… a sin which is pleasurable deserves greater censure than one which is painful.

Marcus Aurelius, in Book II of Meditations

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We don’t talk much about sin these days – and, consequently, we know little or nothing about its nature and gradation.

The above comment makes a very, very significant observation.  Sins that are pleasurable deserve greater punishment than those that are painful.  Why would that be?

Sins that are pleasurable are committed by one who is eager to gratify his or her own desires, wants – and acts without regard to the other (often innocent) person.  That sinner is insincere and cares not about the anyone but himself or herself.  This is a selfish and callous person – a low life.

Sins that invoke pain are the product of one who losses control because of some injustice.

I give an example: two colleagues are in joint enterprise – one to fight for and protect the other from those who intend harm to the one who needs protection.  In the course of joint efforts to protect the one in peril an argument and harsh words are exchanged.  This sin is the product of the fight, of the effort to battle against a third-party aggressor.  It is anger among friends, loved ones, comrades, brothers, brothers and sisters, a husband and his wife, a wife and her husband.

Unlike those sins that are born of selfish desire – sins such as I describe here arise from the love of one another and in pursuit of protection and justice. These are far less objectionable than those sins that use others and are self-serving.

How desperately we need a classical and rigorous education.  What we have now is pitiful, embarrassing, debilitating, self-destructive.  In this state of being we find few people of courage and few friends.

We are poorly educated and calamity is the principle product of such failure.

Do you see what insights and wisdom are lost to us?

Shalom.

Postscript – Those who stand and fight with you may, in the course of your shared combat, on occasion argue with you.  They stand and fight with you because they love justice and you and lend themselves to your aid for no particular gain.  They are people of honor and among the best friends you might have.

In contrast, those who know your struggle but stand apart from you are indifferent to you and your suffering.  Being indifferent they will not argue with you for they have no stake in what happens to you.  Welcome to the world as it is.