Are all desires immoral?

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EphelDuath

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I’m curious if any Church Doctors have took the position that all desires are immoral, on the grounds that temporary earthly pleasures only distract you from loving and serving Christ. I’m beginning to think that myself, so I want to know who among the giants in the Church have agreed and disagreed with that proposition.
 
EphelDuath said:
I’m curious if any Church Doctors have took the position that all desires are immoral, on the grounds that temporary earthly pleasures only distract you from loving and serving Christ. I’m beginning to think that myself, so I want to know who among the giants in the Church have agreed and disagreed with that proposition.
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What is important is that the Church rejects such an idea.

and linked up with this is also the view of the passions…

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a5.htm
 
2764 The Sermon on the Mount is teaching for life, the Our Father is a prayer; but in both the one and the other the Spirit of the Lord gives new form to our desires, those inner movements that animate our lives. Jesus teaches us this new life by his words; he teaches us to ask for it by our prayer. The rightness of our life in him will depend on the rightness of our prayer.
 
Yes I believe we can have temporal desires as long as these desires are for the good of our body and especially our soul. God does not want us to hate our body but He wishes that the “desires” of the body be tempered by our higher selves, our spirituality.
 
I think it depends on the desire.

We all desire to be loved, warm, fed. We all want to be happy, to laugh, to have good friends. Even to an extent, I think, wanting to have a thing isn’t harmful in and of itself. I desire to expand my personal library, and have gotten a job to do that, among many other things. In this case, my desire for a new book is teaching me responsibility and hard work.

But to desire things that are sinful or which would hurt you…

Unless I’m misunderstanding the concept of desire…
 
Let’s see, I desire to go to daily Mass and receive Our Lord in communion. I would desire to be able to work hard and make a lot of money to support my family and help those in need. I desire a Grilled Rare Rib Eye Steak, just because it tastes so good and is a rare treat. I desire to have a worry free day. I desire to sit on a warm breezy summer evening and sip a drink and enjoy the sunset. I desire to take my little niece and nephew on their first fishing trip.I desire to watch my doggies chase each other around in the back yard. I desire to watch the humming birds come to the feeder. I desire to after a hard days work to come home and relax and finally go to bed and put my arm around my wife as she lays there sleeping and thank God for all of the things I desire.
 
Suppose you desire a wife. If God wishes for you to be married, then he will lead you to this; there’s no reason to desire it. Luke 12:31: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Why should one want anything but to spend all his days glorifying God and fulfilling his commandments? Please correct me if I am wrong. God bless.
 
EphelDuath said:
Suppose you desire a wife. If God wishes for you to be married, then he will lead you to this; there’s no reason to desire it. Luke 12:31: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Why should one want anything but to spend all his days glorifying God and fulfilling his commandments? Please correct me if I am wrong. God bless.
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yes…you are incorrect.

such a desire is good and can be desired.

God has given us free will…and we are to exercise it …including with good desire.

To seek ‘first’ the kingdom of God …does not mean one can not also seek the other good we can rightly desire…(and by being Good…they can be ordered to God…and of course Marriage is a Sacrament!)
 
Aren’t all sins disordered passions which are otherwise healthy?
 
Bookcat said:
To seek ‘first’ the kingdom of God …does not mean one can not also seek the other good we can rightly desire…(and by being Good…they can be ordered to God…and of course Marriage is a Sacrament!)
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But why would anybody need to desire anything but Christ? Although there is no sin in watching an entertaining movie, it seems to be just a distraction from worshiping God.
 
One can still keep God in mind while enjoying earthly pleasures, if we remember He is the one who blessed us with them! My mind may not be on Jesus when watching a good movie, but later, when I’m thinking about the movie, I think of the person who made it, and the talent God gave him.

I love to paint, for example. And draw, and sculpt. I may not paint scenes of religion, but I always remember that God gave me this ability.

One could say that being on your computer right now, is taking away from actively worshipping God, but by proxy, being on the website you are, you’re still keeping God in mind.

Growing up, I was taught that God made the wold so wonderful and so beautiful so that we could enjoy it, and the small pleasures it gave us, and we could be reminded that it was God who gave them to us.
 
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