The Seven Deadly Sins, St John Cassian, Pope Gregory the Great, Geoffrey Chaucer

St. John Cassian (360-435) originally pinpointed the list of the seven deadly sins. Pope Gregory the Great (6th century) clarified the list and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (14th century) familiarized the English public to the seven deadly sins concept.

 It is a core group of attitudes and actions that corrupt the spirit. These sins and others deaden the conscience to right and wrong, after practices them for a period of time.

The point is that one sin leads to another. This list can help someone look at himself and see what some of his ingrained sins are, so he can repent. The seven vices are seen as mortal sins by the Catholic Church. They are deadly because they entice to breaking the Ten Commandments and destroy the sanctifying grace in the individual.

The seven deadly sins are pride or vanity, envy, lust, anger, gluttony, and greed.

• Pride is the major one because you don't acknowledge God as the giver of life and talents.  It makes you think you're better than other people. So hurting people by lying, violence, cheating, stealing, being rude, being inconsiderate, insulting, and ignoring them is okay because you're better than they are, and they don't understand.
• Envy or jealousy is wanting what others have and resenting their accomplishments, material or spiritual situation.
• Lust is treating and thinking of people as sex objects, wanting sex with them outside of marriage or the inordinate desire for food, money, or power. Lust initially meant desire for something.
• Anger is wrong when you want revenge. Impatience is akin to anger.
• Greed or avarice is the inordinate desire for things, putting things before loving people.
• Sloth is just plain laziness, avoiding work, related to procrastination, it can be spiritual or physical laziness.

Gluttony was covered in another article.

Gluttony

Community College of Baltimore County Refused Brandon Jenkins Application

The program director and college officials rejected Brandon Jenkins ' application because he said God was most important to him. He had answered their question: "What is most important to you?" 

He was qualified for the program, and he had outstanding scores for admission benchmarks. When he inquired about his rejection the director said his beliefs weren't suited for the field of radiation therapy. Jenkins applied in 2013.

 On 04-09-14 the ACLJ filed a lawsuit opposing the officials at the Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland. The complaint seeks to defend the First Amendment rights of Brandon Jenkins that his lawyer rightly says were violated by the college. They request also that the college doesn't discriminate against him anymore or exact retribution against Mr. Jenkins.

An alleged criminal charge from 10 years before was also cited by school officials as another reason to reject Jenkins application to the radiation therapy program. But he has been helping at a halfway house more recently. Maybe we need to give people a break when they are now trying to do good.

The college officials had agreed that he wore his religious beliefs on his sleeve. Come on. Really? Apparently, to them people are supposed to hide their religious beliefs, even if a question prompts mention of the belief. The officials said this was the main reason he was rejected from the program.

Christians Bashed in Walkerton, Indiana, Memories Pizza Forced to Close

 Memories Pizza, Ridiculous Hypothetical Question

 Kevin and Crystal O'Connor of Memories Pizza were set up by a reporter with a 

hypothetical question. Would they serve pizzas for a gay marriage asked the reporter.

The daughter said they would have to say no. Whoever heard of pizzas catered for a wedding. This illogical and twisted question had to be meant to stir trouble. 

The response to her answer has been a mean spirited attack. Their phone began to ring constantly, and they didn't know which orders were legitimate. This phone attack was meant to close them down.

A female coach tweeted about burning down the little pizza shop. What? Is that a rational reaction to Crystal's answer?  In the United States we have freedom of speech, albeit Christians aren't allowed to voice theirs without a hateful backlash, even when asked a ridiculous question because the scenario is absurd.

OTHER RESPONSES  

Tammy Bruce advised to stop harassing Christians concerning the Religious Freedom Law of Indiana. She said they shouldn't act like bullies, an apt response to people that have harassed the O'Connors and protest constantly that nobody should bully them. Bruce said the attackers were like a wolf pack.

It is correct to say that bullies are wrong. It is right to say that no one should be bullied. Therefore, stop bullying Christians.

Bruce is a conservative gay woman and a Fox News contributor.
  
Contributions

People concerned about the O'Connors having to close their pizza shop for awhile have been contributing funds to help them. That is a kind response.

Lehigh County Seal, Cross Threatened by Atheists

Atheists of the organization called Freedom From Religion asked that the cross be removed from the seal. The county commissioners all voted to keep the cross on 03/26/15. This was in response to a letter from atheistic group sent in November. The seal has been used since 1944.

Crosses have been a part of this country as grave markers, on churches, on county seals since this country began. Crosses have have a long standing history of being an aspect of this nation's cultural heritage and landscape.

These days the upstart atheists, the new radical atheists that are on the attack to kill Christian spiritual symbols in the United States are on the rise.

The first settlers of Lehigh were Christians. This historical fact doesn't daunt the atheists. The attorney for The Freedom From Religion group argues that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is being violated, though it isn't. The clause puts limits on Congress regarding religion.

Below is a breakdown of the two clauses of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

You can read respecting as regarding or in reference to. 

The second part of the First Amendment  is the Free Exercise Clause.

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

This really has nothing to do with the Lehigh County Seal except protecting the county's right to have the cross on the seal. But atheists and liberals twist the constitution into a pretzel to get it to say what they want it to say.

Congress is restricted from establishing a state religion. But that doesn't restrict Lehigh county from having a cross on their seal. They aren't establishing a religion.

The atheists argument is foolish nonsense. Yes, it is falderal.

So, the first settlers were Christians. When the seal was designed this fact was respected. Now some meddlers, that have no respect for the reason the seal includes the cross want it to come down.

These atheistic troublemakers just want God and especially Jesus out of the public eye. They want His symbol out of view. It must irritate what is left of their conscience.

 

Professor John McAdams Banned for Defending Student's Right to Disscuss Issue, May Be Fired from Marquette University

 Teaching Assistant and Student

 Teaching assistant Cheryl Abbate denied the right of discussion in class. She had written a list on the board including gay rights. Then she loftily dismissed this subject as not debatable. She stated that everyone agrees. But a student disagreed with some ideas about gay rights and wanted to debate it.

This happened in a philosophy class purported to teach applying philosophical ideas to topical political controversies. How do you teach this without a discussion?

When a student talked to her after class, he expressed that discussion was pertinent. She replied that his opinions weren't opportune. She said his ideas weren't suitable for discussion. In a class that is mainly composed of discussion and debate, what? Stop a minute and think, what?

 Indeed, discussion is on target in a philosophy class, don't you think?

While Catholicism agrees with the Bible that homosexuality is a sin, it says the person should still be respected. It says every person should be accorded human dignity. This is in accord with the way Jesus treated sinners that others shunned.
 
Thus, the student that wanted discussion of a topic brought up in class had the right of respect from teaching assistant Cheryl Abbate. But she summarily dismissed discussing gay marriage. After class she told him someone might be offended by his opinions. You think that might ever happen in a topical philosophy class, duh?

 Someone might be offended because he disagrees with gay marriage. But the Catholic Church doesn't allow or believe in gay marriage, yet the same opinion can't be expressed in class at a Catholic university.  Maybe the 21st century is the Twilight Zone...

Abbate also suggested that he drop the class. Which he did. What's wrong with that suggestion? Just think about it. The usual reasons for dropping a class are the likelihood of a failing grade, illness or the student doesn't like the class. But why did he drop? If he didn't like the class, it is obvious why he disliked it.

John McAdams Banned (2014)

 Professor John McAdams comes to the rescue on his blog "Marquette Warrior." McAdams stalwartly spoke up for the student. He wrote searingly against the teaching assistant's muzzling of debate on gay marriage.

This valiant effort to support the student's right to debate was countered by banning the tenured professor of 37 years. They relieved him of his teaching and faculty activities. This information was delivered by a letter from Dean Richard Holz. McAdams isn't allowed on the campus during this inquiry of his conduct.

Investigation of his conduct...wait, what? At a supposedly Catholic university? It was founded as a Catholic institution but has gone astray. Why? Because a student doesn't have the right to oppose an idea he disagrees with in  a class, and a professor apparently can't defend the student on his blog without reprisal from the university.

Marquette to Fire Professor (2015) 

According to the Academe Blog posted 02/04/15 Marquette University will fire Professor John McAdams.  Dean Richard Holtz speaks of tolerance in his recent letter to McAdams. He says the professor has violated a tolerance policy. But McAdams has a right to express his opinions on his blog. The post states that the letter distorts the AAUP's statements on tolerance. But according to them, the professor should not be fired for writing or stating his opinions. 

The Academe Blog post address is Academe Blog Post . The post explains the AAUP's statements and about the university's policies on academic freedom. 

Lowlife Popularity: Pimped and Pimped Out

The words pimp and pimped out have become mainstream terms in American. What is wrong with this picture? There was a time when lowlife terms and the life and actions of people in this lifestyle was frowned upon. It was not part of the mainstream.

As films began to involve pimps and prostitutes and then rappers began to use these words in their material, the gutter words gained prominence in the consciousness of the country. Now little children are exposed to these words. This is indeed a bad picture.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word pimper (infinitive) is a 16^th century French word, and it means dressing elegantly. The French word pimpant (present participle) means dressing in a seductive manner. In the English language, the word became pimp and it was introduced in a book by Thomas Middleton entitled Your Five Gallants. It was published in 1607. Pimp was first written as a verb in the book The Bashful Lover by Massinger published in 1636.

During the feudal times in England a pimp was a tenure that allowed a tenant to utilize property owned by a lord. The renter paid the lord with a service, which was usually supplying young women for sex, according to the Law Encyclopedia.

Pimped Out
The phrase pimped out has arrived and its definition from Dictionary.com is “very gaudily decorated or customized; flashy. Gaudy is a long way from elegant, isn't it? The etymology of pimped out dates it from 1988.

The Online Slang Dictionary pimp meaning is: very good, excellent; cool, awesome,  also pimping.

Pimp It Up

Pimp it up is a popular phrase meaning having a good time, sort of taking charge of how wonderful that experience is going to be. ..according to The Online Slang Dictionary.

Language in a culture is indicative of attitudes, the direction the culture is headed, what people think about, and the moral state of that society. When phrases or words become popular it shows what many people in that society will accept as normal and it becomes normative.

Watch out when lowlife words are elevated and pimp costumes and pimp my ride games and pimp street games are in vogue.

Is this what the United States has come to that these words words descriptive of this degradation are popular and have gained the status of general usage in this country? Where does the shame really belong?

Are people going to continued to be steeped in this lowlife verbal boil like the proverbial frog that got boiled in the pot because someone turned the heat up slowly? He didn't get out because of the slowness of the attack. The attack on moral concepts isn't slow in America anymore because it doesn't have to be slow. The attack can be fast because so much of the moral fiber has been boiled away. That is something to think about.

One of Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony, Overeating,

Clipart from clker.com

Gluttony is a vice. This is a hard statement for overeaters. In the United States there are many all-you-can-eat restaurants and large portion fast food joints. Many people don't acknowledge that gluttony is a sin.

Why is gluttony a sin? There is a correlation between controlling our physical appetites and controlling our minds and our mouth. If we aren't regulating our eating, we may not regulate what we say or what we think. When people tend to overindulge their bodies, they aren't usually concerned with spiritual matters.

"One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons"(Titus 1:12). 

The bible associates overeating with lying, being evil and lazy. We need to get away from these negative habits and character traits.

 "Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags." (Proverbs 23:20-21).

The bible associates this vice with drunkenness, being poor, and sleeping too much. Again, time to repent of this deadly sin. Lust, weakness, and greed are synonyms for gluttony.

Saint Thomas Aquinas said that gluttony is an inordinate desire. That means it is unreasonable. He said it is contrary to virtue.

Physical appetites are a metaphor depicting our self-control or lack of it.

Seven Deadly Sins