Should cowardice have been one of the 7 deadly sins?

[oppp7]

This is a weird topic, but I figured it's better than those "what is your favorite" types.
OT: Cowardice seems to have become something that people everywhere hate. Just about every game and movie has it shown as a negative quality. But when did it become like this? Why do we hate people we fear things?

 

[Flishiz]

Perhaps it would be better for the institution that God be feared, and therefore, cowardice is good for them, as it keeps them from challenging God.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Depends, which one do you kick out?

 

[Macgyvercas]

Depends, which one do you kick out?

Let's kick out sloth. That one annoys me.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

It's not a sin. It's lack of strength and confidence, which isn't bad and it's unreasonable to tell someone that it is. Games look down on it only because you can't have a weak hero.

 

[NotAProdigy]

But bravely can only exist with cowardice. You can't have one exist without the other, same with all of the sins. Trying to eliminate these traits by branding them "bad" is like trying to rearrange the room so that everything is up.

 

[Low Key]

Cowardice could be beneficial in some cases. Say, for instance, you are in a store and some guys come in trying to rob the place. Instead of standing there being brave, you tuck your tail and run. It's self preservation and I don't care who you are, sometimes that is the best course of action.

Unless I'm getting paid to be honorable (military), fuck that shit! And considering most people would do the same, I'd say it's a very smart decision.

 

[Skeleon]

According to wiki, it is part of Acedia already, which incorporates both sloth and cowardice as well as ignorance. I was sure it already was part of the 7 deadly sins!

EDIT: Hm, comparing it to the English wiki entry, there's no mention of cowardice there.
Well, this is what's in the German wiki:

Acedia: Trägheit des Herzens/des Geistes (Faulheit, Feigheit, Ignoranz).

"Acedia: Dullness of heart/mind (sloth, cowardice, ignorance)."

 

[Scarecrow38]

Cowardice is an emotional word that is used to attack human nature sometimes. I don't think there's anything wrong with a desire for self- preservation. Some people are braver than others and that's good for them, but it isn't a negative quality to just run away.

I think someone up top said you can't have a weak hero. They're right. The hero needs to display noble, good, heroic qualities.. otherwise we wouldn't respect them. We respect them because such courage is almost impossible sometimes.

 

[KarumaK]

I consider cowardice a virtue, along with most other sins, it's a lot more beneficial.

'The brave fight until the last breath, but the coward lives to fight another day.'

 

[skywalkerlion]

I'm surprised this hasn't turned into a religious flame war, let's keep it this way. KK?

 

[Aardvark]

You've gotta remember that most of the sins are natural instincts.

Lust - desire to procreate
Wrath - fight reflex
Sloth - conservation of energy
Gluttony - consumption of excess resources
Avarice - Defence of resources from competitors/hording for future consumption requirements
Envy - Desire for the resources of competitors

Then you have Pride, which is a bit of a communist sin. How dare you hold your head up high at your own achievements! You must be down-trodden like the rest of us. Though some translate it as Vanity, which itself is another natural instinct, attracting a superior mate for procreation.

The 7 themselves go against the fundamental tenements of Life itself. Fear or cowardice is just another one of these, the Flight reaction. So labeling it a sin is stupid.

Besides, it's much easier just to condition your trained killers to not fear anything than it is to tell them that they'll burn if they do it and hope for the best.

 

[dsau]

im reading dantes inferno and taking a class on it. this guy is your typical die hard every word the bible says is true christian. let us not forget that we cannot answer the question:

What is the Bible?

 

[SebZero]

I don't find cowardice to be something so bad it's a deadly sin.

 

[Erana]

The seven deadly sins are not in the Bible, they were made by a monk a few centuries after the death of Christ. Do you think a monk would worry about bravery? Such a passive life was considered a manner of devotion to God, so what could be interpreted in "cowardice" could be confused with some traits of monastic existence.

 

[Bobtowna]

Depends, which one do you kick out?

Let's kick out sloth. That one annoys me.

NOoo. Lets kick out Lust.