Pride, The Queen of Sins, and Other Evils

It is Pride Month! A month dedicated to celebrating our national religion: sexuality. 

But it would also seem to be a month to celebrating something else: the sin of pride, which historically has been considered the greatest of all sins. For by pride, the devil fell. 

I have no desire to speak about the various ideologies that Pride Month celebrates. But I think it is important to think about the underlying concept of the sin of pride that upholds this national festivity. 

Why is pride a sin? We take pride in our accomplishments. We take pride in our family. We take pride in our country. So why is pride a sin? 

We must make distinctions. When we speak of taking pride in such things as our country, our ancestors, or our business, we are using the term ‘pride’ in a different sense. What we are saying is that such things have value, and that we respect the value that our business, our ancestors, or our country have created.  

But pride in the Biblical sense is different. It refers to, as Aquinas would say, the desire to ‘be above what someone really is.’ 

Humility is simply to know what your reason for existing really is, according to your vocations. Pride is to assume that you have some greater reason to exist, to reign over the world because you are superior in some way. 

The Latin word for ‘pride’ is ‘superbus.’ The last of the kings of Rome, before the Republic of Rome as declared was Tarquin Superbus; Tarquin the Proud. For he believed that he was above other men, and had a right to the royal throne because of his superiority. 

It is written, ‘the devil fell because of pride.’ For he sought to be higher than the creation of God called ‘man.’ Now the devil seeks to beguile man by convincing him that he can be higher than God. 

What is all sin, but to say that God, the creator of all, has no authority over me, but I have authority over God? To determine for myself what is right, what is acceptable, and what is hateful? 

This is pride, which means this is sin. This is idolatry, for we determine to make ourselves God, and relegate God to being the dead relic of uneducated people. 

Yet prideful people have always been shameful people, for it turns out that to deny the goodness of God is to affirm to wickedness of men. 

When men accept wickedness, they are ashamed. And with this shame, they are given two options: to acknowledge their shame, or to flee from it by insisting that their wickedness is in fact virtue. 

Thus did the evil kings of old, whether Tarquin or Commodus or Stalin. And thus do the evil men of our time. And I do not speak of this or that group. I speak of you and me. We who cannot bear our shame, and so disguise our shame with excuses. 

It indeed is Pride Month, for every one of us is an idolator, every one of us is proud. 

But there is one humble man, this man Jesus. Seek Him, that you may be found. 

For he came not for the well, but for the sick.