Sloth is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic teachings. It is the most difficult sin to define and credit as sin, since it refers to an assortment of ideas, dating from antiquity and including mental, spiritual, pathological, and physical. The word "sloth" is a translation of the Latin term acedia and means "without care". Spiritually, acedia first referred to an affliction to women, religious persons, wherein they became indifferent to their duties and obligations to God. Unlike the other capital sins, sloth is a sin of omission, being a lack of desire and/or performance. It may arise from any of the other capital vices. Sloth not only subverts the livelihood of the body, taking no care for its... .
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. It is considered one of the deadly sins because it reflects a complete disinclination toward care, love, contribution, and faith—virtues that open upon our true dignity, purpose, and eternal destiny. Sloth stands at the root of not only underliving life but of wasting life—namely, wasting our talents and the potential to develop them to make a positive difference in the world. Sloth is often unseen and can be defined as the reluctance to work or make an effort. It’s laziness, but more to the point, it’s comfort. Sloth is a sin against God, and not against the time clock or productivity.
