Umm, considering that there have been CAF threads on women who struggle with porn, I don’t think you’re right that women never look at men sexually, ever, phil. As a general rule are they less visual? Absolutely. But that’s not the case for everyone.
Rachel: If your husband is saying flat out that he’s lusting and dwelling on his lust for women then that’s categorically wrong. No excuses and no tolerance. I’ve said before that I don’t equate that or pornography addiction to adultery on the betrayal scale, but it’s still gravely sinful and destructive to him and you.
News: I think you’re misinterpreting what I’m saying. I’m saying that a man’s subconscious reaction to an attractive woman is not usually an admiration of her beauty. It’s an inherent sexual response. I don’t mean that he’s actively thinking “I’d like to do XYZ” I mean that he’s naturally drawn to look at her in a sexual way. To deny that and say that men are attracted simply to the beauty of women would be to deny reality.
Now, my point was that men can also just appreciate beauty but it takes effort and that’s the effort we’re all called to make regardless of marital status. Single people don’t have the right to dwell on lustful thoughts and frankly we married men shouldn’t have overly lustful thoughts about our own wives. I’m not going to go all TOTB on people nor do I think that all sex between married couples needs to be super-loving and tender and giving and all of that idealized stuff because I frankly think taken to an extreme it becomes nonsense.
Suffice it to say I think we’re honestly on the same page. I think men and women alike need to recognize the reality that men are visual creatures and are going to notice attractive women regardless of marital status. And I also think that women need to expect it of their men and men to expect it of themselves to strive to control their natural and basest inclinations.
By the way, if you want the food analogy, it’s not the same as a diet in any way. You can order your meal and be fully satisfied and love it and still notice the buffet on the other side of the restaurant. But you control yourself from being gluttonous by shrugging to yourself, gently pushing the buffet out of your mind and continuing with the high quality meal you selected.