IMAGE: IT IS POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP A PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT TRULY REFLECTS BEST PRACTICE OR BEST BEHAVIOUR OFFLINE, WRITES BETH DOHERTY.
Are the seven deadly sinsand seven heavenly virtues outdated in a modern world saturated with social media? Quite the opposite, says Beth Doherty, editor of prayer and spirituality at Jesuit Communications. In fact, they can provide a useful resource to help one live a virtuous life.
It's not fashionable to talk about sin anymore. For the most part, this is a good thing. It shows an evolution in thinking, and it indicates a progression to a more holistic way of looking at our actions.
In the Church, we don't talk so much these days of mortal or venial sins either. Again, this recognises that there are usually more than '50 shades of grey' to every situation and that nothing is black and white when it comes to our interaction with the world.
Therefore, why apply an old formula (the seven deadly sins/seven heavenly virtues) to new phenomena like social media?
Perhaps the answer lies in the very nature of our response.
In the spirit of tradition, and in the spirit of trying something new, the communications office for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference thought that developing a pithy new take on an old, even outdated, list could serve as a good memory device, but also help people to consider just how real things can get on social media.
By developing a list of rules that are easy to remember and relatable for most people who have a set of faith values—those who use social media and those who don't—we have been able to create something of a modus operandi that people might follow when they are wondering if and how they should behave on social media platforms.
The seven deadly sins are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth. The seven heavenly virtues are faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance and prudence.
Here they are applied to social media in an abbreviated form, and they can be found in their entirety in my book Tweet others as you would wish to be tweeted: a scripture-based guide to social media for the Church.
The seven deadly sins applied to social media
Pride: Are you seeking affirmation, or do you need to eat some humble pie?
Envy: Focus on what you do well, and take strength from your triumphs.
Gluttony: Social media is best in moderation.
Lust: Your sexuality is a gift from God, don't exploit this gift.
Anger: Think rationally before posting.
Greed: Try to avoid over-sharing.
Sloth: Be productive, have purpose in your social media engagement.
Faith: Share your faith online.
Hope: Try to convey positive messages that give hope to others.
Charity: Share your likes generously, and encourage others.
Fortitude: Take strength and behave appropriately in adversity.
Justice: Treat others as you would wish to be treated.
Temperance: Don't spend all day online. Pray, live, love.
Prudence: Think before you post.
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