Have You Committed Cardinal Sins?

Have you committed a “cardinal sin” lately?

Cardinal sins, also known as the “seven deadly sins” or “capital sins”, may not be exactly what you think they are. They are often brought up in my outreach conversations with Catholics, such as a man named Bruce whom I talked with recently out on the sidewalk. I often hear something like “Well I’m not perfect, but at least I haven’t committed any Cardinal sins like other people.”

Bruce told me he has rejected his Catholic faith in favor of a belief in reincarnation, but, from what he told me, I could see that the influence of his Catholic upbringing still affects his view of how he would stand before God on the day of judgment with heaven and hell at stake.

Bruce was quick to proclaim his own goodness in comparison to others who have committed much more serious sins such as murder, rape, or child molestation. These people, he said, would deserve the ultimate punishment, perhaps the death penalty, in this life or the punishment of hell or at least purgatory in the next.

But, in Catholic teaching, the “Cardinal Sins” are not actually such obvious sins like murder or rape. These would actually just be the symptoms of the sin that runs much deeper. Cardinal sins are actually more like attitudes or habits, and a standard list includes pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth (laziness).

These vices are not actually listed so neatly in any particular Bible passage, but as a non-Catholic Christian I recognize them as biblical. And I also recognize them in myself from time to time. Any of us willing to take an honest self-assessment will know that, yes, we have committed a “Cardinal sin” lately.

Jesus encourages us as his followers to self-assess, such as in Mark 7:21-23 – “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Paul, likewise, lists both our sinful thoughts and the results of our corrupt thinking in Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”

Paul goes on to tell us the consequences of our sin: “ I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

If we are honest with ourselves, we will see ourselves at least somewhere, if not everywhere, in these lists, and that we are not deserving of forgiveness or inclusion in the kingdom of God.
What to do? Toward the end of our conversation I tried to tell Bruce of the forgiveness and the salvation we can find only in Jesus, but as I reviewed the recording of our conversation I realize we were just “talking past” one another. I had failed to convince Bruce of his sinfulness and need of the savior, and he was too focused on his own goodness to hear me.

We all commit sin, cardinal or otherwise, on a regular basis, and we all need the Savior because we can’t save ourselves.