Despair is a sin for a reason: it is an outgrowth of faithlessness Further, it is a political sin, for a man who believes nothing can be saved generally stops trying to save anything Aquinas held it was not the gravest sin but the most dangerous, because of what follows. "When hope is given up," he wrote, "men rush headlong into sin, and are drawn away from good works." Isidore of Seville put it harder: "To commit a crime is to kill the soul, but to despair is to fall into hell." Much is said about realism. Realism can be good. Realism that gives way to despair is not
— Will Tanner (@Will_Tanner_1) November 5, 2026
"Despair Is a Sin for a Reason: The Only Way Out Is Through, and You Gotta Build Through It," The American Tribue, March 10. 2026.
Despair is a sin for a reason: it is an outgrowth of faithlessness. Further, it is a political sin, for a man who believes nothing can be saved generally stops trying to save anything. Aquinas held it was not the gravest sin but the most dangerous, because of what follows. "When hope is given up," he wrote, "men rush headlong into sin, and are drawn away from good works." Isidore of Seville put it harder: "To commit a crime is to kill the soul, but to despair is to fall into hell."Much is said about realism. Realism can be good. Realism that gives way to despair is not.
