The seven deadly sins - at first there were eight of them - were formulated at the dawn of Christianity by the Greek monk Evagrius of Pontius, listing the main evil inclinations inherent in man (it’s funny that gluttony had a place of honor on this list) and steadily leading him to the underworld. In the 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great made adjustments to the list, replacing “sadness” with “envy” and combining “pride” with “vanity.” In the 17th century, the list was changed again, and “melancholy” was no longer considered a sin - “laziness” took its place. So, here we have the “master list”

According to the dictionary, is a feminine noun. Synonyms - arrogance, arrogance, conceit.

According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, this is self-love that goes beyond all limits, which becomes higher than the love of God. It contradicts the First Commandment (“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”) and was the cause of the rebellion of the angels and the overthrow of Lucifer.

According to a Buddhist parable, the great mentor Tofuku noticed that the monastery was filled with feverish activity: novices were rushing from side to side, the monks were lined up, preparing to receive some important guest.

"What's happening?" - he asked.

A warrior approached him and handed him a note that said: “Kitagaki, the governor of the city of Kyoto, has just arrived at the gates of the monastery and asks to be received.”

“I have nothing to talk about with this man,” the mentor replied.

A few minutes later the governor himself appeared, asked for forgiveness, crossed out something on the note and again handed it to the mentor.

It read: “Kitagaki asks to be received.”

"Welcome!" - Tofuku answered.

On the aircraft carrier Lincoln On May 1, 2003, when President Bush announced the end of major military operations in Iraq, a “Mission Accomplished” banner was hung. The number of American soldiers killed that day was 217. On the day I write these lines, their number has exceeded 2,700.

According to Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, “When someone wants to understand who he really is, using secondary things as a degree of comparison, he finds only a pile of empty shells that depend on one another and only in this case gain meaning.

“It is wrong to define yourself as the friend of such and such, the son of such and such, holding such and such a position, performing such and such duties.” For everything that we can define in this way is only facets of ourselves - as a rule, the edges are incomplete and vague, as if someone were trying to make them visible at the expense of others.

“The only possible relationship is with God, and then everything begins to have meaning and we open ourselves up to a higher meaning.”

According to Saint Augustine: Arrogance is not greatness, but swagger. Inflated arrogance seems great, but in reality it is a disease.

Tips from the book “Tao Te Ching”: It is better not to fill the glass to the top than to try to carry it without spilling.

An over-sharpened blade becomes brittle.

When gold and jade fill the hall, the one who owns them will not be able to ensure his safety.

When wealth and honor lead to arrogance, evil is sure to follow.

When we have done our work and our name begins to become famous, wisdom is to remain in the background until the end of our work.

THE SECOND DEADLY SIN: GREED

Dictionary defines as a feminine noun. “The desire to satisfy exorbitant insatiable desires.” Synonyms: self-interest, acquisitiveness, greed.

Catholic Church defines as a violation of the tenth commandment (“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, [nor his field], nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, [nor any of his livestock], nor anything, that of your neighbor.” An inclination or unbridled desire for pleasure or acquisition.

Philosopher Seneca: The poor want something, the rich want a lot, the greedy want everything.

The story of the desert fathers narrates: “Holy Father,” the novice said to the abbot. - my heart is full of love for the whole world, my soul is pure from devilish temptations. What should I do now? The abbot asked the novice to accompany him to a seriously ill man who was about to receive unction. Having consoled his loved ones to the best of his ability, the abbot noticed a chest in the corner and asked what was there. “Clothes,” answered the sick man’s nephew. - Clothes that my uncle never wore. He bought things, thinking that there would be an opportunity to wear this or that, but in the end they all rot in this chest.” “Don’t forget about this,” the abbot said to the novice when they left the dying man’s house. - If you have spiritual treasures in your heart, do not hesitate to put them to work. Otherwise they will be wasted."

Article on the 1997 Asian financial crisis: stockbrokers bought and sold, confident that the world would not change, and they just had to increase their zeal and watch their fortunes grow. They were oblivious to the damage they were causing to the local (Malaysian) currency. And then suddenly 500 billion dollars went out of circulation. When the time came to explain to all those who had lost their savings accumulated over many years and at the cost of great sacrifices, there was only one answer: “The market is to blame.” But they are the market.

Death and Greed We once watched how people, exhausted, were looking for diamonds. “I’ll take a few,” said Death. - Give me a third of these people, and I'll go away. “They belong to me,” answered Greed. - They are my slaves. I won’t give you anyone.” Then Death touched the water with his magic staff and poisoned it. And soon everyone who was there died. “Why did you take all my slaves?” - Greed cried in rage. “Because you didn’t want to give at least one,” Death answered.

Many centuries ago Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon said this:: “The Lord sends his messengers to man, who are called “illnesses.” Divine Providence has instructed me to take care of my health. May love for what I do guide me every minute. May greed, or lust for power, or the thirst for recognition never cloud my vision, make me forget that every person should strive to give another the best that is in him.

Advice contained in the book "Tao Te Ching": Five colors blind human eyes. Five notes deafen human ears. Five tastes torment the palate. Horse racing and hunting awaken wild and frantic passions in the heart. Benefits that can only be obtained by overcoming dangerous obstacles are fraught with wounds. And therefore (...) the sage rejects the superficial and prefers to dive into the depths.

THE THIRD DEADLY SIN: LUST

Dictionary defines as a feminine noun. Synonyms: lust, fornication, excessive sensuality.

Catholic Church defines as an immoderate desire for sexual pleasure. Desires and actions are considered immoderate when they are not consistent with the divine plan, which is to promote mutual love between spouses and procreation. Lust violates one of the Ten Commandments (“You shall not commit adultery”).

Henry Kissinger believes that there is no stronger stimulant than power.

Buddhist legend tells how Chu and Wu, after spending a week in the monastery, where they indulged in meditation, returned home. And along the way they talked about what temptations overcome a person.

Approaching the river bank, they saw a beautiful woman who did not know how to get to the other side. Chu picked her up and carried her across the river, after which he continued on his way with Wu.

After a short time he asked:

You and I talked about temptation, and then you took this woman in your arms. And thereby gave sin the opportunity to penetrate your soul.

“My dear,” Chu answered him. - I acted naturally. He met a woman, carried her across the rapids and left her on the other side. But you continue to carry it in your thoughts - and therefore you are closer to sin.

From the diary of a prostitute: For an hour I charge 350 Swiss francs. It is expensive. Minus the time needed to undress, more or less truthfully depict some kind of caresses, talk about something completely obvious and get dressed, there are only eleven minutes left for sex as such.

Eleven minutes. The whole world revolves around something that lasts only eleven minutes. And for the sake of these eleven minutes a day (under the obviously impossible condition that all men make love to their wives every day) they get married, provide for their families, endure crying babies, look for plausible explanations if they accidentally return home later than usual, look at dozens or hundreds of women with whom they would not mind strolling along the shores of Lake Geneva, buy expensive clothes for themselves and even more expensive ones for them, pay prostitutes to compensate for the shortage - and what exactly, they themselves do not know - support a huge cosmetics industry, diet, fitness, pornography, and contrary to popular belief, in a purely male society they talk not about women, but about business, about money, about sports. Something is wrong with our civilization.

Lust and numbers (as of 2002): William Lyon of the Free Speech Coalition estimates that on the Internet alone, pornographic sites bring in annual profits of $10-12 billion, which far exceeds Microsoft's profits. In 1999, the Video Products and Software Retailers Association reported that sales and rentals of porn films generate $4.1 billion, far more than the most expensive Hollywood blockbusters.

Preserve the sensitivity of the soul and the animal nature of the flesh in unbreakable unity.

Learn to harness your life force so that you can turn back into a newborn baby.

When you can detach yourself from the mysterious pictures of your imagination, you will remain unsullied.

Purify yourself and do not use the power of reason to answer the Mystery.

Comprehension will penetrate into the four areas, but you still will not know what gives life and supports it.

What life gives does not require possession. Gives charity without expecting gratitude. Commands without being overbearing. This is what is called the “mysterious quality.”

THE FOURTH DEADLY SIN: WRATH

Dictionary defines as a masculine noun. Synonyms: rage, indignation, rage, thirst for revenge.

Catholic Church argues that anger is directed not only at others, but can also turn against the one who allowed it to sprout in his soul, and in this case it can lead to suicide. It should be realized that punishment and its implementation belong to the Lord.

In the collection “Verba: Two wise men lived in the same monastery in the Sahara Desert, and one of them said to the other: “Let’s fight with you, or else we’ll soon cease to really understand what passions torment us.”

“I don’t know how to start a quarrel,” answered the second hermit.

“Let’s do this: I will put this bowl here, and you will say: “This is mine.” I will answer: “She belongs to me!” We will start arguing, and then we will fight.”

That's what they did. One said that the bowl was his, but the other objected. “Let’s not waste time,” the first one said then. - Take it for yourself. You didn't come up with a very good idea about the quarrel. When a person realizes that he has an immortal soul, he will not argue over things.”

Laboratory research, conducted over six years by Janice Williams among 13,000 subjects, found that people aged 45 to 64 years old who are easily and often irritated are three times more likely to have a heart attack than those who maintain mental balance.

This happens because with each outbreak of Anger, the level of adrenaline in the blood increases, which leads to an increase in heart rate and at the same time to a narrowing of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure. The consequence of this can be two painful phenomena usually associated with a heart attack - interruptions in heart rhythm and a sharp expansion of fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels. ( Source: Ballone G.Zh. - Rage and hatred, negative emotions)

In a popular Brazilian song it says: And while my heart is still beating, there is only one thing in my chest - revenge! revenge! revenge! I take all the saints as witnesses - you will not find a place on earth, you will fly like tumbleweeds, you will become smoke, you will perish, you will be lost. ( Lupicinio Rodriguez)

William Blake said this: I was angry with my friend and told him about it; the anger has passed. I was furious with the enemy and did not tell him about it; anger intensified.

Hatred of others (xenophobia): “Muslims have penetrated all Western countries. Some of these aliens are even capable of speaking politely while waiting for the right moment to exterminate us. We are assured that the events of September 11 are a clash of hostile civilizations. This is a lie: for the collision of two civilizations, two civilizations are needed, while there is only one - ours. (From a statement by the leadership of the Danish People's Party - DPP - sowing hatred and new fascism, the growth of which neither Europe nor the rest of the world is opposing)

It is said in the book "Tao Te Ching": Every weapon is for evil and should not be used by a wise sovereign. He uses them only in cases of dire necessity. Calmness and inaction give it more weight and meaning; a victory won by force of arms is undesirable for him.

Anyone who considers such a victory necessary testifies unquestionably that he takes pleasure in killing other people and cannot rule an empire.

If we want to weaken someone, we must first strengthen him. If we intend to overthrow someone, we must first raise him up. If we are planning to ruin him, shower him with gifts. This is what can be called subtle calculation.

And so the subordinate and weak will defeat the cruel and strong.

THE FIFTH DEADLY SIN: Gluttony

Dictionary defines as a feminine noun. Excessive eating and drinking. Gluttony.

Catholic Church: an immoderate desire to obtain pleasure associated with food and drink. You should not become attached to foods that are harmful to your health. You should not attach too much importance to food. Uncontrollable gluttony leading to poisoning is a completely reckless act and a mortal sin.

Peter de Vries believes that gluttony indicates inner turmoil: something is devouring us from within.

In the collection “VerbaSeniorum” (“Word of the Ancients”) is told: One day the abbot of the monastery, who was walking with one of the brothers, was invited to dinner. The owner, considering it an honor to have the holy fathers present, ordered all the best to be served on the table.

The monk, however, was fasting at that time and, when the treat was brought, he took a sprig of greenery and slowly chewed it. And he didn’t put anything else in his mouth.

And at the end of dinner the abbot said to him:

Brother, when you come to visit, try not to let your righteousness turn into an insult. And the next time you decide to fast, don't go to dinner parties.

Foie gras with truffles (recipe): Wash the liver thoroughly and cut it together with the truffles. Layer in a small, tall bowl along with thin slices of lard. Add a little salt and pepper. Seal the bowl hermetically, coating the edges with dough, and place the foie gras in a water bath in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Then press down with a weight so that the resulting mass becomes dense and homogeneous.

World hunger: The number of hungry people in developing countries will have to fall by 2030 from the current 777 million people. to 440 million. This means that the goal proclaimed by the World Food Organization in 1996 - to reduce the number of hungry people (according to data for 1990-92 - 815 million people) by half - will never be achieved. Of particular concern is the situation in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of chronically hungry people will decrease by 2030 from the current 194 million to only 183 million people. ( Source: FAO report - World Agricultural Production: Prospects 2015-2030)

Sufi legend says, how a certain baker had long wanted to meet Uwais, and then one day he entered his bakery in the guise of a beggar. He began to ask for bread, but the owner kicked him out into the street.

Madman! - cried one of the saint’s disciples. - Don’t you see that you’ve kicked out the mentor you wanted to meet?!

The ashamed baker asked what he could do to earn forgiveness. “Feed me and my students,” Uwais replied.

The baker took them to the best tavern and ordered the most expensive dishes.

This is how we will be able to distinguish a bad person from a good one,” Uwais told the students. - This man is capable of spending ten gold pieces on treating a celebrity, but he will not give a piece of bread to a hungry person.

: Thirty spokes are connected in one hub to form a wheel, but the use of the wheel depends on the void between the spokes. Vessels are made from clay, but the use of the vessels depends on the emptiness in them. Doors and windows are pierced to make a house, but the use of the house depends on the emptiness in it. This is why the usefulness of something existing depends on emptiness.

THE SIXTH DEADLY SIN: ENVY

The dictionary defines it as a feminine noun used to describe a feeling that combines rage and regret. Displeasure with someone's well-being or joy. The desire to possess something that belongs to another.

Catholic Church argues that envy violates the tenth commandment. First mentioned in the book of Genesis, in the episode with Cain and his brother Abel.

Hebrew legend tells how a student asked the religious teachers about one place in the Holy Scriptures, where it is said: “And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift, but did not look upon Cain and his gift. Cain became very upset and his face fell. And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you upset and why is your face drooping?”

The rabbis answered him:

The Lord should have asked Cain: why are you upset? Is it because I rejected your gift, or because I accepted your brother’s gift?

Journalist Zunir Ventura believes that envy “sharpenes”, “gnaws”, that is, produces a destructive effect. At the same time, one should look at envy as a reaction inherent in a person. All theorists agree that the best way to combat envy is to recognize that it is common to everyone to a greater or lesser extent.

Writer Giovanni Papini- that the best way to take revenge on those who want to humiliate me is to strive to soar to the highest point. A truly wise person will use the reproach to more clearly reveal his portrait and remove the shadows that obscure the light. And then the envious person, without wanting it himself, will contribute to your improvement.

Envy and ethics: According to scientist Dr. William M. Shelton, envy is the reaction of people who have failed and seek to escape reality by hiding behind the smokescreen of restoring “moral values,” “noble ideals,” and “social justice.” The situation can become dangerous when the education system begins to develop conditions in the student that allow him to have a negative attitude towards successful people, explaining any success solely by corruption, dexterity and oblivion of moral standards. Since the desire to achieve success is inherent in human nature, students schizophrenically begin to hate the very thing that could lead them to happiness. This increases the painful “languishing” and reduces the ability to renew and improve society.

Satan and demons: The demons once complained to the Prince of Darkness: “For two years in a row we have been trying to tempt the desert monk. They offered him money, women and everything else that we have in our arsenal - and all in vain.”

“You don’t really know how to work,” Satan answered them. - Look at what to do in such cases.

And they all flew to the cave where the hermit lived. And Satan whispered in his ear:

Your friend Macarius has just become Bishop of Alexandria.

And immediately the righteous man began to blaspheme and destroyed his soul.

Said in the book "Tao Te Ching": In ancient times, those who were capable of learning knew the smallest and subtlest things. But their depth was unknown to others: they were timid, like those who cross a river on thin spring ice, cautious, like someone who has come to visit an overly ceremonious owner, uncomplicated, like unfinished wood that human hands have not yet given shape to.

Who will be able to gradually cleanse everything that is unclean with one mental balance? Who can find peace and stay in it forever? He who follows the Paths of Perfection does not want to be filled with anything.

THE SEVENTH DEADLY SIN: LAZINESS

The dictionary defines it as feminine noun. Aversion to work, reluctance to work, carelessness, lethargy.

Catholic Church asserts that all living creatures are obliged to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, without thinking about quick and guaranteed results. Laziness, as a lack of physical or mental effort, corrupts the soul and leads to despondency and sadness.

Legend tells how Joan died and found himself in some beautiful place, where everything was free, comfortable and exactly as he had always dreamed. Someone in white robes approached him and said: “You have the right to demand whatever you want - any entertainment, pleasure, delicious food.”

Delighted, Joan began to live the way he had always dreamed of. And after many years, he turned to the creature in white robes:

I have already enjoyed everything I wanted. Now I need a job to feel useful.

“I sympathize with you very much,” he replied. “But that’s the only thing I can’t give you.” There is no work here.

So what? Am I doomed to languish in boredom forever?! No, it would be a thousand times better to go to hell!

The creature in white approached and said barely audibly:

Where do you think you are?

Winnie Albert asks: How can a society survive if it becomes more and more addicted to frozen foods, instant photographs, mashed potatoes, speed reading and electronic calculators?

Sociology of laziness: both the one who works hard and the one who shirks from work act in a similar way - they try to distance themselves from the problems inherent in human existence, not to think about reality and about responsibility, without which a normal life is impossible. (

The Seven Deadly Sins and the Ten Commandments

In this short article I will not pretend to be an absolutist statement, including that Christianity is somehow more important than other world religions. Therefore, I reject in advance all possible attacks in this vein. The purpose of the article is to provide information about the seven deadly sins and ten commandments noted in Christian teaching. The extent of the sinfulness and importance of the commandments can be debated, but at the very least it is worth paying attention to.

But first, why did I suddenly decide to write about this? The reason for this was the film “Seven,” in which one comrade imagined himself to be an instrument of God and decided to punish selected individuals, as they say, point by point, that is, each for some mortal sin. It’s just that I suddenly discovered, to my shame, that I couldn’t list all seven deadly sins. So I decided to fill this gap by publishing on my website. And in the process of searching for information, I discovered a connection with the ten Christian commandments (which also doesn’t hurt to know), as well as some other interesting materials. Below it all comes together.

Seven deadly sins

There are seven mortal sins in Christian teaching, and they are called so because, despite their seemingly harmless nature, if regularly practiced, they lead to much more serious sins and, consequently, to the death of an immortal soul that ends up in hell. Deadly sins Not based on biblical texts and Not are a direct revelation of God, they appeared in the texts of theologians later.

First, the Greek monk-theologian Evagrius of Pontus compiled a list of the eight worst human passions. They were (in descending order of severity): pride, vanity, acedia, anger, sadness, avarice, lust and gluttony. The order in this list was determined by the degree of a person’s orientation towards himself, towards his ego (that is, pride is the most selfish property of a person and therefore the most harmful).

At the end of the 6th century, Pope Gregory I the Great reduced the list to seven elements, introducing the concept of vanity into pride, spiritual laziness into despondency, and also adding a new one - envy. The list was slightly reordered, this time according to the criterion of opposition to love: pride, envy, anger, despondency, greed, gluttony and voluptuousness (that is, pride is more opposed to love than others and is therefore the most harmful).

Later Christian theologians (in particular, Thomas Aquinas) objected to this particular order of mortal sins, but it was this order that became the main one and remains in effect to this day. The only change in Pope Gregory the Great's list was the replacement of the concept of despondency with sloth in the 17th century. Also see A Brief History of Sin (in English).

Due to the fact that representatives of the predominantly Catholic Church took an active part in compiling and finalizing the list of the seven deadly sins, I dare to assume that this is not applicable to the Orthodox Church, and especially to other religions. However, I believe that regardless of religion and even for atheists, this list will be useful. Its current version is summarized in the following table.

The most harmful of them is definitely considered pride. At the same time, the belonging of some items on this list to sins (for example, gluttony and lust) is questioned. And according to one sociological survey, the “popularity” of mortal sins is as follows (in descending order): anger, pride, envy, gluttony, voluptuousness, laziness and greed.

It may seem interesting to consider the influence of these sins on the human body from the point of view of modern science. And, of course, the matter could not do without a “scientific” justification for those natural properties of human nature that were included in the list of the worst.

Ten Commandments

Many people confuse mortal sins with commandments and try to illustrate the concepts of “thou shalt not kill” and “thou shalt not steal” with references to them. There are some similarities between the two lists, but there are more differences. The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and are described in the Old Testament (in the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy). The first four commandments concern the relationship between God and man, the next six - man with man. Below is a list of commandments in a modern interpretation, with original quotes (given from the 1997 Russian edition, approved by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus') and some comments by Andrei Koltsov.

1. Believe in the only God. “I am the Lord your God... let you have no other gods before Me.”– initially this was directed against paganism (polytheism), but over time it lost relevance and became a reminder to honor the one God even more.
2. Don't create idols for yourself. “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the waters under the earth; you shall not worship them or serve them; for I am the Lord your God..."- initially this was directed against idolatry, but now “idol” is interpreted in an expanded way - this is everything that distracts from faith in God.
3. Don't take God's name in vain. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain...”- that is, you cannot “swear”, say “my God”, “by God”, etc.
4. Remember the day off. “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy...six days you shall work and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.”– in some countries, including Russia, this is Sunday; in any case, one day of the week must be entirely devoted to prayers and thoughts about God; you cannot work, since it is assumed that a person works for himself.
5. Honor your parents. "Honor your father and your mother..."- After God, one should honor father and mother, since they gave life.
6. Dont kill. "Dont kill"– God gives life, and only He can take it away.
7. Don't commit adultery. "Thou shalt not commit adultery"– that is, a man and a woman should live in marriage, and only in a monogamous one; for the eastern countries where all this happened, this is a rather difficult condition to fulfill.
8. Don't steal. "Don't steal"– by analogy with “thou shalt not kill,” only God gives us everything, and only He can take it back.
9. Do not lie. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor"– initially this concerned judicial oaths, later it began to be interpreted broadly as “don’t lie” and “don’t slander.”
10. Do not envy. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you covet your neighbor’s house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his livestock, nor anything that your neighbor has.”– sounds more figurative in the original.

Some believe that the last six commandments form the basis of the Criminal Code, since they do not say how to live, but only how Not necessary.

Sins in Christianity

(According to Christian doctrine)

There are a number of acts that are called - sin and unworthy of a true Christian. The classification of acts on this basis is based on biblical texts, especially on the Ten Commandments of the Law of God and the Gospel commandments.

Below we provide a list of acts that are considered sins regardless of religion.

According to the Christian understanding of the Bible, a person who commits a voluntary sin (that is, realizing that it is a sin and resistance to God) can become possessed.

There are seven deadly sins in total:

(this term does not mean physical death, but spiritual death)

1. Pride(immense pride, considering oneself perfect and sinless, pride to the point of self-adoration, that is, ready to ascend to heaven and become like the Almighty.

2. Envy(vanity, jealousy), leading to every possible crime against one’s neighbor.

3. Anger(revenge) unapologetic and determined to commit terrible destruction, following the example of Herod, who in his anger beat the infants of Bethlehem. Hot temper, acceptance of angry thoughts: dreams of anger and revenge, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of the mind by it: obscene shouting, argument, abusive, cruel and caustic words. Malice, hatred, enmity, revenge, slander, condemnation, indignation and insult to one’s neighbor.

4. Dejection(laziness in action, idleness, despair, carelessness). Laziness towards any good deed, especially prayer. Excessive restfulness with sleep. Depression, despair (which often leads a person to suicide), lack of fear of God, complete carelessness about the soul, neglect of repentance until the last days of life.

5. Greed(greed, stinginess, love of money). The love of money, combined for the most part with unrighteous acquisitions, does not allow a person to think even a minute about spiritual things.

6. Gluttony(gluttony, gluttony) not knowing any fasting, combined with a passionate attachment to various amusements, following the example of the evangelical rich man who had fun "it's light all day long"(Luke 16:19).

Drunkenness, drug use.

7. Voluptuousness(fornication - sexual activity before marriage, adultery - adultery. Dissolute life. Failure to preserve the senses, especially the sense of touch, which is insolence that destroys all virtues. Foul language and reading voluptuous books.)

Voluptuous thoughts, indecent conversations, even a single glance directed with lust at a woman are considered fornication. The Savior says this about it: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not commit adultery,” but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(Matt. 5:27–28).

If he who looks lustfully at a woman sins, then the woman is not innocent of the same sin if she dresses up and adorns herself with the desire for people to look at her and be seduced by her, “for woe to the man through whom temptation comes.”

Sins against the Lord God

1. Pride

2. Failure to fulfill the holy will of God;

3. Violation of the commandments: the ten commandments of the Law of God, the Gospel commandments, church commandments;

4. Unbelief and lack of faith;

5. Lack of hope for the mercy of the Lord, despair;

6. Excessive reliance on the mercy of God;

7. Hypocritical worship of God, without the love and fear of God;

8. Lack of gratitude to the Lord for all His blessings - and even for the sorrows and illnesses sent down;

9. Appeal to psychics, astrologers, fortune tellers, fortune tellers;

10. Practicing “black” and “white” magic, witchcraft, fortune telling, spiritualism; superstition, belief in dreams, omens, wearing talismans, reading horoscopes even out of curiosity;

11. Blasphemy and grumbling against the Lord in the soul and in words;

12. Failure to fulfill vows made to God;

13. Calling on the name of God in vain, without necessity, swearing in the name of the Lord;

14. Blasphemous attitude towards the Holy Scriptures;

15. Shame and fear to profess faith;

16. Not reading the Holy Scriptures;

17. Going to church without diligence, laziness in prayer, absent-minded and cold prayer, absent-minded listening to readings and chants; being late for service and leaving the service early;

18. Disrespect for the feasts of God;

19. Thoughts about suicide, attempts to commit suicide;

20. Sexual immorality such as adultery, fornication, sodomy, sadomasochism, etc.

Sins against one's neighbor

1. Lack of love for others;

2. Lack of love for enemies, hatred of them, wishing them harm;

3. Inability to forgive, repaying evil for evil;

4. Lack of respect for elders and superiors, for parents, grief and offense to parents;

5. Failure to fulfill what was promised, non-payment of debts, open or secret appropriation of someone else’s property;

6. Beating, attempt on someone else's life;

7. Killing babies in the womb (abortion), advice to have abortions for neighbors;

8. Robbery, extortion;

9. Bribery;

10. Refusal to stand up for the weak and innocent, refusal to help someone in trouble;

11. Laziness and carelessness at work, disrespect for the work of others, irresponsibility;

12. Poor parenting is outside the Christian faith;

13. Cursing children;

14. Lack of mercy, stinginess;

15. Reluctance to visit the sick;

16. Not praying for mentors, relatives, enemies;

17. Cruelty, cruelty to animals, birds;

18. Unnecessarily destroying trees;

19. Dispute, non-yielding to neighbors, disputes;

20. Slander, condemnation, slander;

21 Gossip, retelling other people's sins, eavesdropping on other people's conversations;

22. Insult, enmity with neighbors, scandals, hysteria, curses, insolence, arrogant and free behavior towards neighbors, ridicule;

23. Hypocrisy;

24. Anger;

25. Suspicion of neighbors in unseemly actions;

26. Deception;

27. Perjury;

28. Seductive behavior, desire to seduce;

29. Jealousy;

30. Telling indecent jokes, corrupting your neighbors (adults and minors) with your actions;

31. Friendship for self-interest and betrayal.

Sins against yourself

1. Vanity, considering oneself better than everyone else, pride, lack of humility and obedience, arrogance, arrogance, spiritual egoism, suspicion;

2. Lies, envy;

3. Idle talk, laughter;

4. Foul language;

5. Irritation, indignation, rancor, resentment, grief;

6. Dejection, melancholy, sadness;

7. Doing good deeds for show;

8. Laziness, spending time in idleness, sleeping too much;

9. Gluttony, gluttony;

10. Love for earthly and material things more than for heavenly and spiritual things;

11. Addiction to money, things, luxury, pleasures;

12. Excessive attention to the flesh;

13. Desire for earthly honors and glory;

14. Excessive attachment to everything earthly, various kinds of things and worldly goods;

15. Drug use, drunkenness;

16. Playing cards, gambling;

17. Engagement in pimping, prostitution;

18. Performing obscene songs and dances;

19. Watching pornographic films, reading pornographic books, magazines;

20. Acceptance of lustful thoughts, pleasure and slowness in unclean thoughts;

21. Defilement in a dream, fornication (sex outside marriage);

22. Adultery (infidelity during marriage);

23. Allowing liberties to the crown and perversion in married life;

24. Fornication (defilement of oneself with prodigal touches), immodest views of wives and young men;

25. Sodomy;

26. Bestiality;

27. Minimizing one’s sins, blaming one’s neighbors rather than condemning oneself.

Sins crying to heaven:

1. In general, intentional homicide (this includes abortions), and especially parricide (fratricide and regicide).

2. Sin of Sodom.

3. Unnecessary oppression of a poor, defenseless person, a defenseless widow and young orphans.

4. Withholding from a wretched worker the wages he deserves.

5. Taking from a person in his extreme situation the last piece of bread or the last mite, which was obtained by him with sweat and blood, as well as the violent or secret appropriation of alms, food, warmth or clothing from prisoners in prison, which are determined by him, and in general their oppression .

6. Sorrows and insults to parents to the point of impudent beatings.

Sins of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:

1. Excessive trust in God or continuation of a hard sinful life in the sole hope of God’s mercy.

2. Despair or a feeling opposite to excessive trust in God in relation to God’s mercy, denying the fatherly goodness in God and leading to thoughts of suicide.

3. Stubborn unbelief, not convinced by any evidence of truth, even obvious miracles, rejecting the most established truth.

• priest P. Gumerov
• I. Ya. Grits

How is mortal sin different from ordinary sin?

The distinction between mortal and non-mortal sins is very conditional, for every sin, be it small or great, separates a person from God, the source of life, and the person who sinned inevitably dies, although not immediately after the fall. This is clear from the Bible, from the story of the fall of the ancestors of the human race, Adam and Eve. It was not a great sin (by today’s standards) to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, but through this sin both Eve and Adam died, and to this day everyone dies...

In addition, in the modern understanding, when they talk about “mortal” sin, they mean that a grave mortal sin kills a person’s soul in the sense that it becomes incapable of communion with God until it repents and leaves this sin. Such sins include murder, fornication, all inhuman cruelty, blasphemy, heresy, occultism and magic, etc.

But even insignificant, small “non-mortal” sins can kill the soul of a sinner, deprive it of communication with God, when a person does not repent of them, and they lie a great burden on the soul. For example, one grain of sand is not a burden to us, but if a whole bag of them accumulates, then this load will crush us.

What is a mortal sin?

What is a mortal sin and how does it differ from other “non-mortal” sins? If you are guilty of a mortal sin and sincerely repent of it in confession, will God forgive this sin through the priest or not? And I also want to know: those sins that you repented of with all your soul and heart in confession, and the priest forgave these sins, if you don’t commit them again, God will not judge you for them?

Priest Dionysius Tolstov answers:

When a person utters such a phrase as “mortal sin,” then immediately, according to the logic of thinking, one wants to ask the question: what is an unmortal sin? The division of sins into mortal and non-mortal is only a convention. In fact, any sin is mortal, any sin is the beginning of destruction. The saint lists eight deadly sins (see also below). But these eight sins are only a classification of all possible sins that a person can commit; these are like eight groups into which they are all divided. indicates that the cause of all sins and their source lies in three passions: selfishness, voluptuousness and love of money. But, however, these three vices do not cover the entire abyss of sins - these are only the initial conditions of sinfulness. It’s the same with those eight deadly sins – it’s a classification. Every sin must be healed by repentance. If a person has brought sincere repentance for his sins, then, of course, God will forgive him his confessed sins. This is precisely what confession is for. “Repent and believe the gospel,” says the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. A person will not be condemned for a repentant sin. “There is no unforgivable sin except unrepentant sin,” say the Holy Fathers. God, out of his inexpressible love for the human race, established the sacrament of confession. And when we begin the sacrament of repentance, we must firmly believe that God will forgive all our sins. The saint said: “Repentant fornicators are imputed with virgins.” This is the power of repentance!

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov):
“Just as illnesses can be ordinary and fatal, so sins can be less or more serious, that is, mortal... Mortal sins destroy a person’s love for God and make a person dead to perceive Divine grace. A serious sin traumatizes the soul so much that it is then very difficult for it to return to its normal state.
“The expression “mortal sin” has its basis in the words of St. Apostle John the Theologian (). The Greek text says pro fanon- a sin that leads to death. By death we mean spiritual death, which deprives a person of eternal bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

priest Georgy Kochetkov
In the Old Testament, a number of crimes were punishable by death. This is where the concept of mortal sin arose, that is, an act the consequence of which is death. Moreover, no crime worthy of death can be forgiven or replaced by a ransom (), that is, a person cannot change his fate even by repentance. This approach arose from the conviction that a person can perform a number of actions only if he has long been out of touch with the Source of Life or, more precisely, draws inspiration from an alien source. In other words, if a person commits a mortal sin, it means that he has violated the Covenant and supports his life through the destruction of the surrounding world and people. Thus, a mortal sin is not just a crime, which, according to law, is punishable by death, but also a certain statement of the fact that the person who commits such an act is already internally dead and must be put to rest so that living members of the community do not suffer from it . Of course, from the point of view of secular humanism, such an approach is very cruel, but such a view of life and man is alien to biblical consciousness. We must not forget that in Old Testament times there was no other way to stop the spread of grave sin among the people of God than when the bearer of death was subjected to the death penalty.

saint:
“The mortal sins for a Christian are the following: heresy, schism, blasphemy, apostasy, sorcery, despair, suicide, fornication, adultery, unnatural fornication, incest, drunkenness, sacrilege, homicide, robbery, theft and any cruel, inhuman offense.
Only one of these sins cannot be healed, but each of them mortifies the soul and makes it incapable of eternal bliss until it cleanses itself with satisfactory repentance...
Let him who has fallen into mortal sin not fall into despair! Let him resort to the medicine of repentance, to which he is called until the last minute of his life by the Savior, who proclaimed in the Holy Gospel: he who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live (

In Orthodoxy there are 7 deadly sins. They are considered the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, fornication, envy, gluttony, anger and despondency, leading to more serious sins and the death of the soul. The list of mortal sins is based not on biblical, but on theological texts that appeared much later.

Pride

Pride - this most terrible of the 7 deadly sins - is preceded by such spiritual diseases as pride, arrogance, boasting, hypocrisy, vanity, arrogance, arrogance, etc. All these “diseases” are the result of the same spiritual “deviation” - unhealthy attention to your person. In the process of developing pride, a person first develops vanity, and the difference between these two types of spiritual illness is approximately the same as between a teenager and an adult man.

So how can people become sick with pride?

All people love goodness: cases of manifestation of virtue and examples of love evoke only approval from everyone. The child is pleased when his parents praise him for his diligence and success, and the baby tries to do even better, which is right. Encouragement is a very important point in raising children, but, as one would expect, many, in their sinful nature, deviate from what was intended: for example, a thirst for praise can also “help” a person turn away from the right path. Achieving praise, another person can do great things, but he will do this not for the sake of the worthy deeds themselves, but for the sake of the impression they make on others. This kind of sentiment leads to hypocrisy and hypocrisy.

Pride originates in self-confidence with the exaltation of everything that is “mine” and the rejection of what is “not mine.” This sin, like no other, is an excellent breeding ground for hypocrisy and lies, as well as for such feelings as anger, irritation, enmity, cruelty and related crimes. Pride is a rejection of God’s help, despite the fact that it is the proud one who especially needs the help of the Savior, since no one except the Most High Himself can heal his spiritual illness.

Over time, the vain person's mood deteriorates. He is preoccupied with everything except his own correction, since he does not see his shortcomings, or finds reasons to justify his behavior. He begins to greatly exaggerate his life experience and abilities and craves recognition of his superiority. Moreover, he reacts very painfully to criticism or even disagreement with his opinion. In disputes, he perceives any independent opinion as a challenge to himself, and his aggressiveness begins to meet rebuff and opposition from others. Stubbornness and irritability increase: a vain person believes that everyone interferes with him only out of envy.

At the last stage of this spiritual illness, the human soul becomes dark and cold, as anger and contempt take root in it. His mind becomes darkened to such an extent that he is no longer able to distinguish good from evil, since these concepts are replaced by the concepts of “mine” and “someone else’s.” In addition, he begins to be burdened by the “stupidity” of his bosses and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to recognize other people’s priorities. He needs to prove his superiority like air, that’s why it hurts him when it’s not him who is right. He perceives the success of another person as a personal insult.

Greed

The Lord revealed to people how to overcome the love of money - with the help of charity. Otherwise, with our entire lives we show that we value earthly wealth more highly than incorruptible wealth. The greedy one seems to be saying: goodbye immortality, goodbye Heaven, I choose this life. Thus we exchange a valuable pearl, which is eternal life, for a counterfeit trinket - immediate gain.

God introduced systematic donations as a prevention against evil, whose name is greed. Jesus saw that the love of money drives true piety out of the heart. He knew that the love of money hardens and cools hearts, discourages generosity, and makes a person deaf to the needs of the disadvantaged and suffering. He said: “See, beware of covetousness. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Thus, greed is one of the most common sins of our time, having a paralyzing effect on the soul. The desire to get rich occupies people's thoughts, the passion for accumulating money kills all noble motives in a person and makes them indifferent to the interests and needs of other people. We have become insensitive, like a piece of iron, but our silver and gold have rusted, as they corrode the soul. If charity grew as our wealth grew, we would consider money only a means for doing good.

Fornication

In the life of a baptized person, it would seem, there should not be even a hint of this grave sin. After all, the Apostle Paul already wrote in his “Epistle to the Ephesians”: “But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness must not even be mentioned among you.” But in our days, the depravity of this world has so dulled the moral feelings of Christians that even those raised in the Orthodox faith allow divorces and premarital affairs.

A fornicator is considered worse than a harlot. It is much harder for a fornicator to part with his sin than for a harlot. The vileness of his fornication is that he expects impunity. In contrast to the fornicator, the harlot woman always risks, in particular her reputation.

Currently, people have lost the sense of sin more than ever in the history of mankind. The greats of this world have worked hard to erase him from the consciousness of people. The commandments of God have always outraged the evil one, and it is no coincidence that crime is now growing in various countries, and in some of them even the sin of sodomy - sodomy - is not considered something reprehensible, and same-sex relationships are receiving official status.

Envy

Envy is a desecration of nature itself, damage to life, enmity against everything that God has given us, and therefore resistance to the Creator. There is no more destructive passion than envy in the human soul. Just as rust eats away iron, so envy eats up the soul in which it lives. In addition, envy is one of the most insurmountable types of enmity. And if good deeds incline other ill-wishers to meekness, then a good deed done to an envious person only irritates him.

With envy, as a weapon, the devil, the first destroyer of life, has wounded and overthrown man since the beginning of the world. From envy comes the death of the soul, alienation from God and the deprivation of all the blessings of life to the joy of the evil one, who himself was struck by the same passion. Therefore, envy must be guarded with special zeal.

But when envy has already taken possession of the soul, it leaves it only after it has driven it to complete recklessness. And let a sick person give alms with envy, lead a sober life and fast regularly, but if at the same time he envy his brother, then his crime is enormous. The envious person seems to live in death, considering those around him to be his enemies, even those who have not offended him in any way.

Envy is full of hypocrisy, therefore it is a terrible evil that fills the Universe with disasters. From envy the passion for acquisition and glory is born, pride and lust for power arise from it, and no matter what sin you remember, know: any evil stems from envy.

Envy originates from pride, because the proud person wants to rise above others. Because of this, it is difficult for him to tolerate equals around him, and even more so those who are better than him.

Gluttony

Gluttony is a sin that forces us to eat and drink only for pleasure. This passion leads to the fact that a person ceases to be a rational being and becomes like cattle, which does not have the gift of speech and understanding. Gluttony is a great sin.

By “giving free rein” to the belly, we harm not only our health, but also all our virtues, especially chastity. Gluttony ignites lust, since excess food contributes to this. Lust leads to a fall, which is why it is so necessary that a person be well armed against this passion. You cannot give the womb as much as it asks for, but only what is necessary to maintain strength.

Various passions are born through gluttony, which is why it is considered one of the 7 deadly sins.

And if you want to remain human, restrain your belly and guard yourself with all care, so as not to accidentally be overcome by gluttony.

But first of all, think about how much hardship drunkenness and gluttony cause your stomach, how they depress your body. And what's so special about gluttony? What new can eating splendid dishes give us? After all, their pleasant taste lasts only when they are in your mouth. And after you swallow them, not only the sweetness will remain, but also the memory of tasting them.

Anger

Anger removes a person’s soul from God, because an angry person spends his life in confusion and anxiety, losing health and peace, his body melts away, his flesh fades, his face is pale, his mind is exhausted, and his soul grieves, and his thoughts have no number. But everyone avoids him, because they do not expect healthy actions from him.

Anger is the most dangerous advisor, and what is done under its influence cannot be called prudent. There is no worse evil that a person in the grip of anger can do.

Nothing darkens clarity of thought and purity of soul more than intense anger. An angry person does not do anything properly because he cannot think straight. Therefore, he is likened to people who, due to damage to their senses, have lost the ability to reason. Anger can be compared to a strong, all-consuming fire, which, scorching the soul, harms the body and even the very sight of a person becomes unpleasant.

Anger is like fire, engulfing the entire human being, killing and burning it.

Dejection and laziness

Demons bring despondency to the soul, suggesting that its patience will be exhausted in the long wait for God's mercy and that it will leave living according to the Law of God, since it recognizes it as too difficult. But patience, love and self-control can withstand the demons, and they will be confounded in their intentions.

Dejection and endless anxiety crush the strength of the soul, leading it to exhaustion. From despondency, drowsiness, idleness, wandering, restlessness, instability of body and mind, curiosity and talkativeness are born.

Dejection is the helper of all evil, so you should not make room in your heart for this feeling.

If each of the passions described here can be abolished by one of the Christian virtues, then despondency for a Christian is an all-defeating passion.