How is it possible for the human race to continue since males are sexually attracted to females, and vice versa?
If I look at a woman and feel turned on, how is that not lust? Is it lust?
Do I have to physically suppress any sexual attraction to woman in order not to commit lust?
Before I began understanding my faith, I wasn’t worried about if I looked at a woman, felt sexually invigorated, attracted, etc. to her.
Is it wrong for me to notice a woman’s curves?
If I have automatic sexual feelings, generic feelings about sex, is that lust?
I am certainly TRYING to stop, so God knows I’m trying. I don’t want to make God angry and I certainly don’t want to go to Hell. But at the same time, I LIKE looking at woman, many of them are just beautiful…
I still do not have a good definition of lust. Yes, entertaining the thought. But does “entertaining” also mean, enjoying the beauty? The woman lingers. I always try to think of something else.
Does this all make sense as to why I am a complete basket case about this?
I know what I am going through is because I truly want to please God, and I just can’t. I used to be involved in so many sins of the flesh, I could fill a 500 page novel with them. I’ve 100% completely cut out ALL of them, repented, confessed and so on. But it is SO easy not to do an ACTION. But to have a thought. ONE THOUGHT of LUST. = HELL. How can one person, a male no less, never think about a woman, ever, EVER?! I can’t shut off my brain and I can’t go about living like a hermit.
If my brain automatically thinks “I’d like to have sex with her” almost like a Pavlovian response, is that lust? How do I stop that? Is it because I am now so hyper-conscious of my mortality and lust and eternal salvation that I am trying to be super-human in my feelings and emotions?
I’ve asked these questions of three separate priests and not received any sort of substantially reasonable answer. I continue to get the same answer. “Notice the woman, acknowledge God’s beauty in her, and say a prayer.” How can I go the rest of my life basically never noticing a woman? I can’t remove myself from life. I can remove all television, Internet, travel, working out at gym and so forth, but I have to work, but there are women at work. And doing all of those other things seem totally unreasonable and I have NO peace. I have a strong feeling God didn’t intend it to be this way, for me to feel this way. I feel like I am not really lusting, but rather Satan is planting these doubts in my head. But then I feel like maybe it is God speaking, telling me to run from any temptations to save my mortal soul. I’m so tired of this. I can’t continue to go the rest of my life trying to avoid any contact with attractive woman. This can’t be right…
