As I was driving home from work last night I listened to an ad on the local radio station advertising some upcoming events: a series of parties to “celebrate the seven deadly sins”. First up is “envy”. The party theme will be jealously in all its forms and will be “sinfully fun”. Oh goodie. Just what we all need. I rolled my eyes and wished there was a Christian radio station worth re-tuning to.
I didn’t think anything more about it, until I read a great article this morning by one of my favorite British journalists and Members of Parliament, Boris Johnson. Boris was complaining about a particular UK tabloid that likes to peddle salacious material on one page and then harp on about declining family values on the very next page. He’s right, total hypocrisy. But the truth is that both depravity and sermons sell newspapers. In fact, as Boris points out, you need both to get the full effect. Forbidden fruit is attractive and entertaining because it is forbidden.
What an odd state of affairs. On the face of it, what society wants is freedom, freedom, freedom to do anything we want, anytime anywhere, anything goes. But, if that was the case, there would be no scandal to be scandalised (and secretly excited) by. So actually it’s the presence of some kind of moral boundaries (Christian morality?) that keeps sin sinful.
Too philosophical for a Friday morning?
Probably.
Philomena
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