Is Washington In the Top Ten On The List of Most Sinful States
The movie Se7en staring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey came out in 1995 and it was a doozy. Creepy, clever, intense and based on a nutjob committing a series of murders where the victims were each guilty of one of the so-called "Seven Deadly Sins.
Check out the trailer if you haven't seen the movie. Then see the movie!
Defining Sin
So just what is a "SIN"? It sort of depends on the context but -
One definitian is: an offense against religious or moral law. b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible
The Seven Deadly
Now the Bible doesn't congregate various sins into the "worst of" list but Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century did, and the list was elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas, So, the Seven Deadly list is:
- Sloth
- Gluttony
- Lust
- Greed
- Pride
- Envy
- Wrath
What's the point of all this "Sin-ny talk" stuff?
A National Comparison
Well, the financial website Wallethub checked the stats on what they determinded to be "Sin-like" behaviors on a state-by-state basis based on the Dealy Sin list and came up with a list of their own -- the 2022 list of "Most Sinful States".
Naturally we're curious, wondering where does Washington State show up on the list?
...the cost of state sins is something we have to share as a nation. Gambling alone costs the U.S. about $5 billion per year. That’s nothing compared to the amount of money we lose from smoking, though – over $300 billion per year. Harmful behavior on the individual level can add up to staggering economic costs on a national scale.
Look Who's Among The Most Jealous
WalletHub looked at 47 key indicators of the seven immoral or illicit behaviors and concluded on the sin of jealousy - as demonstrated by thefts per capita - Washington came in as fourth worst behind Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado. I guess we want what others have and aren't afraid to take it???
But, at the same time Washington was fourth best in percentage of adults who exercise (anti-sloth) on a regular basis. (does that balance out the jealousy?)
Who Is Number One
Over all categories, the Top Five Most Sinful States are #1 Nevada, #2 California, #3 Texas, #4 Florida and #5 Louisiana.
The Least Sinful States are #46Iowa, #47 South Dakota, #48 Vermont, #49 Wyoming and #50 Idaho. Congrats to our neighbor to the east!
Washington just missed being in the top ten most sinful states coming in at number 11, Oregon was 35.
True Blue Has Another Meaning Here
SIde note. What's up with New England? The Northeast is a "Blue State" or Democrat stronghold. Blue also has another meaning Stemming from colonial days-
blue meant indecent. Lawmakers established rigid controls over morals and conduct; the so-called "blue laws" were designed "to encourage people to go to church, and to prohibit people from engaging in secular activities (like seven deadly sins type behavior)
Which States Are S-E-X Obsessed
Under the Deadly Sin labeled "Lust", as demonstrated by the numbers of visits to porn websites, the Top Five "Lusty" Most Sinful States are: Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Odd coincidence that those "blue states" in one small region demostrate a similar blue behavior.
On the flip side, the Bible belt is well buckled with residents in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi the least likely to run into their New England cousins on an X-rated site!