Why is the human race so intent on doing the wrong thing when we know deep down that our actions are in fact wrong? When addressing this question, there are two sides or views. Most of the world is under the influence of the secular view, while Christians are of a view that opposes this prevailing secular outlook. When looking through the eyes of these viewpoints, there are three main areas to be covered. Covering these three areas is important in understanding how each viewpoint regards the act of wrong doing. First, there is the matter of how each side explains the origins of wrongdoing. Second, there needs to be an analysis of the methods each viewpoint uses to understand wrongdoing. Finally, there will be a study of the ways each viewpoint attempts to solve or address wrong doing. Christianity is the prevailing view because it offers a clear explanation in each area.

Wrong doing can be further narrowed to seven main actions that, if performed will lead to a multitude of other wrong. These seven actions are known as the Seven Deadly Sins. They are Pride, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath and Sloth. Authors of the past listed them in orders regarding their potency or which one lead to the others. In this regard, “Pride and envy are the primary sins of a secular society. “Pride for unreceived recognition and envy for those who received the recognition” (Nauta, Leon 179). Not only are the Seven Deadly Sins the root of all other sins, but they are also the root of despair. “These human passions or deadly sins lead only to emotional suffering”(Llansana, Josep 185). Although their pursuit may seem to further our success, continued

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performance of them will only bring us further towards despair. Defining the Seven Deadly Sins gives us a clear explanation of what the term wrongdoing encompasses.

To understand the origin of wrongdoing, turning to the Christian viewpoint is essential. In Christian doctrine the root of wrong doing traces itself to the book of Genesis in the Bible. In this book, God had created a perfect World and had placed the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden (Thomas Nelson, Genesis 1:31, 2:8). In this perfect world the Seven Deadly Sins did not exist. However, the devil did not like this and decided to tempt the man and women with the promise that if they would take a bite of a certain fruit they could then be like God (Thomas Nelson, Genesis 3:1, 5). Because the man and the women had been given free will by God, they chose to disobey him and listen to the serpent (Schroeder). Upon their consumption of the fruit, the ability to do wrong entered the world and this, in the Christian doctrine, is called original sin (Schroeder). All descendants of the first man and women have inherited this deadly trait (Schroeder). Theologians of the church such as Thomas Aquinas and St. Gregory, in a desire to live monastic lives of perfection, sought to define sin (Llanasana, Josep 188). Through their studies, the Seven Deadly Sins were born and have been used as a guide to define wrong doing.

The secular explanations for wrongdoing are not as clearly defined as those offered by the Christian view. The only explanation that really carries some weight is Darwin’s concept of the “Survival of the Fittest”, which developed through the human evolutionary process (Schroeder). Use of the Seven Deadly Sins, according to Darwin’s concept, developed originally as a means for human survival (Schroeder). From there, they have evolved into the roles they now play in the

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societies of today (Shroeder).”Modern society has accepted its fate as sinning machines. Committing these sins will make us happier and stronger” (Frank 97).Also, through other factors such as industrialization and the development of a society that no longer supports individualism, people have developed Narcissistic attitudes. ”Our society sets a premium on success and power. Not being able to achieve it leads to shame and reinforces narcissistic behavior” (Nauta, Leon 179). In order to support this attitude, individuals will use any means to get ahead of each other, even the seven deadly sins. Yet, these factors of suppressive societies, selfish attitudes, and the “Survival of the Fittest” are just derivatives of original sin. In fact,“ Christianity and the secular society both agree that sin is so deeply rooted in our society that we cannot stop committing them”(Frank 96). However, secular society has not accept that wrongdoing is deeply rooted. This attitude of denial stems from Christianity’s original sin and the notion that what is wrong is a decision of the people (Schroeder). So, while Christianity offers an explanation for the origins of wrongdoing, the secular view only echoes the notions set forth by Christianity.

Through a Christian’s clear knowledge of origin, they are able to understanding why they commit acts of wrong doing. The seven deadly sins also provide a Christian with guidelines to avoid wrongdoing. Besides the Seven Deadly Sins there are also the Ten Commandments. These commandments give laws in regards to not having idols, not using the name of God in vain, not committing adultery, not murdering, honoring authority, and not coveting one’s neighbor’s property (Exodus 20:3-17). Although all of this information can just be found in the Bible and read by anyone, Christians turn to the Church and theologians for a better understanding of this sometimes confusing information. For example, Evagrius Ponticus came up with detailed explanations for his eight thoughts which developed into the seven deadly sins (Llansana, Josep

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191-193). He says that “the proud do not recognize the help that comes from God and show a sense of superiority towards others” (Llansana, Josep 191). Clear explanations such as this offer Christians an advantage over someone of a secular viewpoint. However, the Bible still remains as the only reliable source for Christians to gather understanding about wrongdoing. In the current state of our society, some churches and theologians have been misguided in their interpretation of the information in the Bible (Schroeder). Yet, despite these misinterpretation, the Bible still remains as a clear guide for defining wrongdoing. So, in times of corruption, Christians can still retain their true understanding of wrongdoing and their clarity of view through the Bible.

On the other hand, the secular view of wrongdoing is based on the law of the government and whoever is control of this law. “Just change the environment, according to political thinking, and we can fix everything” (Schroeder).Thus the law changes and bends depending on the view of those in charge. “Whoever is in charge makes the rules to control the herd” (Schroeder).The secular view also uses reason and science to provide their understanding of wrongdoing. This factor can be traced back to the enlightenment and its agenda to push the use of reasoning to explain the workings of the world. Through the enlightenment, “The church began to be regarded just as a place of superstition and unproven information” (Schroeder).By conducting surveys and studying the brain, scientists deduct their understanding of wrongdoing.  When studying the brain, ”techniques such as the functional magnetic resonance imaging, which highlights metabolically active areas of the brain, now allow neuro scientists to probe the biology behind bad intentions”(McGowan 1). For example, research showed that when we feel pride our brain attempts to provide good traits that gloss over our bad traits. ”Those who see themselves as they truly are have a greater chance of being diagnosed with clinical depression.”(McGowan 3). By

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bypassing this system using transcranial magnetic stimulation, neurologists were able deactivate this part of the brain allowing individuals to be satisfied with their self-image. Surveys use systems of rating statements such as “I like to be the center of attention” and “Sometimes people look up to me” as well as three scales called the Psychological well-being scale, the Narcissism Scale and the Deadly sins scale. These tools show “that narcissism is more important than a lack of personal well-being in explaining variance in the two factors structuring the seven deadly, which are resentment and desire ( Nauta, Leon 181,182,184). Secularists are therefore able to decide right and wrong because they don’t believe in a God of superstition, but rather they believe in reasoning and science. Why should an individual follow the commands of God, who according to their reasoning doesn’t exist, when a scientific explanation is readily available? Therefore, if God doesn’t exist, then indulging in the Seven Deadly Sins isn’t wrong. The media even portrays their use and supports the notion it is okay to proceed with their use. “Every day and every hour, acts of gluttony, lust, covetousness, envy, pride, wrath, and sloth are portrayed on television” (Frank 96).Thus, the secular view is driven by human reason which leads to the notion that there is no God. God’s absence leaves the decisions of right and wrong to those in power. This system offers no protection against corruption because right and wrong is relative to whoever is in power. Christianity, however, can preserves their explanation of wrong doing through the Bible.

Through a Christian’s knowledge of wrongdoing’s origin and its understanding, they are able to conclude that they need help in order to combat the incessant desire to do wrong. Understanding the root of the problem really helps Christians to seek help rather than attempt to trudge through this world on their own, because ”hard labor and understanding the root are the best ways to combat wrongdoing” (Llansana, Josep 194). St. John Cassian truly believed in this

Timothy 6 notion of origin and understanding. “For unless the different kinds of sins are first explained, and the origin and causes of disease traced out, the proper healing remedies cannot be applied to the sick, nor can the preservation of perfect health be secured by the strong” (Llansana, Josep 193).The Bible also contains an abundance of information about such topics as prayer, repentance, and seeking God’s help for salvation. By speaking to God through prayer Christians can ask God about anything on their minds and find comfort in speaking to someone who won’t judge them. “When they pray toward this place, hear from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive” (2 Chronicles 6:21). Another important part of getting help as a Christian is to repent of any wrongdoing and seek God’s help in resisting further temptation to commit more wrongdoing. “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22). The assistance in navigating this world full of temptation, provided by the Christian viewpoint, equips its followers with the ability to combat the desire to do wrong.

Those of the secular viewpoint, however, are often caught up in their narcissistic attitudes and think that seeking out help to fight the desires to commit wrongdoing is weakness. This attitude often makes them become worse as they are overwhelmed by the temptations around them. In combination with this desire to resist help, those of the secular view often see this as their life and that they should get the most out of it (Schroeder). If sloth and lust aren’t breaking the law, but they will help a secularist live life to the fullest, then there is no reason to be punished for those actions. “We live in a narcissistic society, where sin has no meaning. Pride and envy dominate our society” (Nauta 588). Why should commandments be followed that seem only to do a disservice and that stifle attempts to have fun and enjoy life? Everyone else is doing it why should they miss out on having a good time for something they don’t even know is true? “The reason is that our

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society makes us self-centered. We don’t feel guilt, rather we want to be somebody and not nobody” (Nauta 588).This sense of entitlement towards God is detrimental to making any progress in the direction of dealing with temptation or wrongdoing. A lack of caring also contributes to this sense of entitlement. This inflation draws one of a secular view further from the truth, which is that they need help (Schroeder). Christianity, if one is willing to accept it, offers all sorts of help for those who are lost. However if individuals continue to seek the pleasures of the world and allow their narcissistic attitudes get in the way, they will continue to drown in the temptations of the seven deadly sins.

In the end, out of these three areas, acknowledgement of the origin is the most important. Through its understanding, the other two areas of understanding and help are drawn. But to even grasp the origins, human beings must be able to accept Christianity, especially the existence of God. Only by this acceptance will people be able to receive the help they need to put together the pieces of their lives that came to be through the lures of the seven deadly sins. The desires that these seven deadly sins present are to be resisted and not given into. Only through facing them with the help of God will one be able to truly live their life to the fullest. The narcissistic attitude, the lack of acknowledging the origin, a shortage of understanding what causes wrongdoing, and a lack of desire to seek help are what makes a secular view detrimental to finding why we do wrong even though we know it’s wrong. A Christian’s ability to understand the origin of wrongdoing and acknowledge the need for help is what places them on the road to recovery.

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Works Cited

McGowan, Kathleen. “Seven Deadly SINS”. Discover Magazine (2009): Pgs. 1-6. Academic

Search Complete. Web. 8 February 2015

Nauta, Rein, and Leon, Derckx. “Why Sin? A test and an exploration of the social and Academic

psychological context of resentment and desire”. Pastoral Psychology 56 (2007): Pgs. 177-188.Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Llansana, Lluis, and Josep Gallifa. “Human Passion from Classical Greece to the Contemporary

Psychology of Passion and the contribution of Christian Spirituality to the tradition of capital sin”. Journal of Religious History 36.2 (2012): pgs. 184-203. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Frank, Lisa. “The Evolution of the Seven Deadly Sins: From God to the Simpsons”. Journal of

Popular Culture 35.1 (2001): pgs. 95-105. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Nauta, Rein. “Sin, Self, and the Sacred: Some Elements of a Select Psychology for Care of

Souls”. Pastoral Psychology 56 (2008): pgs. 585-592. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 February 2015

Bible: The Holy Bible, New King Kames Version. Thomas Nelson Inc.1982.Print.

Bible Gateway.com. N.p.,n.d.Web.6 March 2015

Schroeder, Mark. Personal Interview. 8 March 2015