What if sin isn’t a tally of private failings, but a way to see how our choices shape each other’s lives? We open the door to a deeper, more human conversation with two guides who’ve lived it from different sides: Pam Rocker, a queer playwright and activist working at the intersection of faith, belonging, and justice; and David Sweet, a retired homicide detective whose mantra—leave people better than you found them—was forged in the hardest rooms in policing.

We trace the old script from Augustine’s original sin to Dante’s seven deadlies, then turn it inside out. The panel shares raw first encounters with shame and fear—from shoplifted candy to purity culture’s damage—and asks whether people are born bad or shaped by moments and systems. David explains why empathy, not pity, opens truth in an interview room and in everyday life. Pam names the toll of Christian nationalism and the chilling idea that empathy is a “sin,” while Joanne Anquist reframes sloth as apathy toward what matters and calls for a new social contract rooted in dignity and mercy. Together we test greed, pride, wrath, and sloth against modern realities: workers who can’t afford the food they stock, billionaires celebrated while communities crumble, and survival choices punished without context.

This is a conversation about accountability without humiliation, forgiveness that leads to responsibility, and practical steps that make repair real. We offer simple practices—curate diverse stories, build the empathy muscle, confess clearly, and choose the daily discipline of leaving people better than you found them. We’re not defined by failures, and we’re not fixed by fear. We are human, capable of harm and capable of repair.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your voice helps more people find thoughtful, nuanced conversations that trade shame for truth and turn empathy into action.

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