Sin. Theologians rely on it. The Bible dwells on it. The news media revels in it. Television adores it. Without it, Hollywood would decay — perhaps expire. Without Sin, country music would lose its earthy appeal. The discomforting truth is human beings are sweet on Sin — it is the one characteristic that separates you from all other living things. You especially relish the Seven Deadly Sins — Wrath, Greed, Lust, Envy, Pride, Gluttony and Sloth. Their active cousins — Stealing, Lying and Cheating — help round out the list to an even 10. Some of you may think Killing belongs on the list, but taking a life is simply the ultimate form of theft. If you think for a fleeting moment that you’re free of Sin, the Preacher confirms that you’re born with it — a term called Original Sin. Sure enough, the moment you were old enough to think and contemplate your genitals, you innocently discovered a couple of wicked deeds. There was no premeditation. Wrongdoing came to you as naturally as learning to crawl, proving a decisive reality — as surely as you draw breath, your DNA runs your own reality show. Genetic determinism governs your mortal appetite. And if you occasionally question the depth of your transgression, the Church persistently removes all doubt — hammering, hammering away at your imperfection. You accept the guilt trip, content in the Preacher’s bold assurance — that all humanity is lying there with you, on the same sullied sheets. No, that just doesn’t wash, Pastor. Random human iniquity — Sin — is child’s play compared to the devastation of an unnamed genetic defect that is reaching epidemic proportions — something you now coin Malignant Egocentricity (ME)*. The Church (and Society) will call ME an affliction, an illness, a product of environmental abuse; and dump it in the great laundry basket of Sin. It is here you part with organized religion, because ME is beyond Sin. It is a pernicious self-centeredness that smashes the moral human compass called Empathy. ME predisposes individuals to make choices and follow a course of behavior that brings sorrow, anguish and ruination to those around them, including those they purportedly love. This behavior is premeditated, systemic and relentless. A husband batters his wife; a son worships drugs; a parent abandons children; a mother murders her only child; a coach sexually abuses boys; an executive robs his clients; a politician violates the public trust; a serial killer snuffs out life. The ME generation has three things in common — self infatuation, self gratification and utter disregard for the hardship and suffering they leave in their wake. When ME walks into a school with Death on his shoulder, humanity looks to society for motives, excuses and blame. From the pundits, you hear words like psychopath, sociopath, child abuse and temporary insanity. From the pulpit, you hear the admonition, “we are all sinners; judge not.” Meanwhile, ME multiplies from generation to generation, one DNA strand to another, as constant as the tide. Possibly a missing link. Or a bad seed. But certainly beyond Sin.

*© 2012