Why are LUSTFUL thoughts frowned on by religions, when it's perfectly natural??

Question

I'm not saying you should jump on everybody you see, but that's the way Nature intended it. You have to fancy someone before it actually progresses into love

Answer 1

I don't think lustful thoughts are the problem (unless you're Catholic). Usually, you are judged by your actions over your thoughts. It’s your ability to resist temptation that makes you good.

About.com has a review on a book about Lust as seen within the seven deadly sins. http://atheism.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/Lust.htm . I have not read this book, but it does look interesting. Of course, this only looks at the “sin” within the realms of Christianity. Although the Christians do frown on Lust the most; and most of that has to do less with the original faith and more with individual tastes of rulers who modified the text.

Furthermore, is it primarily Western culture that frowns upon lust. There are many cultures and religions that, in fact, encourage sexuality.

In my personal opinion, if an act if pleasurable to you (be it lustful or otherwise) and is not harmful to yourself, anyone else, or the world around you, then it cannot be wrong.

Furthermore, is you are tempted with harmful deeds but resist them, then you are superior and righteous for your ability to resist any unnatural or animal urges which may cause harm.

The cliché goes “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” meaning that one could mean well, but not do well. Wouldn’t that then be the true for the opposite?

Make good decisions and carry out good deeds and there is no reason for you, then, to not be rewarded in either this life or the next.

Answer 2

Religion has always tried to keep the brothers down.
Seriously now not all major religions are against sex and lust Hindu actually believe it to be a sacred act. The reason Christians and Jews make a big deal about it is that they are all about emotional restraint. They actually did want people to stop jumping everyone they saw in the old days. The only probblem is that these Religions have remained stuck in the middle ages.(hassidic jews only make love through a sheet with a hole in the middle)
BTW go ahead jump on everyone you see!!!!

Answer 3

Well, RF was right, Jesus did say, "You have heard the commandment, You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that anyone that looks at a woman and lusts after her, he has aready committed adultery with her in his heart."
But it was not that Jesus "thought" we would never look at another person but the one we married, that would be naive, and I do not believe God in The Flesh was naive. the Bible says He was tempted in all areas of the flesh, yet was without sin.
He said that because he is more concerned with our heart, than our outward appearance. You can "look" very upright, yet be very dark in your heart. Look at Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a religious leader, yet he did not have a relationship with God. That's why he went to Jesus by night, so no one would know this "man of god" did not know God at all.
But that's another story.
Bottom line, it's your heart He is concerned about. The same thing with the commandment "You shall not murder." Jesus said if you hate your brother, you have committed murder in your heart."
And to the statement that it is natural. Of course it is natural. it is something we all struggle with, or at least I'm not so religious I can't admit that. It's tough to keep your heart pure, especially in today's society. And hate, man do I have to keep that one in check, really have to make a conscious effort to forgive every minute of every day. That's the point. Jesus understood that. He knows our hearts and He knows our struggles. Another reason why money is talked about so much. People talk about how the churches are all about money, and that can be true in a lot of instances, but the principal, when practiced correctly is "Can you give up your money, or do you love it too much?"
Heart issue guys.

Answer 4

The Bible says, there is a way which seems right unto man, but in the end it leads to death.

To lust - is to sin.

Having a meaningful relationship with a wife is what was intended to be, but the world has become corrupt, and people are taken up with their desires rather than follow in God's ways.

Answer 5

Lust or sexual energy without Love, is spiritually counterproductive; it degrades the Spirit and is astrally disgusting. Those who further lust in the discarnate dimensions carry the telepathic stench of the body parts they sleazily interpret.

In other words...LUST STINKS.

Purified Love has no scent.

The justification of lust to further the human species (or any race for that matter), is a moral scapegoat. There is an abundance of humanoid species in the Universe and eventually gods will emerge (in addition to The Original Creator) who will use The Light to manifest their own upgraded humanoid races.

Those who unite with lusty energy channeled into them and who further lust themselves, retrogress or weaken their god spark. That seems insignificant to many in the flesh. That is, until one's body dies and one is forced to experience a life review in The Light.

<< Life is very important because how we have lived our life largely determines how far we can go into the light. >>

http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research24.html

Most people cannot love one person genuinely and deeply, much less more than one. Which is why most need to stay monogamous.

However, polyamory is possible without retrogression for those who have developed - through their Radiance of Love - from Sainthood into stable God Realization.

That is the reward from The Light for developing a high degree of Spiritual Purity.

Answer 6

Lust, as you put it can be viewed in many ways.

Our natural instinct for reproducing. But we have adapted our lifestyles so we dont have to be on heat and have sex in september- december so that babies are born in the spring/summer time so they are strong enough to survive winter.

Many religions frown upon sex for pleasure and not for reproducing, and I could explain to you why, but one theory is explained very well in the davinci code and other simular books/movies.

In my opinion it is all to do with power and control. If people fear a god, and they believe god doesnt like lustful behavior and thoughts, then the church has power over them, as the mouth pieces of god.

Answer 7

Jesus said that any man who even looks at a woman in lust is guilty of adultery in their minds. I guess he thought that people would be so in love that they would never even look at another body than the one they love. In today's world, where everything is sexualized, even a breastfeeding mother is a peep show for some people. Everyone's naked under their clothes. Maybe if nudity wasn't such a big issue the curiosity factor would go away.

Answer 8

Are God and nature juxtaposed? Is there a constant battle going on between the flesh and the spirit. I think that it is just part of the human condition, although it must be much harder for men having a more powerful sex urge. No allowance seems to be made for that these days.

Answer 9

It is only natural between husband and wife. When it takes place outside of marriage, it becomes a sin. Satan tells you it natural and you are gullable to listen to his lies. He is using you and lying to you and you are falling for it. If you dont straighten out your self and they way you think and turn your life over to Jesus, you will be falling stragiht into hell with your buddy satan.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 2:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Answer 10

I think it was a cop out for men when they "couldn't control themselves" due to the lustful thoughts those damned women generated in them.

Plus, women were man's possession, so she could never have her own thoughts about anything, so the lustful thoughts were bad, too.

Now it seems that lust goes a little beyond having an interest in someone. You have to go kinda Sharon Stone want to go masturbate kinda thoughts.