More sins

So rumour has it seven deadly sins aren't enough; the world needs more to reign in excesses.

According to this item and others I've seen, the sins need be less about individual sin and more about global sin.

Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, who heads the Catholic Church's thought police... um... the 'body that issues decisions on matters of conscience'... whatever..., thinks the sins should 'take into account modern developments such as genetic modification, experiments on humans, pollution, causing social injustice, causing poverty, taking drugs and obscene wealth.

What's that? Obscene wealth? From one of the - if not the - richest organisations in the world today? Hip-hip-hypocrasy Sorry, the sneeze got away from me.

Let's see:

genetic modification - so it will be a sin for scientists to modify crops so they can grow in drought-stricken areas to feed the starving.

experiments on humans - hmmm, any medicine used on a human for the first time is experimentation, so no new medicines.

pollution - is more a corporate problem, but... since we pollute the air around us with expelled gas, blow germs out our nose and mouth, defecate and urinate, vomit, this is going to be a tough one. But I'm being facetious. You cannot live without polluting, even if it's a small amount.

causing social injustice - again, one for hypocrisy given the oppression of the church throughout history and today by denying the basic human right to decide how many children a woman should have, or deny the right of priests to have children (yeah, we know they do, but they get into trouble for it). That doesn't even touch on the misogynistic attitude of not allowing women to become priests or teaching the poorly educated to trust only in an archaic book written just under two thousand years ago.

causing poverty - yet another one for the church given devoutly religious people will donate to the church and then worry about feeding the family. How many towns are there with amazing churches and yet kids running around the dirt streets wearing rags?

taking drugs - I'm going to hazard a guess here and say illegal drugs, because we wouldn't want the church to be responsible for the deaths of thousands who didn't take their medicine. And having seen the result of illegal drug taking, I don't have a problem with this.

obscene wealth - if you earned it, why can't you keep it? The church, as an institution, is exceptionally wealthy. And when you consider how they came to horde such wealth, why are they bitching now? If Warren Buffet can give money to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, why not a nice large swodge from the church? Oh, and does this mean Warran, Bill and Melinda are exempt from this sin since they're using their wealth for good? Can you imagine the conversation? "Forgive me father for I have sinned. I earned another billion this year." "You must send the money out to those in need, like the church. Ten Hail Marys. Go, and sin no more." "But if I do that, thousands of employees will be out of a job and descend into poverty." "Another sin. My son, you are going to hell." "Umm... can I have a handbasket?"

The original Seven Deadly Sins - envy, pride, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth - are enough and cover these. The proposed new ones will only cause more problems than it solves, ie, since no-one can avoid polluting, everyone is going to hell - or the Catholic version of it.

None of them are going to change the world; in fact, if they come to pass, I think more - not less - people will be looking for a new religion.