6th commandment

[a83192]

hypothetical situaton,​

a teen is on his porch enjoying the fresh air when a pretty young lady passes by. He gets a ***** (slang for getting turned on). He has no desire to do sex with her but he looks at her to enjoy the good feeling.

Did he commit a sin? If so, why?

Is lust the desire to do sex with someone? in this case he does not desire to do sex with the lady.
pardon the slang.

 

[James_Trevor]

That is lust. The boy has a sexual urge, it cannot be pure thoughts if it aroused him. Lust is an intense sexual desire or appetite.

Matthew 5: 27-28 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

[tlimon]

He has no desire to do sex with her but he looks at her to enjoy the good feeling.

Having sex outside of marriage is fornication, a sin. Lusting may go along with fornication but not necessarily. Thus, one may lust but not fornicate. One may be tempted with lust. In other words, a lustful thought might “pop into” one’s head. If said thought is entertained, then one has sinned by lusting. Additionally, if a lustful temptation “pops into” ones head, or doesn’t “pop into” one’s head, and a person obtains an e******n, this is not necessarily lustful because no lustful thought has been entertained and physiological responses, without more, are also not necessarily lustful.

The hypothetical set forth above involves a thought, followed by a physiological response, and then a conscious effort to look “at her to enjoy the good feeling.” Once the man looked “to enjoy the feeling”, the man has committed a sin.

Very Best

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

2351 Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Here’s where you cross the line.

Having the thought or temptation is not a sin. Consenting to it, however, is.

Example: You see a gorgeous young lady walking by with a halter top, etc. Your interest is immediately focused and “the thought” comes into your head. You have two choices. One choice says, “No, I refuse to accept that thought. I would never do that. It’s sinful.” In that case, you haven’t sinned, but have grown in virtue. The other choice is, “Boy, if I had half a chance, I would definitely…” In that case, even if you do or say nothing physical, you’ve sinned and must go to Confession.

 

[WoundedIcon]

My question is… where is the place for the sex drive while looking for a partner? Because the way it sounds to me, and the way it’s played out in practice, is that you basically go around neutered until you get married. And even then, some have seemed to say that to imagine having sex with your wife is a mortal sin. But then you can’t even reminisce or look back on sex you’ve already had and… head spins…

I mean, am I committing a sin by imagining cuddling and caressing someone, even if I don’t imagine petting or anything? Something just seems amiss.

I mean, am I even allowed to think about sex? If I think about genitals am I going to Hell?

 

[Bookcat]

My question is… where is the place for the sex drive while looking for a partner? Because the way it sounds to me, and the way it’s played out in practice, is that you basically go around neutered until you get married. And even then, some have seemed to say that to imagine having sex with your wife is a mortal sin. But then you can’t even reminisce or look back on sex you’ve already had and… head spins…

I mean, am I committing a sin by imagining cuddling and caressing someone, even if I don’t imagine petting or anything? Something just seems amiss.

I mean, am I even allowed to think about sex? If I think about genitals am I going to Hell?

Sexual attraction is not the same per se as lust. Though one needs to be aware of the power of concupscience to lead us to lust. Nor is it the case that a married person thinking in a reasonable and good way about their spouse or a past marital act…is a mortal sin (though of course one is to avoid the near occasion of sin)…or any sin.

Is it per se a sin to notice an attractive person? No. Though one could sin. One needs to practice a reasonable Custodia Occulorum (custody of the eyes)

And yes there can be times when one can chastely and with caution think about certain sexual things …such as perhaps in the study of sexual moral theology! (but again care must be taken…such as making the occasion remote…by prayer …discipline of ones thoughts etc) But one should not be say just thinking sexual thoughts…one must see such as a temptation…and not consent…but turn to other things.

This can be helpful: forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=8096972&postcount=4

 

[tlimon]

My question is… where is the place for the sex drive while looking for a partner? Because the way it sounds to me, and the way it’s played out in practice, is that you basically go around neutered until you get married. And even then, some have seemed to say that to imagine having sex with your wife is a mortal sin. But then you can’t even reminisce or look back on sex you’ve already had and… head spins…

I mean, am I committing a sin by imagining cuddling and caressing someone, even if I don’t imagine petting or anything? Something just seems amiss.

I mean, am I even allowed to think about sex? If I think about genitals am I going to Hell?

I think it’s interesting that you conflate sexual or physical attraction with lust. Another poster cited the catechism which says,

“Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”

Women can be pretty, stunning, beautiful, etc. without being the object of your lust. Dancing with a girl whose smile makes you blush and whose presence leaves your stomach in knots does not rise to the level of seeking sexual pleasure for its own sake, “isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.” There is nothing wrong with making your intentions known to a girl with respect, such is chivilirist. One may court a woman without trying or thinking about getting all “Discovery Channel” with her. One needn’t be a neuter to be a gentlemen, but gentlemen are never Tom Cats.

 

[wcknight]

Having sex or imagine having sex with your wife is never a sin… otherwise all Catholics would be childless.

 

[Bookcat]

Having sex or imagine having sex with your wife is never a sin… otherwise all Catholics would be childless.

(such would be too absolute of a statement…there can be sins…like contraception…near occasion of sins etc…but as I too noted above…there can be of course sex (as you note…otherwise no kids even!) …or even thoughts of sex with ones spouse that are not sins…)