Seven Deadlies: Pride

Over the past few weeks, I’ll be dealing with the seven deadly sins, and their applications in the modern world by those who give lip service to being Christian, and those who declare that sin doesn’t exist.

The seven deadly, or serious, sins are wrath, greed, envy, sloth, lust, gluttony, and pride. I’ve so far covered all but the last—and it’s a doozy.

I don't mean that pride in your accomplishments that's nothing more than a warm feeling of satisfaction. I mean that pride that whispers "I'm better than everyone around me. I know better than my neighbor what's good for him."

So, where in the world do we see that kind of pride? Who thinks they know what's best for everyone more than the political left?

Environmentalists believe that they know better than everyone else what's best for the earth, and since they do, they're going to force everyone to do what they know is Right!

Several government health organizations believe they know better than anyone else what's best for the American population. They issue guidelines. Other people, who believe that they know better than their neighbors what's Right, take those guidelines and pass laws designed to force their ignorant neighbors to do What's Best--bans on smoking in public places, bans on fast food in certain places, bans on advertising food during Saturday morning cartoons. They pass Fat Taxes (one good example is the tax on non-diet soda that New York is discussing). They pass legislation forcing restaurants to print nutrition information (based on the idea that, if others knew what they were eating, they wouldn't eat it because it's Bad For Them).

Many leftist groups believe that they know best how to fight crime--ban guns. We all know how that turns out: the cities that have the most stringent anti-gun laws have the highest violent crime rates. The leftists believe that Guns Are Evil, And Will Hurt You, No Matter How Careful You Are, and since they know best, they'll keep the rest of us from hurting ourselves.

The Mommy Government believes it knows what's best for everyone, and it will pass laws designed to keep people safe and healthy in spite of themselves, just as if we were children. Those beliefs come from the Mortal Sin of Pride.

I used to think that I tended toward this mortal sin. Maybe I do, in some ways; however, I do not think I am better than anyone else, or that I know better than anyone else. I do not believe that, since I know best, it's my responsibility to force everyone to do as I say, for their own sake.

Unfortunately, those that most need to read this, either won't, or won't understand that what's actually best for all is letting them choose their own paths, whether that includes junk food, guns, cigarettes, all of the above, or none of the above.