Healthy Lust Without Sin?

[meltzerboy]

This may seem like an odd question, but I was wondering if there is any religion that regards lust (in moderation, of course) as NOT sinful and perhaps even healthy. I know the Catholic view on this, so Catholics need not remind me, unless they wish to (it’s a free country). I bring this up because I recall Dr. Raymond Barker, one of the leaders of religious science (science of the mind) once used the expression “healthy lust” during one of his talks. He didn’t consider occasional lust as sinful; in fact he said life would be boring without it.

 

[smichhertz]

This may seem like an odd question, but I was wondering if there is any religion that regards lust (in moderation, of course) as NOT sinful and perhaps even healthy. I know the Catholic view on this, so Catholics need not remind me, unless they wish to (it’s a free country). I bring this up because I recall Dr. Raymond Barker, one of the leaders of religious science (science of the mind) once used the expression “healthy lust” during one of his talks. He didn’t consider occasional lust as sinful; in fact he said life would be boring without it.

Hi meltzerboy,

It sounds to me like he’s confused on his terminology. Lust by definition is always wrong and always a sin.

Lust, however, is not the same thing as sexual attraction or desire. Of course it is totally natural to experience sexual attraction and desire, and as long as we do so with the appropriate limits, there is nothing wrong with it. But Lust is when we deliberately use sexual attraction / desire in a wrong way.

I have no idea what this talk is, but I bet you if you went through and replaced “lust” with “holy and virtuous sexual desire” than everything in his talk would be fine.

Hope that helps!

 

[Garyjohn2]

Webster defines lust:

lust
–noun
1.
intense sexual desire or appetite.
2.
uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness.
3.
a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for ): a lust for power.

Under definition 1, lust can be healthy from a Catholic viewpoint. It is appropriate and holy to have an intense sexual desire or appetite for one’s spouse.

All of these definitions of lust are in use, and lust can mean any one of them in the english language! I guess it depends on how you use it. Definition 1 can be healthy, definition 2 cannot. Being defined as “illicit” means it would not be considered healthy in any religion…because its illicit by definition. If this type of lust was considered healthy in some religion, then it would not be categorized in definition 2 because it would not be illicit!

I don’t know if i’m making sense any more.

I guess what I’m saying is, Yes, there are religions where lust is considered healthy, and Catholicism is one of them. Also, there are some religions where lust is considered unhealthy, and Catholicism is one of them.

 

[valentino]

There is no such thing as healthy lust.Some people say its healthy to masturbate.this is just crazy thinking.

 

[Garyjohn2]

There is no such thing as healthy lust.Some people say its healthy to masturbate.this is just crazy thinking.

Lust is intense sexual desire. It is not healthy for me to have intense sexual desire for my spouse while remaining open to life?

I don’t think this is correct…

 

[TommyWommy]

This is probably an issue of semantics. For example, “killing” is not always wrong, but “murder” is. “Lust” is always wrong because it is a disordered, selfish type of sexual desire. This is why it is wrong even for a husband to lust after his wife. “Intense sexual desire” has its rightful and holy place when shared by spouses. Another example would be that there is nothing wrong with deriving extreme pleasure from eating one’s favorite dessert. But gluttony is always wrong.

 

[CaptainPicard]

Lust is intense sexual desire. It is not healthy for me to have intense sexual desire for my spouse while remaining open to life?

I don’t think this is correct…

The Church doesn’t use that definition. She always defines lust as something disordered, not merely “intense”.

As stated above, it’s a semantic issue.

 

[LIT56RD]

I don’t care what anyone’s definition is, I lust after my wife. I have extreme sexual desire for her. That is better than not wanting to touch her or ignoring her all the time.

 

[valentino]

Lust is intense sexual desire. It is not healthy for me to have intense sexual desire for my spouse while remaining open to life?

I don’t think this is correct…

Lust is strong sexual desire not concerning your wife.But IMO even if you had strong sexual desire for your wife I think you mean you want to be with her.If your just having a strong sexual desire because your picturing in your mind her body and your getting aroused your in trouble.your feeding your sexual appetite.Are you sure of the reasons you married her?

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Lust may be disordered but 99% of men have this disorder

 

[CaptainPicard]

I don’t care what anyone’s definition is, I lust after my wife. I have extreme sexual desire for her. That is better than not wanting to touch her or ignoring her all the time.

I’m sure your wife appreciates not being ignored.

John Paul II, before he became Pope, once said (I’m paraphrasing) that when a husband and wife have relations that they should do the best they can to insure that both husband and wife reach climax. The reason was because he saw sex as being a faint foreshadow, or sign, of our heavenly joy when Christ and His Church come together. Sexual desire is a sign of our desire to be with God and His desire to be with us. There is no reason to be ashamed of it because sex is not only not bad but it is in fact good and even holy.

The problem becomes when the desire is disordered. Do you love sex more than God? That’s a problem. Does your desire for sex lead you to premarital/extramarital sex? Fantasies about people who aren’t your wife or pornography? Does it cause you to view your wife as a “piece of meat” where you treat her poorly or forget about her humanity and great dignity? Does it cause you to forgot about God, even a little bit? Obviously these can be challenging for all of us.

That’s the distinction that needs to be made. Healthy sexual desire = really good. Disorded sexual desire = really bad (because it takes a gift of God that is so good and twists it to evil).

One more distinction to make even though this is slightly off-topic. Sexual thoughts about somebody you aren’t married to are only sinful if you willfully think them. If one pops into your head and you immediately push it out, it’s not a sin. It’s only sinful if you willfully entertain them. I think that’s important to know. Many people (men especially) I think feel pretty hopeless if they think that even inadvertantly having inappropriate sexual thoughts is sinful.

 

[TommyWommy]

Yeah, I think it’s called sin, as in “all have sinned” (Rom 3:23) (Matt 5:28)

 

[valentino]

Lust may be disordered but 99% of men have this disorder

Exactly.Without man believing its wrong and praying to God to help them control this all man will lust.Im sorry to hear you say its 99% but you might be right.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I’m a guy, I know guys, and I know the human condition so I’m being conservative wtih 99% LOL!!

Exactly.Without man believing its wrong and praying to God to help them control this all man will lust.Im sorry to hear you say its 99% but you might be right.