The Seven Deadly Sins aren’t just a popular anime on Netflix, nor are they just characters in Vivziepop’s Helluva Boss series on YouTube. According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are seven vices that tend to lead to immoral behavior. Pope Gregory I listed them first, but St. Thomas Aquinas later elaborated on and defined them. Most Christians today still consider pride, lust, wrath, envy, greed, gluttony, and sloth as negative traits that should be avoided, but I’m not a Christian anymore. I’m a Satanist. And as a Satanist, I’ve come to see the seven deadly sins from a different perspective.
Pride
Pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. The dictionary defines pride as reasonable self-esteem; confidence and satisfaction in oneself or pleasure from some relationship, association, achievement, or possession seen as a source of honor or respect. Christians have a different definition of pride, though. For Christians, pride encourages one to think more of oneself than one should, discouraging them to recognize or acknowledge the gifts that God has given them. Well, as a Satanist, I know that God doesn’t exist and therefore can’t bestow gifts. All my skills, possessions, and people close to me are mine because of my own hard work, not blessings from God. For a Satanist like myself, this is where pride becomes important. If you take pride in what you do, you’ll do your best to do it well, identify the flaws in your work, and work to improve it. If you take pride in the people you surround yourself with, you’ll behave in such a manner as to keep them close to you and keep them accountable should they behave in such a way that is contrary to your shared values, and they’ll do the same for you. If you take pride in your home and possessions, you’ll actually take care of them instead of letting them fall into disrepair. Pride only becomes a problem when it becomes arrogance, a type of pride not based in reality or a desire to improve oneself. In that case, the problem usually sorts itself out with a nice, healthy dose of public humiliation.
Lust
I’ve written on lust before, so I’ll try to be brief with this one. Lust is defined as an intense or unbridled sexual desire, though it’s not always used to describe sexuality (one can lust for power and control, for example). That is its most common definition, so we’ll go with that one. Lust is considered among the seven deadly sins for Christians due to how they view sexuality in general: only meant to be enjoyed between one man and one woman within the bonds of marriage. Seems oppressive and controlling to me. Their definition of lust is expanded to include sexual desire that doesn’t value people or their God, or sexual desire that objectifies others. A Satanist, on the other hand, understands that lust is perfectly natural. It only becomes harmful to Satanists when they act on it without the other person’s consent—in which case their problem isn’t actually lust, it’s a lack of self-control, desire to control or oppress others, a lack of respect for other people’s autonomy, or some combination of the three. All of which Satanists consider among the deadliest of “sins.” In fact, I would argue that, in most relationships, lust is essential for the relationship to stay healthy. In my mind, sex should never be performed unless 1) all parties involved consent to it, and 2) all parties have lust for each other. Otherwise, it may as well be rape.
Wrath
Of the seven deadly sins, wrath is one of my favorites. Merriam-Webster defines wrath as a strong, vengeful anger or indignation, or a retributory punishment for an offense or a crime. In comparison to the other deadly sins, wrath is different. It’s a sin for a Christian to be wrathful, but God’s wrath is fine. Seems to me a double standard. For me as a Satanist, wrath is essential to my philosophy. I and many other Satanists believe in working toward justice, and that is impossible without being wrathful toward injustice when we see it. Wrath is what motivates Satanists to work toward change, and given the outcome of the 2024 US election, we need it now more than ever. Without it, we descend into apathy, which is another thing a Satanist would consider a “sin.” Furthermore, wrath is how we defend ourselves. As a Satanist, I don’t believe in forgiveness unless that forgiveness has been earned through a sincere apology and an earnest, visible attempt to change the transgressing behavior. If that behavior persists or a sincere apology has not been given (or an insincere apology given in its stead), a wrathful response is warranted to deter that behavior.
Envy
Of the seven deadly sins, envy is the first one where the dictionary definition and the Christian definition more or less match. Merriam-Webster defines envy as painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, joined with a desire to possess the same advantage; Christians define envy as jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others, particularly when it comes to spirituality. However, Anton LaVey, the founder of Satanism, wrote on envy (and greed) in The Satanic Bible and he sees things a little differently. LaVey sees envy as a motivating force that triggers ambition. As a Satanist, this has also been my experience. Anytime I see someone who has something I don’t, and if I want that object or skill, I work for it. If it’s something that will take time, I make a plan. If, after that plan has been made and I still think having the thing is worth the time and energy it will take, I enact that plan and work toward getting it. Envy is an inspiring force rather than a destruction one for a Satanist.
Greed
Like envy, Anton LaVey listed greed as an inspiring force for ambition. Christians, on the other hand, believe that wanting more than you need can lead to theft, robbery, and even fraud. As a Satanist, conventional wisdom says it’s always a good idea to stockpile more than what is needed—whether that’s food or money—in case something happens and your usual source becomes depleted. When I lost my main freelancing contract this May, my greediness came in handy when the majority of my income disappeared and I had to rely more heavily on my stockpile of money for survival. My one caveat regarding greed is that one shouldn’t hoard things away when resources are so scarce that others in your community can’t access them. That would be the time to share the wealth, though I would also say to never give unless you have excess, and never give until you have nothing for yourself.
Gluttony
Gluttony is the deadly sin I’ve always struggled to balance. Christians often associate gluttony with a lack of self-control and a focus on earthly pleasures over spiritual well-being. As a hedonistic Satanist, I find no harm in indulging myself in the things I enjoy as often as I can, whether that’s food, alcohol, or THC. However, after a certain point, that indulgence ceases to be enjoyable. The key to gluttony as a Satanist is finding that point where it stops being fun anymore, and stopping before you get there. By continuing past that point, you risk letting your gluttony become a compulsion or even an addiction.
Sloth
This is probably the only one of the seven deadly sins I almost agree with Christians on. The keyword being almost. Sloth is a disinclination to action or labor, or a spiritual apathy and inactivity. While I do agree that slothfulness is a problem, I disagree that it’s a character trait in and of itself. As a Satanist, I see slothfulness as a symptom of a bigger problem rather than a problem in and of itself. For me, sloth isn’t just a disinclination to action or labor, it’s a lack of mental or physical stimulation. As science and psychology have shown, it’s important and beneficial to rest and relax, otherwise you burn yourself out. But that doesn’t mean you’re not doing anything while relaxing. Even when resting, I need mental stimulation to feel like myself—whether reading a book or listening to music. If I’m sitting around mindlessly scrolling when I take a break, I’m not indulging in a favorite pastime, I’ve simply become so stressed, overwhelmed, and depressed that I’m shutting down both mentally and physically. A Satanist dealing with slothfulness isn’t just being lazy, that Satanist is going through some shit and probably needs help getting out of it.
Although Christians consider the seven deadly sins as vices to be avoided, Satanists understand that it’s natural to experience pride, lust, wrath, envy, greed, gluttony, and sloth (though if we do experience sloth we know we’re in trouble). None of the seven deadly sins are harmful when moderated (with the exception of sloth) to a Satanist. As a matter of fact, they are essential to a Satanist’s growth as a person.
Playing With Demons 