Of course, I was grabbing grains of salt as soon as I read, "A BBC magazine show's investigation..."A BBC magazine show's investigation has supposedly shown we Aussies are still born to be bad - coming out trumps in a global tally of the seven deadly sins.
While America is dominated by gluttony and greed, South Africa by wrath and Japan and South Korea by their lustful natures, Australians are the most envious people on the planet.
The tally was put together by comparing national statistics for plastic surgery (pride), theft (envy), violent crime (wrath), number of annual holidays (sloth), annual salary (greed), money spent on fast food (gluttony) and porn (lust).
Focus Magazine awards Australians the dubious prize of being named "the most sinful nation on earth" for scoring highly in every one of the seven categories.
Hmmmm, perhaps I'm actually Aussie. After all, I often let it be known that my greatest virtue is humility. I would make further modest remarks, but will avoid—reluctantly—such a near occasion of sin.Catholic priest Fr Bob Maguire said Australians had their vices, but they were also very virtuous.
"I think the people who did this survey are just jealous of we Aussies and rightly so," he said.
"Australians like to indulge and enjoy the good things in life - we are open about that. But people forget that the mirror image of the sins are the seven virtues and Australians also have a lot of virtues on balance. We're just too laconic to talk about the things we do right."
I wonder at what rate they entomb their enwombed on the altar of Choice.
Posted by: Jackson | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 05:34 PM
That was kind of a cool study . . . But why does having a high annual salary reflect greed? Americans are also some of the most financially giving people in the world. Maybe they should have looked at for stats on high salary and tax avoidance or something instead
Posted by: Monica | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 07:04 PM
How can a holiday (Holy Day) be a sin? I doubt the study distinguished between national "holidays" and Church Holy Days.
The whole thing is just a gimmick to interest the religious readers anyway...
Posted by: Eric | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 09:26 PM
Unless the priest is being rapped over the knuckles by the media you can be sure that any priest chosen for an opinion will dissent from the teaching of the Church e.g. "Jesus didn't come to found a Church" Maguire who doesn't appear to mind pocketing the pay cheque of that Church He didn't really come to found.
Posted by: Norah | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:33 PM
Aussies are bums? I knew that. South Africa bozos are full of hate? I knew that. The japanese and South Koreans are lust-mongers? I knew that. Oh, jeez, it's lunch time? I'll finish this after I put down 2 philly cheese-steak sandwiches, a liter of Coke, and a couple of Tastycake orange, cream-filled cupcakes and a 20oz Starbucks. Be right back...Allan W, USA.
Posted by: Allan Wafkowski | Friday, January 29, 2010 at 10:26 AM