Greed is the third in a series of Seven Deadly Sins. The name describes the severity of these sins: these are mortal sins.
What Are Mortal Sins?
A mortal sin is an act or thought which makes one turn away from God and turn toward something ungodly instead. When someone chooses mortal sin, they freely choose to forfeit heaven and choose hell.
This is why while some sins are less serious (they are called "venial sins") the more serious sins carry forboding names like "Capital" and "Deadly" sin.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, mortal sin “destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God… (CCC 1855).
Mortal sin erodes the presence of Christ in the sinner’s soul. It not only hurts the sinner, but also hurts those affected by the sinner's actions. A person who commits mortal sin is gambling with their soul.
What is Greed?
Greed is inordinate love of material things and an unbalanced desire for more earthly possessions. A greedy person cherishes things more than he cherishes people or relationships.
“It’s never enough, I gotta have more” is the motto of the ugly sin called greed. Like its sister sin, gluttony, greed is a drive to consume for the sheer pleasure of consuming without regard to moderation.
Faces of Greed
Hoarding things for the sake of hoarding is a form of greed. So is buying things you don’t need just for the sake of possessing them. Greed is also the act of taking more than your fair share in order to hurt others: it says “I’m better than you because I have more; you can’t have it because I already have it.”
In short, greed is amassing material goods for the sheer pleasure of accumulating.
Why is Greed a Mortal Sin?
There are several reasons why greed is considered a deadly sin.
- Greed is a sign of mistrust. It is an expression of doubt that God will provide all that you need. It is disbelieving Jesus when He promises that God will provide everything you need (Luke 12:22-31).
- Greed promotes crime. More crimes have been committed due to greed than any other deadly sin. Greed drives people to steal, lie, and even kill in order to acquire more wealth and worldly possessions.
- Greed is the pinnacle of selfishness. Greed ruins marriages, destroys friendships, and divides families all in the selfish pursuit of gratifying one’s self. Greed is the opposite of charity, generosity and love. Greed disregards all others and puts falsely high importance on the self: it is a form of self-worship.
Overcoming Greed with Generosity
Greed can be overcome by practicing generosity and gratitude. Recognizing that only a finite number of things are needed in order to live, and to live well is a step toward overcoming greed.
Limiting the number of things you accumulate and being grateful and appreciative of what you have can put an end to greed; so can giving freely of both your time and possessions.
Another Antidote to Greed: Detachment
Detachment is a discipline that helps people recognize that there is a limit to what material goods can do for them, and it puts material goods in their proper place after people and relationships.
Detachment allows people to let go of their excess. Detachment assists with generosity; it helps those recovering from greed to stay the course. After practicing generosity and giving possessions away, detachment helps people to overcome the urge to accumulate more in order to replace what was given away.
Related Reading"Readers may also enjoy What Are the Seven Deadly Sins?, along with The Second Deadly Sin - Gluttony and The Sixth Deadly SIn - Envy.
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