(prewrite) the Mark of the Beast

According to the beliefs of early Christian teachings, there are "Seven Deadly Sins" also known as the "Cardinal sins;" divided by the Roman Catholic church, these seven sins were and maybe still are, our sure way of invoking eternal damnation. According to Proverbs 6:16 - 19, it is stated that "There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate" (quotes from "Today's English Version" translation of the Bible). These are: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that thinks up wicked plans, feet that hurry off to do evil, a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friends. Today we know these sins as; lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and hubris.

Hubris, being defined as exaggerated pride or self-confidence; is exactly what Connie was guilty of in the short story Where are you going, where have you been written by Joyce Carol Oats. Ironically enough, Lucifer was convicted of the same sin and it was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his transformation into Satan. So it should be no surprise that Satan known as Arnold friend or (An old friend) was attracted to Connie.

Connie, a fifteen year old girl, not yet a woman, but already a narcissist, was damned from the beginning. I feel we can blame her parents for not bothering with church (pp 380) or even for not bothering with her. Maybe we can blame Connie for knowing that she was pretty and being shallow, or maybe we can blame god for not protecting her or teaching her regardless of her parents. No matter whom the blame belongs to all of us can learn a lesson from this example.

Connie was stuck in her head with "trashy daydreams" and feelings of disproval by her own mother, which made her vulnerable to Satan. She wanted to be loved and Satan knew exactly what her biggest weakness was. Lack of love, which led to boys. He dressed himself up, stuck his hooves in some boots, and followed the music straight to the girls. Maybe the night before he warned her and her trashy daydreams out in the sun provoked him again or maybe it was too late and his mark was already written in stone before the day begun.

There has always been a struggle between God and Satan, and Sunday is the Lords day, all day, yet as Arnold states, Connie's Sunday is his day "all day".

I believe that Arnold Friend (Satan) had done this thing