’s rights! How exactly is having an abortion violating women’s rights and keeping an unwanted pregnancy supporting them?
Next, somebody should define “morally debatable experiments”, because everything can be debatable. Take two people with differing values and you have a debate, simple as that. I know what they’re aiming at, stem cells and cloning, but they could have said it in just so many words in that case. And if those are harmful, then I assume prolonging the suffering of those who could be cured by the results of those experiments is beneficial? Interesting… Scientists should keep that in mind whenever a member of the Catholic Church needs their help due to such an illness.
And if that needs defining, how about “violation of fundamental rights of human nature”? That can mean so many things that it’s not even worth discussing. Especially since they have a completely different definition for “human nature” too…
As for genetic manipulation, it depends on the reason. If you change a creature’s DNA in order to remove a disease, it goes right back to what I said above. And if you change it to create improvements that would benefit the creature itself, then I don’t see a real problem. Of course, when it comes to other issues like genetically modified crops or livestock created for the benefit of people in general and big business in particular, the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” comes to mind. I might not agree with their reasons for saying this, but I do agree that such things shouldn’t be done.
And when it comes to drugs, what ever happened to free will and those human rights they mentioned? I do agree that using any such substances is bad, but I put personal freedom above such concerns. As long as you don’t force others into it and don’t cause harm to anyone else while under the influence, I see it as your right to use whatever you please and your responsibility to handle the consequences. And dealers only exist because users exist.
However, I’m pleasantly surprised to see environmental pollution being included. I’m also worried, because the more such institutions (not to mention large companies) I hear talking about protecting the environment, the more it becomes simply another marketing scam. Doing something for the environment should be profitable, but the problem is that only saying you will seems to be enough.
Also pleased to see something against accumulating excessive wealth and inflicting poverty there. I’ll be even more pleased when they’ll also look in their own back yard when they’re saying that. I think the Christian clergy needs a lesson in living humbly…
