Posted on 02/12/2008 5:29:53 PM PST by Zender500
Ping
Sure? I thought I read that "lust in the heart" is sinful.
I hope the stance is similar for incest and pedophilia, and what about animals.
There needs to be a complete change of heart, and the Holy Spirit is up to the task. Religion won't change a man's heart.
“Sure? I thought I read that “lust in the heart” is sinful.”
I think it depends on how far you take it. Being tempted with anything is not a sin. For example Jesus was tempted by Satan. He rebuked the temptation and was therefor sinless.
Following up on the temptation, such as imagining yourself committing what has tempted you, is a sin.
That's a pretty fine gray line. What sort of temptation is NOT accompanied by the thought of "what if"? And who has so little imagination that they wouldn't ponder something of the choice to do, or not to do, the tempted thing.
It's hard to call it temptation if it's not attractive enough to cause one to have to make a decision.
So I guess I'd cut someone slack for imagining the act, and only denounce them for doing the act. What of starting to do it and then stopping? That too shows weakness but then courage, maybe even requiring more than not starting in the first place. Maybe...
Tough call.
I know 4 percent is a small percentage, but it is still much too large for comfort.
You are correct.
When Jesus was giving His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, he said that if a man looks on a woman with lust he has committed adultery. If we hate somebody we’ve committed murder.
Jeremiah 17:9 says “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can undersand it?” The desires of our heart are evil. And naturally inclined towards evil.
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The struggle -- they know it's a sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church so they continue to try to get the Church to accept them on their terms. That will NOT happen ever so they may as well go off and join another Church --> like the Episcopalians or the Methodists who both accept homosexuals openly.
I have long suspected that one of the reasons some supposedly Catholic parents are so non-judgmental or even celebratory about their children’s intimate activities is because the parents themselves want a pass on their own sexual incontinences, multiple marriages, contraception and abortion. Rather than risk being branded hypocrites for their faults and having to admit that they were wrong and regret their error, it is easier to pretend that there is no sin.
That's a very different thing. That was an external tempter. The "lust in the heart" kind of temptation is from, shall we say, our inner devil, or original sin; which Jesus did not have. And he specifically said that it wasn't what comes from without, but what is within us, that makes all the trouble. (He was referring to food but one could extrapolate to other things.) Disclaimer: I'm not a theologian. :)
Right on.
“The video proves the cop committed the action beyond a reasonable doubt. “
IMO it doesn’t really matter as none of us are without sin. The point of the article is that someone condoning sin and making excuses for sin is different than someone who has turned away from the sin and is seeking to be with God.
The former is an example of being apart from God, of setting your personal rules above Gods law. The latter is an example of someone subordinating themselves to Gods law.
Disclaimer, I’m not catholic or a theologian. This issue captures my interest as several protestant denominations have a similar problem and its nice to see someone make a stand.
“Lust in the heart” is not the feeling of attraction, but the inward consent to a sin. “I would do it if I dared,” or “Hmm, wonder if I can get her drunk...” are examples of “lust in the heart.” Merely experiencing the attractiveness of a man or woman is not “lust.”
Whoops, just noticed my cut-n-paste was from another thread. Hopefully you get my meaning.
But the modern psychology, of course contradictory to the Word of God, is to separate being a homosexual from committing homosexual acts. Or, separating being “same-sex oriented” from the acts of sex with someone of the same sex. It is the “orientation” or the lust that leads to the act.
I have seen many reports now of parents defending their children for being “same-sex oriented” somehow, while saying that they would discourage the acts. Such parents are just setting their children up for the entire death style of sodomy.
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