While the Old Testament’s Ten Commandments are concrete, the Seven Deadly Sins are amorphous, ripe for interpretation, which may have something to do with their continued potency. They are not about objective, tangible bad actions (you stole, you killed, you cheated); they are about human qualities where one crosses an imperceptible yet defining line (you are slutty, greedy, lazy!). And because they are subjective, they are easy to brandish like a whip.
