Lust
Lust is "craving sexually what God has forbidden".[1] Lust can also be defined as intemperate or irregular sexual desire, and is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Often confused with love, it is purely physical attraction for an individual, that is sometimes uncontrollable and completely unreasonable.
Lust, in its most common expression, is the urge to initiate in sexual intercourse with a person other than one's spouse. It may also manifest itself as the urge to view pornography, think sexual thoughts, or have unnatural sexual arousals, such as a homosexual thought. God's laws against lust are strictly meant to be obeyed throughout the Bible, for obedience justifies a believer by their faith, thus creating eternal salvation by their acceptance of the Sacrifice of Christ to save sinners from their sins.
According to evolutionist views, sexual desire evolved by natural selection as an instinct to increase the number of offspring - as those individuals more prone to lust would have more children than those less lustful, over time the prevalence of lustful traits would increase. See: Evolutionary belief and sexual immorality
According to Christian views, lust is a consequence of the separation of a person from God as a result of sin, causing them to fall short of His standard. Some churches attribute lust to direct satanic involvement, or advocate various means by which unwanted lust may be controlled.
According to Buddhist views, lust is one of the "Three Poisons" (Greed-Lust, Anger-Hatred, Ignorance) and is a consequence of the separation of a person from the Buddha way of compassionate virtue and separation from wisdom as a result of breaking the Five Precepts (sinning), ultimately causing them to fall to a lower realm if not repented of and one's attitude and behavior not reformed. Buddhist scriptures (Sutras) also attribute lust to direct satanic or demonic involvement. Buddhism advocates various means by which unwanted lust may be controlled such as the Five Precepts, the Four Opponent Powers and the Ten Perfections.
The word 'lust' can also be used more generally to describe any intemperate or excessive desire, for example, lust for power, lust for fame, or personal glory, is highly synonymous with the personality trait of narcissism.
According to two Christian counselors, followers of Christ can have sexual attraction without the interest being lust. One of the duo interpreted lust as “objectifying for self-gratification” and attraction as “beholding the beauty” and “powerful".[2]
Atheism and lust
See also
- Sexual immorality: Promiscuity and Homosexuality / Homosexual agenda verus Chastity, Purity, Celibacy
- Abortion and promiscuity
- Moral degeneration
- Moral relativism
- Essay:Immorality in America
- Hollywood values
- San Francisco values
External links
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References
- ↑ Joshua Harris, Christian author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye
- ↑ Michael Gryboski (February 18, 2020). Christians can have sexual attraction without it becoming lust: Christian counselors. Retrieved on March 9, 2020.
