Is looking at someone lustfully a mortal sin?

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If I freely choose to look at a picture of a (fully clothed) person, or look at a person in the street, and I know I ought to look away because I’m dwelling on their physical attractiveness but do not, have I committed a mortal sin?

I know Our Lord taught that whoever looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart, but does this constitute a mortal sin? If so, I don’t know how I can remain in a state of grace from one day to the next.

I know the 3 conditions for mortal sin are:
Grave Matter - and I believe the images I take into my mind are grave matter (looking at pornography is grave matter, so images taken into your mind must be grave).

Consent of the Will - when we are awake, and nobody is holding a gun to our heads, we don’t move our bodies without our will consenting, so if I choose to click on a picture on facebook, or I choose to turn my head to look at a woman, or choose not to look away there must be consent of the will, right?

Full knowledge - well, I know what Our Lord taught, that lustful thoughts and glances are sinful.

Does that mean I’m committing mortal sin? I know the simple answer is ‘avoid it anyway’, and I am resolved to do so from now on, but sometimes just slip into old habits. Do I need to go to confession before every Mass if I’ve done this?
 
When you say that you know should look away but don’t, then you would be committing a mortal sin. Everyone has uncontrollable thoughts but when we quit “daydreaming” and our conscience tells us that we shouldn’t be having these lustful thoughts, that is when it becomes a sin to keep entertaining our thoughts. So if you know what you’re thinking is wrong and you keep doing it anyway, then yes, it would be a mortal sin.
 
This is why we need Jesus! Because the sermon on the mount shows that we are sinful in word thought or deed and anything we do just leaves us in an awful state before God.

That’s why Jesus paid the price on the cross for you. Look to Him on that cross and see your own sin paid in full! Praise God for His mercy and grace.
 
Lee_M said:
When you say that you know should look away but don’t, then you would be committing a mortal sin. Everyone has uncontrollable thoughts but when we quit “daydreaming” and our conscience tells us that we shouldn’t be having these lustful thoughts, that is when it becomes a sin to keep entertaining our thoughts. So if you know what you’re thinking is wrong and you keep doing it anyway, then yes, it would be a mortal sin.
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I agree with this, in that our “nature” may draw our eyes to something that we are naturally disposed to as pleasing. When one sees another, who elicits a desire with us, one must then decide if there is going to be a “second thought”, a conscious choice to maintain this desire.
Your “Character” is defined between that first and second thought. You, like I, need to learn to **not **maintain a desirous second though… but to avert our eyes and more importantly our minds. Prayer works well here.

Nature is one thing, will is another.

And as always, you fall the direction you lean… So always lean towards G**
 
our catholic catechism says that all sins of impurity are mortal, but like other sins, it does not become a mortal sin until you realize what your doing, and do not stop yourself,

we are told that the eyes are the windows of the soul, and immodest looks, e.g, at pictures, scantily clothed people, etc., are dangerous and therefore are forbidden.

but just remember, God does not expect us to overcome our sins overnight, we are told to be patient with ourselves, and when we do commit a mortal sin, to immediately throw ourselves at Gods feet and ask for forgiveness(meaning to go to confession)
 
DL82 said:
If I freely choose to look at a picture of a (fully clothed) person, or look at a person in the street, and I know I ought to look away because I’m dwelling on their physical attractiveness but do not, have I committed a mortal sin?

I know Our Lord taught that whoever looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart, but does this constitute a mortal sin? If so, I don’t know how I can remain in a state of grace from one day to the next.

I know the 3 conditions for mortal sin are:
Grave Matter - and I believe the images I take into my mind are grave matter (looking at pornography is grave matter, so images taken into your mind must be grave).

Consent of the Will - when we are awake, and nobody is holding a gun to our heads, we don’t move our bodies without our will consenting, so if I choose to click on a picture on facebook, or I choose to turn my head to look at a woman, or choose not to look away there must be consent of the will, right?

Full knowledge - well, I know what Our Lord taught, that lustful thoughts and glances are sinful.

Does that mean I’m committing mortal sin? I know the simple answer is ‘avoid it anyway’, and I am resolved to do so from now on, but sometimes just slip into old habits. Do I need to go to confession before every Mass if I’ve done this?
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If you know you are looking at someone lustfully then that is a mortal sin.
 
Lee_M said:
When you say that you know should look away but don’t, then you would be committing a mortal sin. Everyone has uncontrollable thoughts but when we quit “daydreaming” and our conscience tells us that we shouldn’t be having these lustful thoughts, that is when it becomes a sin to keep entertaining our thoughts. So if you know what you’re thinking is wrong and you keep doing it anyway, then yes, it would be a mortal sin.
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I agree. If you find yourself looking somewhere you shouldn’t and look away to focus on something else as soon as you realize what you were doing, then you have not sinned. If you continue to dwell on it, you have mortally sinned.
DL82 said:
If so, I don’t know how I can remain in a state of grace from one day to the next.
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It can be difficult, but it is certainly possible. We all fall sometimes, don’t loose heart. 🙂
 
What’s meant by looking at someone “lustfully”?

From the moral theology literature I’ve read, sins of lust committed prior to marriage seem to center around willed venereal pleasure - that is, pleasure experienced in the “organs of generation”. Looking at an attractive woman alone is by no means a sin, nor is enjoying her beauty. Sin enters the equation when 1) there is sexual arousal, and it is willed or willingly enjoyed, or 2) you start think lustful thoughts, “I would if I could…”. The church teaches that offenses against the 6th commandment are generally grave matter, but for grave matter to be mortal sin there must be 1) awareness of the fact that the sin is mortal, and 2) full consent of the will.
 
tvdxer said:
What’s meant by looking at someone “lustfully”?

From the moral theology literature I’ve read, sins of lust committed prior to marriage seem to center around willed venereal pleasure - that is, pleasure experienced in the “organs of generation”. Looking at an attractive woman alone is by no means a sin, nor is enjoying her beauty. Sin enters the equation when 1) there is sexual arousal, and it is willed or willingly enjoyed, or 2) you start think lustful thoughts, “I would if I could…”. The church teaches that offenses against the 6th commandment are generally grave matter, but for grave matter to be mortal sin there must be 1) awareness of the fact that the sin is mortal, and 2) full consent of the will.
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This makes sense. Just looking at a woman who is beautiful, and taking a second look is not always a sin. The sexual arousal makes sense, and if you begin to have the arousal, and continue to “enjoy”, then that becomes a sin. If just looking at a pretty woman is a sin, then how can anyone watch any movie with an attractive person in it? I’m not talking nudity, I’m just meaning an attractive person. Are we to keep our heads down while walking down the street? There has to be a big difference between normal attraction, and true “lust”. If taking a second look at a an attractive person is a mortal sin, then maybe we should have our society become more like Afghanistan, with women hidden behind veils.
 
Here is what the encyclopedia says on lust:

Lust, the inordinate craving for, or indulgence of, the carnal pleasure which is experienced in the human organs of generation. The wrongfulness of lust is reducible to this: that venereal satisfaction is sought for outside of wedlock

This seems to imply that merely noticing an attractive person is not necessarily the same as wanting “venerial satisfaction” with the person.
 
Here is what the encyclopedia says on lust:
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Lust, the inordinate craving for, or indulgence of, the carnal pleasure which is experienced in the human organs of generation. The wrongfulness of lust is reducible to this: that venereal satisfaction is sought for outside of wedlock
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This seems to imply that merely noticing an attractive person is not necessarily the same as wanting “venerial satisfaction” with the person.
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I agree. If mortally sinful lust is what most people in this thread seem to be describing, then it is virtually impossible to remain in a state of grace for more than a few days at best (for the average man). Appreciating a woman’s beauty is not lust. Taking a second look at a woman need not be lust. Lust is a disordered desire for sex and/or sexual pleasure. It must be more involved than that.
 
twf said:
I agree. If mortally sinful lust is what most people in this thread seem to be describing, then it is virtually impossible to remain in a state of grace for more than a few days at best (for the average man). Appreciating a woman’s beauty is not lust. Taking a second look at a woman need not be lust. Lust is a disordered desire for sex and/or sexual pleasure. It must be more involved than that.
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Yes, if you couldn’t look at an attractive person more than once, how could anyone work with, play with, or live in the vacinity of anyone except “unattractive” people.
 
It would be the Church’s grave responsibility to INSIST on a society like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, as upbeatjonm suggested, if this definition of mortally sinful lust is correct.
 
twf said:
I agree. If mortally sinful lust is what most people in this thread seem to be describing, then it is virtually impossible to remain in a state of grace for more than a few days at best (for the average man). Appreciating a woman’s beauty is not lust. Taking a second look at a woman need not be lust. Lust is a disordered desire for sex and/or sexual pleasure. It must be more involved than that.
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The title of the thread is “Is looking at someone lustfully a mortal sin?” The answer is YES!
 
thistle said:
The title of the thread is “Is looking at someone lustfully a mortal sin?” The answer is YES!
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True, but if you read how the OP adds the details, he may be being scrupulous, and does not understand what lust really means.

If someone sees a nice car go by, say a Jaguar, and turns his head to get a better look, that does not necessarily mean that he is coveting his neighbor’s goods. I believe the same can be said of looking to admire someone’s beauty. The sin would seem to come when your thoughts go from, “nice car” or “good looking lady”, to “I would love to be in the driver’s seat”.😉
 
upbeatjonm said:
True, but if you read how the OP adds the details, he may be being scrupulous, and does not understand what lust really means.

If someone sees a nice car go by, say a Jaguar, and turns his head to get a better look, that does not necessarily mean that he is coveting his neighbor’s goods. I believe the same can be said of looking to admire someone’s beauty. The sin would seem to come when your thoughts go from, “nice car” or “good looking lady”, to “I would love to be in the driver’s seat”.😉
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I realise that but the thread title does not indicate that the poster is simply trying to find out what lust is. That is a separate issue. The fact is that looking “lustfully” at someone is a grave sin.
 
I guess my question revolves around ‘full consent of the will’.

Maybe this really needs to go in the ‘Philosophy’ thread, as it’s a more complex question around how the intellect is composed.

In Catholic tradition there are 3 faculties of the mind/soul:
Imagination
Memory
Will

I realise that the Will SHOULD always be in charge, but my question is IS the will always in charge (when we are conscious) by its’ very nature?

For example, a thought may pop up from my memory, a sinful thought. That’s just temptation, it’s not sin if I will it away as soon as it pops up.

If my imagination begins to act on that thought, or the memory leads to another memory, and a whole chain of memories, before I’ve really taken the time to realise what’s happening, is my will consenting?

Can the imagination act on the memory, or the memory on the imagination WITHOUT full consent of the will?

Likewise, can the body ever move (when conscious) WITHOUT full consent of the will - i.e. if I look with my eyes for any other reason than to see what’s there (instinct makes my eyes move if someone taps me on the shoulder, granted) or if I click on someone’s picture on facebook, or say a word, even if it’s only talking to myself, are those actions possible WITHOUT full consent of the will?

In other words, is the condition ‘full consent of the will’ just another way of saying ‘when conscious’? Assuming normal conditions, i.e. nobody’s pointing a gun to my head, is it possible for the body to move even the tiniest movement like a mouse click or a turning of the eyes, without the will’s consent?

I feel like I ought to have a better understanding of Catholic psychology (as in psyche/anima/soul, not modern neuro-psychology) - can anyone suggest a good source?

Also, it’s incredibly tiring to practice constant presence of mind. It’s not just lustful thoughts, but according to Our Lord, any thought that judges or hates a brother, or any thought that demeans God, needs to be prayed away before that ‘second thought’ can occur. It’s tiring, but I know it will be worth it.

Need it be literally the second thought, is the will in operation by its absence when we let the mind wander in that way (thus committing mortal sin) or is the will only consenting when we actively fix the will on a sinful thought and say ‘yes, this is what I want’?

Any answer would be much appreciated. Desiring nothing less than the true freedom which the Lord has promised us through His conquest of sin on the cross!

David
 
“If I freely choose to look at a picture of a (fully clothed) person, or look at a person in the street, and I know I ought to look away because I’m dwelling on their physical attractiveness but do not, have I committed a mortal sin?”

I wouldn’t consider this a ‘mortal’ sin, but it’s sinful. Jesus admonished us not to lust after others. When we stare at the attractive, we’re usually satiating sexual fantasy. Doing so is reflective of lust and poor self-discipline. It’s also distasteful. I did it my entire life until I became a teacher. It was then that I realized how damaging it is to one’s spirituality, and offensive to others. I teach teenagers, many of whom are females who deliberately dress in a provocative manner. They’re kids, yet dress as though they’re adults going out to a nightclub or something. It’s imperative that teachers not look at them lustfully. Doing so violates every form of public trust known to teaching. The teacher must actually *look away *from students dressed like that, because of the destructiveness of lust revealed in that setting.
 
I don’t think I could go to my gym or to a neighborhood pool and remain in the state of grace for more than 15 minutes if all it takes is a second look. It should also be noted that not every sexual thought is a sin. It is better known as a temptation, and temptation is not sin. It is all in your willingness to dismiss the thought, or buy it a cup of coffee and invite it to stay a while. The latter is the birth of sin.
 
briang72 said:
I don’t think I could go to my gym or to a neighborhood pool and remain in the state of grace for more than 15 minutes if all it takes is a second look. It should also be noted that not every sexual thought is a sin. It is better known as a temptation, and temptation is not sin. It is all in your willingness to dismiss the thought, or buy it a cup of coffee and invite it to stay a while. The latter is the birth of sin.
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Yeah. One can’t help but see that at which he looks. It’s the lingering look, and accompanying sexual fantasies that constitute the sin. If I stare at an attractive woman, I’ll fantasize about her, thereby sinning against God, my wife and my own sense of self-respect. I’ll also set a bad example for others, and tarnish my public reputation. A true disciple fights this urge.
 
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