I am not the first person to point out that our president is a virtual embodiment of the Seven Deadly Sins. Anyone who endured a classical Christian education will remember having to memorize them, probably with vague and watered down examples. They apparently originated with the “Desert Fathers” in the seventh century and they figure in stories from the “Canterbury Tales” as well as in Dante’s “Inferno.” In all cases they serve as admonitions to avoid falling into their snares which would lead to sure damnation.
Here they are now, on display for us daily and graphically by Donald Trump.
Pride: The president’s self-absorption, arrogance, self-aggrandizing egotism seem to lead him to believe the world revolves around him. Hence, everything he does is for his own benefit.
Greed: I thought Mary Trump’s book title, Too Much and Never Enough referred to money. Oh, well, it certainly could have. Money may not be the root of all evil, but it is the tap root of the Trump tree.
Wrath: How many people has he fired or sued or tried to humiliate for some perceived grievance, especially when they are clearly right?
Envy: Our President all but salivates in envy of the autocratic power of his best international buddies, Putin, Kim, Erdogan and MBS, and even his current enemy, Xhi.
Lust: Some may just roll their eyes at his sexual assaults, extra-marital hook-ups, hush money payoffs, his gross, infamous comments; but most know a lout when they see one.
Gluttony: Lavish living, gold faucets, dietary self indulgence, gold everything; that’s his trademark. Again, too much and never enough.
Sloth: Too lazy to read his security briefings, too self absorbed to understand or accept scientific data regarding environmental degradation or the corona virus, he’d rather blow it off and play golf.
Donald Trump is the poster boy for the Seven Deadly Sins and he drags in his considerable wake all the hyper-religious zealots who should know better, but wink and nod and go along.
Donald Trump is the poster boy for the Seven Deadly Sins and he drags in his considerable wake all the hyper-religious zealots who should know better, but wink and nod and go along.
Contrast our president’s character traits to the classical list of seven Cardinal Virtues: Charity, Temperance, Chastity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness and Humility. We see in him the worst of humanity and, sadly, the worst in ourselves.
Rev. Rollin Russell