Seven Deadly Sins

Christianity says lust is a sin but the Greek and Roman empires celebrated it. The history of the sin of lust reveals surprising twists--including Gnostic Christian orgies, Puritan anti-fornication laws, and exorcists who battled the demon of lust called Asmodeus. Today scientists believe the sin of lust maybe more genetics than choice... but can they prove it?

The medieval philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas said that those guilty of the sin of envy take "pleasure at another's misfortune." Italian writer Dante characterized the envious as "sinners [who] have their eyes sewn shut because they enjoyed watching others brought low." The sin of envy has led to murder, revolution and even the fall of empires. Yet in today's image-saturated world, has the sin of envy gone from vice to virtue?

The sin of gluttony isn't mentioned in the Bible, but as early as the 4th century those of Christian faith believed that eating to 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.

Simply put, the sin of sloth is the sin of the lazy. According to medieval theologians, it can doom a person to Hell. Some scientists suggest that the sin of sloth may actually be a medieval diagnosis of clinical depression. Is it a sin or a disease? The historical cures for the sin of sloth range from ancient Greek doctors who fought it with herbs, to medieval monks who prescribed prayer and fasting, to early-20th-Century doctors who battled "lack-of-pep" with grafted goat glands.

The sin of greed is condemned in the Bible by the Tenth Commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Covet." While vilified from the time of Moses to the modern bankers' bailouts, the sin of greed has created vast empires and doomed them as well. Wise men from the philosopher Aristotle to Jesus have railed against this vice, but the 18th Century economist Adam Smith theorized that capitalism itself was based on the sin of greed. Today, many question the sin... has greed become good?

The sin of anger is the sin that kills. The prophet Moses was prone to fits of rage. The mythic warriors of Sparta meditated in order to banish the sin of anger before a battle. Italian writer Dante placed those that committed the sin of anger in the "Fourth Circle of Hell," tearing each other limb from limb for eternity. Those who study demonology claim the sin of anger is really the possession of the body by the demon Ammon. Today, neuroscientists believe they've found the emotion of anger in the "amygdala." So, is the sin of anger demonic or chemical?