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53-400: In Dante's version of Hell, categories of sin are punished in different circles, with the depth of the circle (and placement within that circle) symbolic of the amount of punishment to be inflicted. Sinners placed in the upper circles of Hell are given relatively minor punishments, while sinners in the depths of Hell endure far greater torments. As the eighth of nine circles, Malebolge is one of

106-537: A few differing Buddhist views on sin. American Zen author Brad Warner states that in Buddhism there is no concept of sin at all. The Buddha Dharma Education Association also expressly states "The idea of sin or original sin has no place in Buddhism." Ethnologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf explained, "In Buddhist thinking the whole universe, men as well as gods, are subject to a reign of law. Every action, good or bad, has an inevitable and automatic effect in

159-611: A long chain of causes, an effect that is independent of the will of any deity. Even though this may leave no room for the concept of 'sin' in the sense of an act of defiance against the authority of a personal god, Buddhists speak of 'sin' when referring to transgressions against the universal moral code." However, there are five heinous crimes in Buddhism that bring immediate disaster through karmic process . These five crimes are collectively referred to as Anantarika-karma in Theravada Buddhism and pañcānantarya (Pāli) in

212-515: A monk's cowl but are lined with heavy lead, symbolically representing hypocrisy. Also, Caiaphas , the Pharisee who insisted on the execution of Jesus , and all of the Sanhedrin are crucified in this circle, staked to the ground so that the ranks of the lead-weighted hypocrites march across him. This bolgia houses the souls of fraudulent thieves . In Inferno 24, the thieves are trapped in

265-505: A quest for knowledge. Ulysses' last voyage draws many parallels to the pilgrim's journey in the Divine Comedy . Both embark on a journey for the pursuit of greater understanding. In Ulysses' case, his pursuit for knowledge was misguided, which ultimately led to his spiritual shipwreck. Unlike Ulysses, the pilgrim's journey is ordained by divine powers. Thus, the pilgrim's journey into the self will not end in disaster. In Inferno 27,

318-409: A river of boiling pitch and tar . In addition, should any of the grafters try to escape the pitch, a horde of demons known as Malebranche , armed with grappling hooks and barbs, stand guard over them, ready to tear them to pieces. Hypocrites are punished in this bolgia. They are forced to wear heavy lead robes as they walk around the circumference of their circle. The robes are golden and resemble

371-411: A river of human excrement, similar to what their flatteries were. Thaïs the hetaira is found there. Simoniacs are punished here. They are turned upside down in large baptismal fonts cut into the rock, with their feet set ablaze by oily fires. The heat of the flames burns according to the guilt of the sinner. Popes condemned to Bolgia Three all go into the same font, the earlier ones pushed down by

424-427: A self-perpetuating cycle of being bitten and bound by serpents , dragons and other vengeful reptiles . Thieves are bitten by snakes, turning their bodies into ash before spontaneously regenerating their bodies again for further torment. Others are bitten by snakes and are transformed into snakes that, in turn, minister the punishment onto other souls. Here, the souls turn against each other, reflecting how theft breaks

477-459: A sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful". From Middle English sinne , synne , sunne , zen , from Old English synn ("sin"), from Proto-West Germanic *sunnju, from Proto-Germanic *sunjō ('truth', 'excuse') and *sundī, *sundijō ("sin"), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁s-ónt-ih₂, from *h₁sónts ("being, true", implying

530-526: A thirteenth Malebranche who was never named in the text. They try to trick Virgil and Dante by telling them of a path which does not really exist. The ten ditches of the Malebolge, in descending order, are listed thus: Panderers and seducers are punished here. They are forced to march, single file around the circumference of their circle, constantly lashed by horned demons. Sinners guilty of excessive flattery are punished in this bolgia, immersed forever in

583-449: A verdict of "truly guilty" against an accusation or charge), from *h₁es- ("to be"); compare Old English sōþ ("true"; see sooth). Doublet of suttee. Baháʼís consider humans to be naturally good, fundamentally spiritual beings. Human beings were created because of God's immeasurable love for us. However, the Baháʼí teachings compare the human heart to a mirror, which, if turned away from

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636-473: A water repellent coating for boats , ships , sails , and roofs . In Scandinavia , it was produced as a cash crop. "Peasant Tar" might be named for the district of its production. Wood tar is still used as an additive in the flavoring of candy , alcohol , and other foods. Wood tar is microbicidal . Producing tar from wood was known in ancient Greece and has probably been used in Scandinavia since

689-463: A wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation . Tar can be produced from coal , wood , petroleum , or peat . Mineral products resembling tar can be produced from fossil hydrocarbons , such as petroleum . Coal tar is produced from coal as a byproduct of coke production. "Tar" and " pitch " can be used interchangeably. Asphalt (naturally occurring pitch) may also be called either "mineral tar" or "mineral pitch". There

742-773: Is Muhammad , prophet of Islam and his son-in-law and successor Ali , who both eviscerate their own bodies, and Bertran de Born , alleged agitator of the Revolt of 1173–74 , who carries around his severed head like a lantern. Falsifiers, those who attempted to alter things through lies or alchemy , or those who tried to pass off false things as real things, such as counterfeiters of coins, are punished here. This bolgia has four subdivisions where specific classes of falsifiers (alchemists, impostors, counterfeiters, and liars) endure different degrees of punishment based on horrible, consumptive diseases such as rashes , dropsy , leprosy and consumption (known today as tuberculosis ). Among them

795-519: Is Myrrha , who suffers from insanity after she seduced her father. The lower edge of Malebolge is guarded by a ring of titans and earth giants, many of whom are chained in place as punishment for their rebellion against God. Beyond and below the giants lies Cocytus, Hell's final depth. Sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities . Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit

848-735: Is a tendency to use "tar" for more liquid substances and "pitch" for more solid ( viscoelastic ) substances. Both "tar" and "pitch" are applied to viscous forms of asphalt, such as the asphalt found in naturally occurring tar pits (e.g., the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles). "Rangoon tar", also known as "Burmese oil" or "Burmese naphtha", is also a form of petroleum. Oil sands , found extensively in Alberta, Canada , and composed of asphalt, are colloquially referred to as "tar sands". Since prehistoric times wood tar has been used as

901-404: Is an evil human act, which violates the rational nature of man as well as God's nature and his eternal law . According to the classical definition of St. Augustine of Hippo sin is "a word, deed, or desire in opposition to the eternal law of God." Thus, sin requires redemption, a metaphor alluding to atonement, in which the death of Jesus is the price that is paid to release the faithful from

954-652: Is eradicted through entire sanctification . Sin (khiṭʾ) is an important concept in Islamic ethics . Muslims see sin as anything that goes against the commands of God ( Allah ), a breach of the laws and norms laid down by religion. Islam teaches that sin is an act and not a state of being. It is believed that God weighs an individual's good deeds against his or her sins on the Day of Judgement and punishes those individuals whose evil deeds outweigh their good deeds. These individuals are thought to be sentenced to an afterlife in

1007-525: Is the result of human actions, but rather the result of evil spirits or other external factors. Sin can have a variety of consequences in Japan, including disaster and disease. Therefore, purification rituals, or Harae , are viewed as important not just to the spiritual and physical health of the individual but also to the well-being of the nation. Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon , obtained from

1060-535: Is used for the surface treatment of wooden shingle roofs, boats, buckets, and tubs and in the medicine, soap, and rubber industries. Pine tar has good penetration on the rough wood. An old wood tar oil recipe for the treatment of wood is one-third each genuine wood tar, balsam turpentine, and boiled or raw linseed oil or Chinese tung oil. In Finland , wood tar was once considered a panacea reputed to heal "even those cut in twain through their midriff". A Finnish proverb states that "if sauna , vodka and tar won't help,

1113-538: The Christian God and an elevation of self-love ("concupiscence", in this sense), as was later propounded by Augustine in his debate with the Pelagians . As with the legal definition of sin, this definition also affects the understanding of Christian grace and salvation, which are thus viewed in relational terms. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as

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1166-467: The Harrowing of Hell . They must then cross some of the bolgias on foot and even rely on demons to guide them. Eventually, they make it to the inner ledge where, after a brief look at the giants , the babbling Nimrod to the hostile Ephialtes and heavily chained Briareus , Virgil convinces the giant Antaeus to lower them down to the ninth circle's frozen lake, Cocytus . Thirteen demons known as

1219-482: The Iron Age . Production and trade in pine-derived tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America . Its main use was in preserving wooden sailing vessels against rot. For centuries, dating back at least to the 14th century, tar was among Sweden 's most important exports. Sweden exported 13,000 barrels of tar in 1615 and 227,000 barrels in the peak year of 1863. The largest user

1272-705: The Mahayana Sutra Preached by the Buddha on the Total Extinction of the Dharma , The five crimes or sins are: The doctrine of sin is central to Christianity, since its basic message is about redemption in Christ . Christian hamartiology describes sin as an act of offense against God by despising his persons and Christian biblical law , and by injuring others. In Christian views it

1325-521: The Temple yet stood in Jerusalem, people would offer Korbanot (sacrifices) for their misdeeds. The atoning aspect of korbanot is carefully circumscribed. For the most part, korbanot only expiates unintentional sins, that is, sins committed because a person forgot that this thing was a sin or by mistake. No atonement is needed for violations committed under duress or through lack of knowledge, and for

1378-677: The Malebranche ('Evil Claws'), guard the fifth bolgia of the Malebolge. Their leader is Malacoda ('evil tail'), while the others are Scarmiglione ('ruffle-haired'), Barbariccia ('curly beard'), Alichino (derived from Arlecchino , the Harlequin ), Calcabrina ('one who walks on the frost'), Cagnazzo ('bad dog'), Libicocco ('love notch' ), Draghignazzo (possibly from drago 'dragon' and sghignazzo 'guffaw'), Ciriatto (possibly 'little pork'), Graffiacane ('dog scratcher'), Farfarello ('butterfly'), Rubicante (possibly 'red' or 'rabid'), and

1431-462: The back of the monster Geryon , the personification of fraud, who possesses the face of an honest man 'good of cheer,' but the tail of a scorpion, who flies them down through the yawning chasm that separates the eighth circle from the seventh circle, where the violent are punished. Dante and Virgil plan on crossing Malebolge by way of the system of bridges, but find their path disturbed by many broken ledges and collapsed bridges that were destroyed during

1484-414: The bondage of sin. In some forms of Christianity , it also requires reparation (see penance ). Among some scholars, sin is understood mostly as a legal infraction or contract violation of non-binding philosophical frameworks and perspectives of Christian ethics , and so salvation tends to be viewed in legal terms. Other Christian scholars understand sin to be fundamentally relational—a loss of love for

1537-423: The church or within politics. They are forced to walk around the circumference of the circle bearing horrible, disfiguring wounds inflicted on them by a great demon with a sword. The nature of the wound mirrors the sins of the particular soul; while some only have gashes, or fingers and toes cut off, others are decapitated, cut in half (as schismatics), or are completely disemboweled. Among those who are tormented here

1590-459: The disease is fatal." Wood tar is used in traditional Finnish medicine because of its microbicidal properties. Wood tar is also available diluted as tar water , which has numerous uses: Mixing tar with linseed oil varnish produces tar paint. Tar paint has a translucent brownish hue and can be used to saturate and tone wood and protect it from weather. Tar paint can also be toned with various pigments, producing translucent colors and preserving

1643-959: The doctrine, seeing it as based on the New Testament teaching of Paul the Apostle ( Romans 5:12–21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21–22 ) and the Old Testament verse of Psalms 51:5 . Tertullian , Cyprian , Ambrose and Ambrosiaster considered that humanity shares in Adam's sin, transmitted by human generation. Augustine's formulation of original sin after 412 CE was popular among Protestant reformers , such as Martin Luther and John Calvin , who equated original sin with concupiscence (or "hurtful desire"), affirming that it persisted even after baptism and completely destroyed freedom to do good. Before 412 CE, Augustine said that free will

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1696-498: The downfall of others. Here, the souls are burned in brilliant flames. In Inferno 26, the pilgrim meets Ulysses and Diomedes , in the form of twin flames, who are placed in this bolgia for using the Trojan Horse as a trap to besiege Troy and for deceiving Achilles to war. Ulysses tells an altered version of his last voyage: instead of returning to Ithaca, Ulysses and his crew shipwrecked in front of Mount Purgatory in

1749-457: The fires of jahannam (Hell). Islamic terms for sin include dhanb and khaṭīʾa , which are synonymous and refer to intentional sins; khiṭʾ , which means simply a sin; and ithm , which is used for grave sins. Judaism regards the violation of any of the 613 commandments as a sin. Judaism teaches that sin is a part of life, since there is no perfect man and everyone has an inclination to do evil. Sin has many classifications and degrees, but

1802-568: The fraudulent thieves of their most inalienable properties: their bodies and identity. In this bolgia, the pilgrim also meets Vanni Fucci , a thief who lived in Pistoia . Vanni Fucci delivers a prophecy about Dante's fate in Florence before throwing an obscene gesture towards God and is punished by the centaur Cacus . The eighth bolgia is dedicated to the counselors of fraud—individuals who provided fraudulent advice or used fraud to bring about

1855-426: The hulls of ships and boats. For millennia, wood tar was used to waterproof sails and boats, but today, sails made from inherently waterproof synthetic substances have reduced the demand for tar. Wood tar is still used to seal traditional wooden boats and the roofs of historic, shingle-roofed churches, as well as painting exterior walls of log buildings. Tar is also a general disinfectant. Pine tar oil, or wood tar oil,

1908-489: The intrinsic bonds of trust and community that holds society together. In Inferno 25, the pilgrim witnesses a group of Florentine nobles violently latch onto each other, transmuting their bodies into a monstrous hybrid. These transformations reference tales from the Metamorphoses of Ovid , such Salmacis and her fusion with Hermaphroditus . Just as the thieves robbed others of their property, this punishment robs

1961-771: The later arrivals. Pope Nicholas III is found here, and informs Dante that Pope Boniface VIII will follow. Sorcerers, astrologers, seers, and others who attempted to pervert God 's laws to divine the future are punished here. Their heads have been twisted around to face backwards, and thus they are forced to walk backwards around the circumference of their circle for all eternity. They also are blinded by their tears; therefore they cannot walk in straight paths. The seers Tiresias and his daughter, Manto , reside in this bolgia. Barrators ( speculators , extortionists , blackmailers and unscrupulous businessmen: sinners who used their positions in life to gain personal wealth or other advantages for themselves) are punished by being thrown into

2014-454: The light of the sun (i.e. God), is incapable of receiving God's love. It is only by turning unto God that spiritual advancement can be made. In this sense, "sinning" is to follow the inclinations of one's own lower nature, to turn the mirror of one's heart away from God. One of the main hindrances to spiritual development is the Baháʼí concept of the "insistent self" which is a self-serving inclination within all people. Baháʼís interpret this to be

2067-505: The most part, korbanot cannot atone for a malicious, deliberate sin. In addition, korbanot have no expiating effect unless the person making the offering sincerely repents of his or her actions before making the offering, and makes restitution to any person who was harmed by the violation. Judaism teaches that all willful sin has consequences. The completely righteous suffer for their sins (by humiliation, poverty, and suffering that God sends them) in this world and receive their reward in

2120-510: The pilgrim encounters Guido da Montefeltro , who was placed in this bolgia for providing fraudulent advice that lead in exchange for a promise of salvation from Pope Boniface VIII . He first asks the pilgrim about the current state of affairs in Florence before narrating what led to his downfall and eventual placement in Hell. Sinners who, in life, promoted scandals, schism , and discord are punished here; particularly those who caused schism within

2173-472: The principal classification is that of "missing the mark" (cheit in Hebrew). Some sins are punishable with death by the court, others with death by heaven, others with lashes, and others without such punishment, but no sins committed with willful intentions go without consequence. Sins committed out of lack of knowledge are not considered sins, since sin cannot be a sin if the one who committed it did not know it

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2226-416: The products are methanol (wood alcohol) and charcoal . Tar kilns ( Swedish : tjärmila , Danish : tjæremile , Norwegian : tjæremile , Finnish : tervahauta ) are dry distillation ovens, historically used in Scandinavia for producing tar from wood. They were built close to the forest, from limestone or from more primitive holes in the ground. The bottom is sloped into an outlet hole to allow

2279-433: The rest of the day. Pitch was familiar in 9th-century Iraq , derived from petroleum that became accessible from natural fields in the region. It was sometimes used in the construction of baths or in shipbuilding. Coal tar was formerly one of the products of gasworks . Tar made from coal or petroleum is considered toxic and carcinogenic because of its high benzene content, though coal tar in low concentrations

2332-448: The righteous suffer, while the wicked prosper. Many great thinkers have contemplated this. The Shinto concept of sin is inexorably linked to concepts of purity and pollution. Shinto does not have a concept of original sin and instead believes that all human beings are born pure. Sin, also called Tsumi , is anything that makes people impure (i.e. anything that separates them from the kami ). However, Shinto does not believe this impurity

2385-417: The tar to pour out. The wood is split into dimensions of a finger, stacked densely, and finally covered tight with earth and moss. If oxygen can enter, the wood might catch fire, and the production would be ruined. On top of this, a fire is stacked and lit. After a few hours, the tar starts to pour out and continues to do so for a few days. Tar was used as seal for roofing shingles and tar paper and to seal

2438-415: The tendency toward sin, referred to as a "sin nature", to something as drastic as total depravity , the teaching that humans, apart from God's grace, are incapable of choosing to do good. The concept of original sin was first alluded to in the 2nd century by Irenaeus , Bishop of Lyon in his controversy with certain dualist Gnostics . Other church fathers such as Augustine also shaped and developed

2491-653: The true meaning of Satan, often referred to in the Baháʼí Writings as "the Evil One". Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the darkness that surroundeth you. — Baháʼu'lláh This lower nature in humans is symbolized as Satan—the evil ego within us, not an evil personality outside.— ʻAbdu'l-Bahá There are

2544-403: The wood texture. Tar was once used for public humiliation , known as tarring and feathering . By pouring hot wood tar onto somebody's bare skin and waiting for it to cool, they would remain stuck in one position. From there, people would attach feathers to the tar, which would remain stuck on the tarred person for the duration of the punishment. That person would then become a public example for

2597-438: The world to come. The in-between (not completely righteous or completely wicked), suffer for and repent their sins after death and thereafter join the righteous. The very evil do not repent even at the gates of hell. Such people prosper in this world to receive their reward for any good deed, but cannot be cleansed by and hence cannot leave gehinnom , because they do not or cannot repent. This world can therefore seem unjust where

2650-507: The worst places in Hell to be. In it, sinners guilty of "simple" fraud are punished (that is, fraud that is committed without particularly malicious intent, whereas malicious or "compound" fraud—fraud which goes against the bonds of love, blood and honor, or the bond of hospitality—would be punished in the ninth circle). Sinners of this category include counterfeiters, hypocrites, grafters, seducers, sorcerers and simoniacs . Dante and his guide, Virgil , make their way into Malebolge by riding on

2703-769: Was the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom . Demand for tar declined with the advent of iron and steel ships. Production nearly stopped in the early 20th century. Traditional wooden boats are still sometimes tarred. The heating ( dry distilling ) of pine wood causes tar and pitch to drip away from the wood and leave behind charcoal. Birch bark is used to make particularly fine tar, known as " Russian oil", used in Russian leather protection. The by-products of wood tar are turpentine and charcoal . When deciduous tree woods are subjected to destructive distillation ,

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2756-500: Was weakened but not destroyed by original sin. But after 412 CE this changed to a loss of free will except to sin. Calvinism holds the later Augustinian soteriology view. The Jansenist movement, which the Catholic Church declared to be heretical, also maintained that original sin destroyed freedom of will . Instead the Catholic Church declares that Baptism erases original sin. Methodist theology teaches that original sin

2809-687: Was wrong. Unintentional sins are considered less severe sins. Sins between people are considered much more serious in Judaism than sins between man and God. Yom Kippur , the main day of repentance in Judaism, can atone for sins between man and God, but not for sins between man and his fellow, that is until he has appeased his friend. Eleazar ben Azariah derived [this from the verse]: "From all your sins before God you shall be cleansed" ( Book of Leviticus , 16:30) – for sins between man and God Yom Kippur atones, but for sins between man and his fellow Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases his fellow. When

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