Sins updated

The Vatican has announced that it is labelling more activities as deadly sins. (BBC coverage here). My personal favourite is, of course, 'genetic manipulation', as most biological research these days involves genetic manipulation of lab strains of bacteria (my field being no exception). An increasing amount of medicines is produced in GM bacterial strains, and the current path taken towards the so-called bio-fuels (whole different rant altogether) will rely on GM bacteria to achieve any viable efficiency whatsoever. Now that polluting is also a sin, this means that a prime attempt at solving this problem is cut off, because it would involve committing another sin. I do have to add, though, that the definition of what genetic manipulation is according to the Vatican differs: some sources specify humans, others don't. If pollution is a sin, eating meat may be more sinful than sticking to a vegetarian diet. Being able to own and use technology is a double offence: first of all you're too rich (also a new sin*) and second of all you're too polluting. Of course, I claim no coherency in this story whatsoever. To make this rant coherent, I would (and maybe even could) write a book. Nonetheless, if we add all these items up, the Vatican's ideal would be a situation where we go back to (more or less) medieval times, or what I'm trying to say: in the most strict interpretation this would directly warrant large changes in everybody's daily life. This ties in perfectly with the Vatican's disappointment in the fact that people do not go to confession often enough any more - there's the option of confessing your sins more often, or not sinning and going to medieval times, in either which case the power of the church will start to be restored to its former glory. Though I would nearly see that as the final hidden agenda. I wonder how many sins such a (hidden) desire would carry...
Of course, there's always a third option: people will leave the (already rapidly shrinking) church altogether and join a protestant church, or go their own way.
Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!

*I wonder when the Vatican is going to hand out money, it seems they have plenty of cash to spare...