Over the next couple of weeks, we will follow Dante and the Roman poet Virgil into the depths of the Inferno: Hell. We will meet some of the denizens of Hell and will come to understand what sins Dante (and the Church) considered most vile. However, before we get there, I want to know what sin you think to be most vile. Here are some of the sins/sinners that Dante enumerates, but you may consider other "sin" if his do not seem vile enough for you: being a good person but a non-Christian, lust/adultery, gluttony (self-indulgence), greed, pride, wrath (anger/violence) and heresy (angry at God), destruction of property, suicide and spendthrift (violence against self), blasphemy (violence against God), sodomites, the fraudulent (pimps, seducers, fortune-tellers, politicians, thieves, liars, and cheats), and finally treachery (traitors against family, country, guests, lords and benefactors, etc.). You should explain the sin you think to be the most vile, provide an example of the sin, and explain why you think it is the worst thing a person could do (or not do). If no sin is graver than another, how do you reconcile how humans mete their moral judgement? (An example of this is that we are generally morally forgiving of minor transgressions, "White lies," but take much more seriously sins such as murder, lust, etc.).
We are entering Hell this week, so it is time to reflect upon life choices . . .
Over the next couple of weeks, we will follow Dante and the Roman poet Virgil into the depths of the Inferno: Hell. We will meet some of the denizens of Hell and will come to understand what sins Dante (and the Church) considered most vile. However, before we get there, I want to know what sin you think to be most vile. Here are some of the sins/sinners that Dante enumerates, but you may consider other "sin" if his do not seem vile enough for you: being a good person but a non-Christian, lust/adultery, gluttony (self-indulgence), greed, pride, wrath (anger/violence) and heresy (angry at God), destruction of property, suicide and spendthrift (violence against self), blasphemy (violence against God), sodomites, the fraudulent (pimps, seducers, fortune-tellers, politicians, thieves, liars, and cheats), and finally treachery (traitors against family, country, guests, lords and benefactors, etc.). You should explain the sin you think to be the most vile, provide an example of the sin, and explain why you think it is the worst thing a person could do (or not do). If no sin is graver than another, how do you reconcile how humans mete their moral judgement? (An example of this is that we are generally morally forgiving of minor transgressions, "White lies," but take much more seriously sins such as murder, lust, etc.).
44 Comments
Emily Groseclose
4/6/2016 01:04:28 pm
I personally feel that any kind of violence toward any other being is the worst kind of sin. Of course, there are many different kinds of violence and, like sin, some kinds are worse than others. Murder, for example, would probably be the worst kind of violence because you're taking the life of another being while simultaneously taking the life of someone that somebody else loves or holds close to their heart. Even worse than just murder would be mass murder because it's taking the life of multiple people... Hitler. However, if any other kind of violence were to be worse than murder, it would probably be injuring someone to the point that they're able to survive, but are in so much pain that they can't move or are barely conscious. To put someone through not only that pain, but the trauma also would be so awful.
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jon
4/6/2016 01:05:20 pm
I think that rape is the most horrible sin. It can ruin ones life, Right next to murder depending on who is being killed. If. Someone killed a rapist then i believe they are doing gods work when someone rapes someone then they will never get over that. They have to live with that forever. I feel that i would much rather be killed then raped or liyed to or whatever... i feel there is no justice for a rapist.
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Ashley Wegner
4/6/2016 01:19:50 pm
And what of the falsely accused? If someone is labeled as a rapist, let's say, because their girlfriend lied about them raping her, and someone kills them, what then? They were labeled as a rapist. Someone killed them. All good right?
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jon
4/7/2016 12:50:11 pm
There are test to see if someone was raped. There will be prove of the victim being forced. They will be brushs and other signs it wasn't consensual
Holli Heinen
4/6/2016 10:11:02 pm
How can you define murder as being one of the worst sins if you think that it "depends" on the person being killed? Murder is murder. If you are murdering someone, you are not "doing God's work". God doesn't just instantly kill people who rape others. If you hurt others because of their sin, then you are also sinning. It all equals out. Rape is bad and it is a sin. However, a rapist can also be forgiven by God. What gives you the authority to sin because of someone else's sin? You will be punished also.
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,jon
4/7/2016 12:48:01 pm
I feel that god has others do his work for him sometimes and we just dont relize it. I feel that karma is gods work. God works with the satin god gives the (bad people) to satin in a way i feel like they work together.
Dallas Evernden
4/8/2016 08:39:01 pm
So you think that is more okay to kill one certain person than another? What makes you think that this is okay? Killing any one person is the same as killing any other. So shouldn't murder be horrible no matter who it is that's being murdered? They are not doing "God's work", God would never kill one of his creations. If you truly think that God would consider that his own work, then you might want to rethink the idea of Christianity. All sins are to be forgiven, so why would death ever be a punishment for a sin, at least a punishment from God himself?
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Lucas Lysne
4/6/2016 01:05:55 pm
To me, as I see the world, the worst transgression that a being can commit is murder, that being the intentional killing of another being with no other intent than the cessation of that organism’s life. Within this definition, it allows the death of organic life within the most necessary needs of higher being, but it may not be the most morally defensible, as a life completely free of intended death is possible, at some level of organic subsistence, and so it may very well be possible that a higher developed organism can be sustained sans the intentional cessation of organisms. So yes, my definition includes the lives of plants and even microorganisms, as I see no reason other than some assumed superiority and racial selfishness to be behind the devaluation of any other organism’s lease on life. It’s actually strange to note that this is also a belief practiced by some radical monotheistic ascetics (people very opposite to me on a religious ground), as they view every animate being as imbued with the living aspect of god, and to take such away from them would be working against god’s intentions. This being said though, I have to admit that I am not good at “practicing what I preach”, as I don’t go out of my way to avoid cessating other organisms in my continued existence. I certainly think that this denial of life is amongst the worst things one organism can do to another, but as to other transgressions, I think there are certainly ones that are less severe than others, and can be punished accordingly. I certainly think it is easy to see that some acts are objectively worse than others; cutting off a man’s pinky is not nearly so bad as cutting off his hand, and cutting off a man’s hand is not nearly so bad as cutting out his heart.
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Ashley Wegner
4/6/2016 01:06:32 pm
This entirely depends on how literal or how broad you decide to interpret each of the sins Dante enumerates. If I had to pick a sin to be weighed the heaviest, I would say treachery would be. In the broadest sense, it can encompass many things (of course arguably all of these can). With treachery, it leaves open the possibility of betrayal, which to me, is the worst you can do to a person. Betrayal can be integrated into different sins such as adultery, thieving, and lying, just to name a few. It is a manipulation of trust, typically to someone you know.
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Kadence Lanier
4/6/2016 01:38:10 pm
I really like your interpretation of this question. Betrayal is something that has almost no consequence, and it is not often the first thing to pop into your head when you're trying to name a sin. Like you said, betrayal can lead to a lot of things, and in a broad sense that is just as bad as any other sin. Why do you think our law is set out the way that it is? How did we come to the conclusion that some sin is worthy of larger consequence than others?
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Ingalls
4/6/2016 02:19:32 pm
Between 31A.D. and 1521 A.D., all Christians believed that some sins were more grave than others.
Kadence Lanier
4/6/2016 01:11:15 pm
While I'm uncertain how and why humans have come to the conclusion that some sins are worse than others, I believe that some are graver, but they are all punished the same way. This is an opinion that I have based off of the text of the bible, rather than just my personal beliefs. It is stated multiple times in the bible that if a person is guilty of one sin, they are guilty of all. It only takes one sin to make a person a sinner, and once you are a sinner, you are worthy of death. In James 2:10 it says "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all." Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord." If sins were graded differently, they would have different (spiritual) consequences according to God. The bible, however, states that all sin is punished with death, meaning that no matter what sin you commit, it is always going to be considered worthy of death. Humans meet their moral judgement of sin based off of their own opinions, which is why we punish murder with jail time and lying with a time out. We focus on the physical consequences of someone's sin as a way to grade how vile it is. There are some verses that make it hard to believe that all sins are equal, so the matter of determining whether or not a sin can be forgiven depends on whether someone committed a sin, or is living in sin. Whatever the case may be, humans don't grade the spirituality of someone's decisions. Our law and punishments for sin come from the effect that someone's wrong-doing has on others.
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Ingalls
4/6/2016 02:16:02 pm
First, I want to say that I greatly respect your answer and believe it is well articulated and well founded. Secondly, however, I wish to propose an alternative, though also ecumenically credible, view:
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Jarred Kasper
4/6/2016 02:20:46 pm
You said your opinion based off the bible, i'm just curious on what your direct thought are about it? Are all sins the same in you're eyes? Do you thin think that any one is "worse" than the other?
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Taylor Briann Holden
4/7/2016 11:35:34 am
As you have said, all of your beliefs come from the Bible. If it wasn't for the Bible, would you have any different beliefs? If the Bible said differently would you think differently?
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Emily Groseclose
4/8/2016 02:39:26 pm
What if all crimes were punished the same way because they were all equal like sinning and damnation? What punishment do you think sinners/criminals would receive?
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Taylor Briann Holden
4/6/2016 01:17:23 pm
This question can be looked at in a number of ways. Somebody's religion can have a great impact on the answer and somebody's lack of religion can change the views as well. Within the walls of my own religion, I am torn between answers. In one hand, there is one sin that is worse than the rest; blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and on the other hand, all sins are the same. It is said that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) While that is true and the fact that all sins (but this one) are the same in God’s eyes are true, to be profane against the Holy Spirit is seen as the greatest sin. According to Matthew 12:31: "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." This is where I get confused. If all sins can be forgiven if you ask for it and you deserve it then why is blasphemy against the most forgiving God not forgiven? I guess that I don’t know what I believe. In my opinion, there are sins that are worse than the others but I think that they should all be seen as the same, it’s just hard for me to question God. As I’ve said before, the question can get looked at in a number of ways and I don’t really think that there is a correct answer.
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Kylee Sneve
4/6/2016 03:12:12 pm
The fact that it is stated in the bible both ways, is hard for anyone who believes in God to fully understand if all sins are equal or not. I think that the punishment of all sins is and should be the same, however I think that sins themselves, can be worse than another one. Certainly, it's true that no sins are forgivable. Yet, at what point should they be forgiven? Should liars be forgiven? If so, that means that people who commit murder should be forgiven, as well, right? This is where it gets hard..
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Taylor Briann Holden
4/7/2016 11:40:32 am
That is the exact point where I get confused. If all sin is seen as the same then something as little as lying can be seen the same way as rape. I guess for God it is more black and white because for him, there is good and evil. But for me and I think a lot of other people. It isn't that simple. I think that every sin should be seen as the same because sin is sin, but I also believe that they should have different consequences. Cause a sin is a sin in itself but some sins can cause more harm than others. It just really confuses me.
Dallas Evernden
4/6/2016 01:19:24 pm
I do not believe that there is any 'sin' greater than any other, because I do not believe that there is a God or a Devil, or a heaven or hell. Because of the fact that I do not believe in one or the other, I think that the worst 'act' that one can commit is murder, because of the fact that it has the harshest punishment set forth by humans. I do not think that there is a forever punishment after death if you were a terrible person while you lived. I think that if you choose to live your entire life as a lustful, or greedy person than that is your choice. Granted, some people might not agree to the way you live your life, and you might not surround yourself with many people who care about you, it is still your choice to live that way, and I do not think that there is a punishment in the afterlife that awaits you. I think that murder is one of the worst acts that one can commit simply because you are taking the life of another who is not willing. If the person committing terrible acts is punished while living, then it should stop there. I personally do not think that if one murders someone and goes to prison for life, that they will be continuously punished in hell; or the after life, whatever is your preference. I think that whatever is looked down upon the worst in society is the worst punishment. So obviously you are not going to be well-liked if you are a greedy and hateful person, but you aren't physically harming other people, therefore I do not think that it is as drastic of an act as murder, or killing any innocent being.
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Jarred Kasper
4/6/2016 02:30:10 pm
I agree with you on everything that you said, I don't think that any one 'sin' is worse than the other just like I don't think that there are better, I don't believe you are being condemned to hell for something bad or being given a golden ticket to heaven for doing good deeds.
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Kylee Sneve
4/6/2016 03:39:43 pm
I think that your answer is great. It's interesting to see what people think a sin is and how it should be. While most of us agree that all sins should be treated the same, you're response made me think a little bit more in the sense of, whether or not we will be punished in the "after life." I also don't know what to believe in, so I don't know if someone will go to the extent of being punished after death. So you think that there are different levels is sins?
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Samantha Schroeder
4/6/2016 06:33:56 pm
Much of society's moral values seem to be derived from religious beliefs; don't sleep around, steal, lie, etc. However, since you don't believe in any religious thing whatsoever, where do you think moral values came from? If humans evolved from other living things, how did we learn right from wrong?
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Dallas Evernden
4/8/2016 08:32:00 pm
I think that we figured it out, I mean if someone just went around killing everyone our species would go extinct. I think that it is a matter of common sense.
Layne Harris
4/10/2016 11:39:05 pm
While I can't realistically ignore the presence of religion in our history, I don't believe that religion was the only influence in our morals. We as a society (again, can't realistically imagine a world without religion) deem these bad things 'bad' because there is something intrinsically wrong or immoral about them. Murder is inherently wrong because it is the forceful removal or another beings consciousness. Now, I don't know about you, but I would really hate it if someone deemed me unworthy of life and took it from me-- god or not. This is effectively the same motto that we teach kids: "Do unto others that you wish others do unto you." This is, by nature, independent from religion. (I know that this is a biblical quote, which seems counterproductive to my argument, but it is more of a 'universal truth' that just so happens to be articulated within this ever-so-handy bible quote-- the feeling transcends the bible)
Connor Steiger
4/6/2016 01:22:50 pm
The most vile sin I believe is being a pedophile on children. I think this is a disgusting act and they should be put to death. Eye for an eye. It is unthinkable that these gross acts should be banned and taken care by the family that has been affected by this sin. These children are likely to do the same, and it becomes a endless viscous
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Kadence Lanier
4/6/2016 01:45:05 pm
The fact that you said "an eye for an eye" means that you think it is perfectly acceptable to treat this horrible person the same way that they treat others. This in itself is a sin, seeing as you are seeking revenge and have hateful thoughts towards that person. Why shouldn't your hate be punished the same way that a pedophile's acts are?
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Connor Steiger
4/7/2016 10:35:38 am
I do believe it is acceptable to treat that person the way they treat others. In Leviticus It says fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.
Jarred Kasper
4/6/2016 02:26:01 pm
You said that you thought that the worse sin was being a pedophile but what about being a rapist isn't this some what of the same thing? Do you think that all sins are the same or are some 'sins' acceptable? "an eye for an eye" should this in you're eyes be the same action for all crimes?
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Emily Groseclose
4/8/2016 10:01:36 am
When you say that these children are likely to do the same, do you mean that they may also become pedophiles? Because that is exactly opposite of most cases. When children are molested, they either grow up to be super anxious around anyone they find even remotely threatening or grow up to be activists or supporters of rape victims. I haven't heard of any case where a child has been molested and grown up to be a pedophile.
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Layne Harris
4/10/2016 11:44:11 pm
ITS CONTAGIOUS! DON'T DRINK THE WATER!
Dallas Evernden
4/8/2016 08:29:33 pm
So would you consider this sin to be lust? How is this sin any different from the others? Can you explain this? I think that you have a good idea here, but no support to add to your claim. What else do you think could add onto this? Why don't you think that murder is just as bad?
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Jarred Kasper
4/6/2016 02:15:19 pm
We don’t think of the “white lies” as being something of a problem because they are insignificant we all use white lies and it seems like a normal thing like “wow! You look great today” or “that looks delicious, but I'm not hungry I just ate.” These are small so we don’t think of them as being “bad,” when we think of “the bigger sin” we think of think of things such as murder, rape, but what about the ones that are less talked about are these still considered to be sins such as one shall not sleep with thy neighbor or blasphemy? How do we put a sin above another, are they all equal or are some worse than others? We all have different views on what we think to be a ‘sin’ some think that blasphemy is the same thing as murder others don’t, for me I don’t think that anyone sin is better or worse than the other. I believe there is a higher power, whether it’s god or something but I don’t think we’re condemned to hell for doing something bad just like I don’t think you’re laud to heaven for being a good person. I don’t believe that when you commit a crime or a sin that you are going to be continued to be punished in the “afterlife,” I do think that there are worse ‘acts’ that people commit I think the worst thing that you can do is commit murder, because you are taking the life of someone else. But, I don't think that after you’re being punished in jail, that you will be punished when you die. How do we classify a sin, according to some murder is considered to be the same thing as homosexuality or shopping to much, in saying this I do not think that anyone ‘sin’ is better or worse than the next, I don’t believe that any one person is better that the next just because they do a good “deed” I think that we’re all the same some just make “bad choices.”
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Connor Steiger
4/7/2016 10:23:12 am
There are some people who get away with murder but they might get away with the actual crime, but suffer the consequences of that crime such as flashbacks,or it haunts them and the guilt eats them alive. overall though I agree with what you say and you made me think of this in a different perspective.
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Kylee Sneve
4/6/2016 03:03:09 pm
I believe that all sins are equally the same. However, I also think that some of them can equally be considered to be better or worse than other committed sins. In my eyes, if you sin or are a sinner, you should have the same punishment that everyone else gets; penalty of death. I think that it is hard to rank sins in order of how serious they are because a sin is a sin. If I were to pick which sin I thought was the worst, it would definitely be murder. I think that murder is the worst because you are taking the life of an innocent human being, and that is something that you can never take back. Now if we were comparing an abortion to someone lying, I'm sure (and hope) that we would all consider the abortion to ultimately be the worst sin. If sins were to be "graded" differently than they are, then should some be punished by death and some should not? It all comes down to what is seen and thought of as a sin and what is not. In the end, it really just depends on how much your sin affects other people. To me, I think that the "thought" of a sin is actually worse than what it really is in today's society. Liars are sinners, thus meaning everyone has sinned. So we're all going to hell? This is where I don't take the "all sins are equal" part. It's hard to justify that they are different though because, after all, a sin is a sin.
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Samantha Schroeder
4/6/2016 06:23:20 pm
What if the person murdered is not innocent, such as a rapist? This is where conflict with the death penalty comes in. Based on your belief, do you think that the people who enact the death penalty on others are sinners?
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Samantha Schroeder
4/6/2016 06:18:07 pm
Although I am currently trying to understand what being a Christian means and how to accept those values into my life, I have not fully done so. For this reason, I will answer this question with my own beliefs, rather than what I “should” believe had I been raised the way I’m trying to develop myself into being (religious). Bear with me, because my beliefs are in between in some spots. The sin I believe to be the worst is murder. I believe this is the worst thing a person can do because it harms others. Not only are you killing the person, but you are taking away someone’s loved one. Harm yourself as much as you please, but do not harm others (although I advise to do neither). However, I believe it is punishable the same as any other sin, because that is death and we all die. The matter then becomes where we go after death. I believe that everyone can be saved during their life and go to Heaven. However, I am in between beliefs on this subject because I do not believe that non-believers in God go to Hell. I am not sure where I stand on that; I just know/believe that believers in God go to Heaven, regardless of the sins they commit.
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Holli Heinen
4/6/2016 09:59:45 pm
If God tells us that each sin results in death, then how are some of them more vile than others? If they all have the same consequences, wouldn't they all be on the same level? I also believe that everyone can be saved during their life and receive eternal life in Heaven, however, we have to be forgotten of our sins first. If God is willing to forgive us of our sins, then he must not judge us on the graveness of each one, therefore suggesting that all sin is equal. I say sin is equal, but how do we define equal?
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Holli Heinen
4/6/2016 09:53:44 pm
There is no right or wrong answer on this subject, however, I have learned from the Bible that all sin is equal. Although one may seem worse, such as murder, all sins can lead to consequences as intense as that. A sin is a sin. There is no good or bad sin and it can be very dangerous to list sins according to their degree because many people view this concept differently. In the Bible, Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” This implies that death applies to all sin. In turn, in the Old Testament, God applied different penalties to different sins, thus suggesting variations in the seriousness of certain sins. Different penalties contrast the idea that all sin is equal. In the New Testament, Jesus warns that some punishments would be greater than others. This is seen in Luke 12:47-48: “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.” So, it seems as though there is not one sin that is more vile than the others, but there are some that deserve different punishments. We do have to remember though that any sin will send us to Hell when we die, and Jesus died for all our sins making them all equal in the sense of judgment. If we turn to him, he will forgive our sins and give us eternal life and will not judge by the graveness of our sins. I believe that this is a very hard concept to grasp and you have to be willing to share your opinion. This idea of moral judgment is based off of one’s beliefs and opinions creating our world into a mess of different definitions. Our society has defined sin and the levels of seriousness, when in reality we need to look at the bigger picture. I believe that because all sins are punished with death, there is not one sin that is more vile than the others.
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Layne Harris
4/11/2016 12:35:13 am
I find it interesting to entertain the thought that all sins are punished with death, as (as far as we know,) everybody dies. Would a completely sin-less person live forever? Isn't hell in a sense immortality if they suffer eternal torment?
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Allen Longstreet
4/8/2016 12:39:15 pm
The most vile sin I think is wrong are men being abusive towards women and or a girlfriend. Women abuse is very common in the world and in bigger cites. It does happen in little towns and usually the town people will deal with that person without authorities getting involved. Little towns are like a big family. An example of abusive men is the quarterback Johnny Manziel when he hit his ex-girlfriend multiple time at the baseball game in Texas, February, 9th 2016. His ex-girlfriend was granted a protection order which said the Manziel couldn’t have any contact with his ex-girlfriend for 2 years. Manziel hasn’t been charged with anything yet. Since the year 2000 there has been 98 arrest just in the NFL of women getting abused by their boyfriend and or husband. I think that these men should be punished and not be able to go back into the NFL. They were paid to play football and be responsible. Their privilege should be vanished and there should be more charges involved and jail time and prison time. What are your opinions on women getting abused?
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Ashley Wegner
4/8/2016 05:06:22 pm
I'm curious as to why you specifically identified abuse from men against women to be the worst of sins. Why not all abuse in general? Do you feel this is worse than something of the other way around (such as a woman abusing a man)?
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Layne Harris
4/10/2016 11:40:03 pm
same :)
Layne Harris
4/11/2016 12:32:10 am
In the same capacity as Dallas, I don't really find myself adhering to any religion, and, as much as I hate the word because of the negative connotation around it, I'm atheist. I'm really not trying to offend anyone in this post, and if I do, sorry in advance.
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