Sloth In Today's Seven Deadly Vices

In today’s society, most individuals misunderstand the vice of sloth for mere physical laziness. Very few would say sitting on a couch eating a bowl of ice cream is a sin, let alone something that belongs on the list of deadly vices. Sloth does not only belong on the list of the seven deadly vices, but it is in fact the most destructive of all the vices. The true meaning of sloth is portrayed in two different ways: the religious account, and the general account. As stated in class, from the religious perspective, sloth is “aversion to the divine good within us”. Essentially, this means that one who acquires sloth is disliking and ultimately denying the spirit of God within him. If we take a moment to think about numerous actions we likely take part in as a part of our walk with God such as worship, prayer, reading the Word, and acts of service, these are things that we should have a passion for. What happens when sloth manifests itself? When one turns slothful, these acts of love for God become bothersome; we feel as if He becomes a burden and no longer have that eagerness to show Him the love that He is worthy of. “Sloth becomes a sin not merely for the fact that it makes us lethargic, but because of the absence of love

A person can be prideful, and yet not be greedy. Someone can be prideful and not show any signs of sloth, envy, or gluttony. Pride unaccompanied does not cause an individual’s heart to harden and give up on a loved one, or even God. The true destruction of sloth is that it causes us to believe that even God is incapable of helping us; we doubt him as the creator of the universe. A slothful person is unwilling to show acts of love to God or another human because he or she does not care enough. Its destruction causes people to abandon God’s gifts that he offers so graciously to us; simply due to spiritual laziness and lack of