Unintentional Arousal Question

[gs013564]

If I am watching a tv show and there is a sexually suggestive scene and I get slightly and unwanted arousal then am I okay as long as I didn’t intend, want or enjoy it? I’m watching a sci fi show that I enjoy, but occasionally there are scenes like this that come up (nothing terribly explicit!).

Probably worrying too much, but wanted to see what others thought of this situation that I’m sure comes up a lot in this day and age.

 

[supertubos]

If I am watching a tv show and there is a sexually suggestive scene and I get slightly and unwanted arousal then am I okay as long as I didn’t intend, want or enjoy it? I’m watching a sci fi show that I enjoy, but occasionally there are scenes like this that come up (nothing terribly explicit!).

Probably worrying too much, but wanted to see what others thought of this situation that I’m sure comes up a lot in this day and age.

No problem. My opinion.
The TV scene is like life. Suppose you go on the streets and you see something or someone that provokes the same reaction, Are you going to walk on the streets with the eyes closed?
Cheers:thumbsup:,

 

[Bookcat]

One should employ* reasonable custody of the senses*…which may mean turning away…turning it off for a couple of minutes…getting something to eat…jumping to the next scene etc…

(and of course if others are present…that adds to the question)

 

[gs013564]

One should employ* reasonable custody of the senses*…which may mean turning away…turning it off for a couple of minutes…getting something to eat…jumping to the next scene etc…

(and of course if others are present…that adds to the question)

Yeah, I did try to ignore until the scene was finished and in my mind I was like “no, no, no” So I did try not to be “turned on”. Plus the scene was less than 10 seconds so it didn’t drag on.

 

[mcteague]

When my Father was in the seminary he and some of the other students were sitting on a porch with some of the Priests. Some pretty girls walked by and the students noticed the Priests looking at them. When asked about this the Priests explained that just because they can’t doesn’t mean they never think about it.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing in Catholicism that should make anyone think momentary arousal is a sin. But lets be clear. I assume that you are not completly overcome with desire and start masturbating anytime a sexual thought comes to you. Also obsessing on the arousal might be a sin. But if it comes by like a spring breeze then passes away, it is not a sin. Just something to experience for that moment.

This does not mean it would be okay to watch only a few moments of porno films. It just means that in the normal course of the day feelings come and go. It is still up to you to know where the line of just being a human being crosses into actual sin. But a momentary feeling of arousal probably does not come close.

 

[supertubos]

If I am watching a tv show and there is a sexually suggestive scene and I get slightly and unwanted arousal then am I okay as long as I didn’t intend, want or enjoy it? I’m watching a sci fi show that I enjoy, but occasionally there are scenes like this that come up (nothing terribly explicit!).

Probably worrying too much, but wanted to see what others thought of this situation that I’m sure comes up a lot in this day and age.

I was educated when bathsuits weere the rule. And then came bikini. Scandal…And everybody got used to it. And then came topless. Scandal…And everybody got used to it. And then came nudism…Scandal… Here in Portugal, no one cares anymore.

Nothing more can come for no one takes the skin out. This is in Portugal for I was born in Mozambique were, in many tribes, topless was the rule and no one cared.

People tend to think that when there is nudism there are no rules. In Amazon tribes, women are naked but, for instance, if she is sitting in a mat, it is TABU for a male to step on it: He is killed!

So, if we avoid systematicallly the minimum sensual scene we become so sensitive that even the slightest vision of a naked ankle will arouse you (like with the BURKHA girls). My son is a Medical Doctor and the vision of working in genecology is not a pleasure for him !!!

Cheers:thumbsup:

 

[Bookcat]

Also I should note that there is a difference between temptation and consent…and between partial and complete consent (though we do need to know what is actually a near occasion and when to look away etc as noted)

And one should beware of trying to “skate the edge” …flee rather

When one is tempted…

Some signs that one lacked consent or gave only “partial consent”:

If even though there was some instinctive pleasure …we do not want it…we are unhappy or horrified about the evil…or struggle to not be overcome …we turn to God in Prayer --these are some signs of no consent (if of course we stay in this stage…and do not later consent)

(For example some thoughts come out of the blue just cause one happened to see an attractive person…and one does not want the thoughts but turns to God in Prayer or is horrified by them and turns to something else etc…no matter how much they come back…if one does not consent at all…there is no sin…but rather possibly growth in virtues)

If one hesitates for a moment but then does not want to sin and so rejects it and does not give full consent (thus a fault against prudence)

If one resists but the resistance is half hearted…one does resist but it is weak or slow…but in the end one rejects it…such would seem to be half consent and thus venia

(Based on A Tanquery… he bases things on S. Augustine…but much of this is simply repeated in various places…for it is the basics in judging such)

 

[Bookcat]

When my Father was in the seminary he and some of the other students were sitting on a porch with some of the Priests. Some pretty girls walked by and the students noticed the Priests looking at them. When asked about this the Priests explained that just because they can’t doesn’t mean they never think about it.

.

Though they can of course sin by consenting to thinking about it …

so I would not phrase it that way…

 

[mcteague]

Though they can of course sin by consenting to thinking about it …

so I would not phrase it that way…

Just so we don’t confuse the OP more than he already is, could you explain this a bit more
Perhaps my phrasing was not good. It might help clarify where the line is.

To me, from a non religious perspective, it is similar to when I notice some girl walking down the street. If I realize that she is quite a bit younger than I thought ( underage), I simply stop looking at her and direct my attention elsewhere. But I don’t think I have done anything wrong. Or that I’m a pervert.
Oh and my initial looking is never, well rarely, vulgar. It is simply noticing that someone is attractive.

 

[supertubos]

Also I should note that there is a difference between temptation and consent…and between partial and complete consent (though we do need to know what is actually a near occasion and when to look away etc as noted)

And one should beware of trying to “skate the edge” …flee rather

When one is tempted…

Some signs that one lacked consent or gave only “partial consent”:

If even though there was some instinctive pleasure …we do not want it…we are unhappy or horrified about the evil…or struggle to not be overcome …we turn to God in Prayer --these are some signs of no consent (if of course we stay in this stage…and do not later consent)

(For example some thoughts come out of the blue just cause one happened to see an attractive person…and one does not want the thoughts but turns to God in Prayer or is horrified by them and turns to something else etc…no matter how much they come back…if one does not consent at all…there is no sin…but rather possibly growth in virtues)

If one hesitates for a moment but then does not want to sin and so rejects it and does not give full consent (thus a fault against prudence)

If one resists but the resistance is half hearted…one does resist but it is weak or slow…but in the end one rejects it…such would seem to be half consent and thus venia

(Based on A Tanquery… he bases things on S. Augustine…but much of this is simply repeated in various places…for it is the basics in judging such)

St Augustin? Boy ! That is far away.
there is today’s theology.

You do nothing more in life than to see whether you consent or not consent???
For me, would be a time consuming job. consented+no consented 66%+consented 38%+ you would need a computer !!! dont you think that there is something to revised?

What is consent? And you consent in what? You go to communion and a magnificent lady is front you she is a devout persons but wears few clothes but you know she is married, and you get a brutal erection ? what shall you do? Consent? No consent? go to communion? Leave the queue and let people wondering why? Go to Holy communion in this state?

cheers:thumbsup:

 

[gs013564]

St Augustin? Boy ! That is far away.
there is today’s theology.

You do nothing more in life than to see whether you consent or not consent???
For me, would be a time consuming job. consented+no consented 66%+consented 38%+ you would need a computer !!! dont you think that there is something to revised?

What is consent? And you consent in what? You go to communion and a magnificent lady is front you she is a devout persons but wears few clothes but you know she is married, and you get a brutal erection ? what shall you do? Consent? No consent? go to communion? Leave the queue and let people wondering why? Go to Holy communion in this state?

cheers:thumbsup:

I get what you are saying. If you apply what Bookcat is saying, then you would be obligated to not consent to your base desires i.e. in this case impure thoughts. Consenting would basically be to willfully enjoy the impure thoughts. If the thoughts just pop in your head and you think to yourself that it is wrong and try not to enjoy them, then you have not consented and thus not sinned.

There is such a thing as partial consent wherein you may hesitate, but then turn to God. It is my understanding that this is then venially sinful when you give partial consent.

Wow, I can’t believe I actually am finally getting it!

Also, this has helped me a great deal:

columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/chastity.html

Chapter 10 deals with the Moral principles surrounding this. Although the entire document is geared towards unmarried folks, it still is easy to parse out the information for those who ARE married. And it is from the past 100 years so it may be a bit more contemporary for you.

 

[supertubos]

I get what you are saying. If you apply what Bookcat is saying, then you would be obligated to not consent to your base desires i.e. in this case impure thoughts. Consenting would basically be to willfully enjoy the impure thoughts. If the thoughts just pop in your head and you think to yourself that it is wrong and try not to enjoy them, then you have not consented and thus not sinned.

There is such a thing as partial consent wherein you may hesitate, but then turn to God. It is my understanding that this is then venially sinful when you give partial consent.

Wow, I can’t believe I actually am finally getting it!

Also, this has helped me a great deal:

columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/chastity.html

Chapter 10 deals with the Moral principles surrounding this. Although the entire document is geared towards unmarried folks, it still is easy to parse out the information for those who ARE married. And it is from the past 100 years so it may be a bit more contemporary for you.

It would be very useful for me if you defined “impure thoughts”. I imagine that, if you are married and a lustful thought about other woman comes to your mind, then it is impure thought. I guess, as I told you.

Now, if you are single, is it the same thing or is it only toward married women?

Let’s take another example, more clear. If you have an erection towards your wife, is is Catholic. If towards another woman, is it Catholic? How do you teach the penis to arise only towards your wife? No way…Or does it depend on consent? What is to consent to an erection? Pretty confusion.

So called impure thoughts are the same.

I dont think there are impure thoughts. Im=not+pure (chaste). Not chaste thoughts, gosh, such a hard definition.

I would distinguish between animal desires, human desires and divine desires. the 3 clash with each other. The diine must command the others but all came from God Himself.

 

[gs013564]

It would be very useful for me if you defined “impure thoughts”. I imagine that, if you are married and a lustful thought about other woman comes to your mind, then it is impure thought. I guess, as I told you.

Now, if you are single, is it the same thing or is it only toward married women?

Let’s take another example, more clear. If you have an erection towards your wife, is is Catholic. If towards another woman, is it Catholic? How do you teach the penis to arise only towards your wife? No way…Or does it depend on consent? What is to consent to an erection? Pretty confusion.

So called impure thoughts are the same.

I dont think there are impure thoughts. Im=not+pure (chaste). Not chaste thoughts, gosh, such a hard definition.

I would distinguish between animal desires, human desires and divine desires. the 3 clash with each other. The diine must command the others but all came from God Himself.

Impurity is in direct opposition to chastity. The key here is consenting. If you consent to willfull enjoyment of something that is opposed to chastity then that would most likely be objectively sinful.

As to your example of married vs. single, there is chaste married love and chaste non-marital love. I would read more on the link I posted. It really does have a lot of good information for a single young adult. Once you have absorbed that information, it isn’t too hard to extrapolate what is permissible for a married person.