CHAPTER 9: The Major Sins
In this chapter we turn from the causes and motivations of evil to
its specific manifestations in daily life. In the opening section, we
have selected passages on the difference between good and evil. The
remaining sections treat each of the major sins individually. There are
various ways of classifying evil deeds: sins of the mind, of the mouth,
and of the body, for example. Most commonly, however, the variety of evil
deeds can be classified according to four major sins: (1) sexual immorality, (2) murder, (3) stealing, and (4) lying. Crimes of the tongue may be
further subdivided: lying and deliberate deception, hypocrisy--especially
in matters of religion, slander and bearing false witness, and foul
speech. The final section deals with addictions to liquor, drugs, and
gambling, the so-called "victimless crimes" which are really crimes
against oneself.
The world's religions are quite unanimous in their condemnation of
these sins and group them together in listing the most serious evils. We
refer to injunctions in various expressions of the Decalogue, pp. 166-71,
and to the following typical passages:
Whoso in this world destroys life, tells lies, takes what is not
given, goes to others' wives, and is addicted to intoxicating
drinks, such a one digs up his own root in this world.
Buddhism. Dhammapada 246-47
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolators, nor
adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of
God.
Christianity. 1 Corinthians 6.9-10
The plunderer of gold, the liquor-drinker, the invader of a teacher's bed, the Brahmin-killer: These four sink downward in the scale-- And, fifth, he who consorts
with them.
Hinduism. Chandogya Upanishad 5.10.9
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