Unintentional lust

[hdog]

Sometimes I’ll be surfing the internet or in the car looking/thinking about innocent, non-sexual things when all of a sudden I am hit with a feeling of lust or a sexual thought that pops out of no where that i did not intend. I’m like…go away lust…and I say that…and I try to think about something else.

what is tis?
is this sinful?

 

[4EverHis]

it seems more like a temptation than a sin… I recommend asking your priest just in case

 

[reed987]

Hdog: you are officially a human being.

Desire is always going to come no matter what you do. You can’t stop it. What you can do, however, is choose what you do with it. If you take that desire and use it to indulge on p0rn, impure relationships or heaven forbid use it to hurt other ppl (rape) then that is sin.

But if you’re just driving down the road and all of a sudden you are overwhelmed by a feeling of desire but just continue to drive down the road minding your own business then you have done nothing wrong at all.

Relax, don’t feel so guilty about something you can’t even control

 

[MercyMia]

Temptation is a part of life…just don’t persue it and you will be fine. Jesus did not tell us we would be without temptation in this life…He only promised that with Him we can over come all things.

 

[toddkitta]

hdog,

From what I’ve heard from priests, other devout Catholics, and Catholic radio your method is the exact right one! It’s akin to Matthew 16 where Jesus said “Get behind me, Satan!” when Peter told him he would not die.

I’ve dealt with your EXACT situation and used the exact same method to beat it. I’ve found that by asking for God to help those thoughts not enter my head and/or the grace to tell them to leave I all but beat the problem over the course of several months. That was probably 7-9 months ago and it’s gotten much easier. Not to say that I don’t have new problems now, but I think it was a growth process.

Don’t get discouraged for you may or may not ever be able to get rid of the initial thoughts. However, the sin does not come in until you dwell on them and indulge them. However, don’t take my word for it, there is no replacement for a priest and confession.

 

[Cluny]

Sometimes I’ll be surfing the internet or in the car looking/thinking about innocent, non-sexual things when all of a sudden I am hit with a feeling of lust or a sexual thought that pops out of no where that i did not intend. I’m like…go away lust…and I say that…and I try to think about something else.

what is tis?
is this sinful?

It’s simply part of the human condition. Don’t worry about it.

God put sexual feelings in human beings. But we are supposed to control them.

 

[glenaitken]

Sometimes I’ll be surfing the internet or in the car looking/thinking about innocent, non-sexual things when all of a sudden I am hit with a feeling of lust or a sexual thought that pops out of no where that i did not intend. I’m like…go away lust…and I say that…and I try to think about something else.

what is tis?
is this sinful?

it cannot be sinful if it is unitentional. this is the begginings, or “the first movements” of sin that are a consequence of Origional sin. this is called concupiscience. the more you pray and grow in your relationship with Christ the less often you will experiance the inclimnation to sin. as it stands, this is not sinful unless you dwell on it or deliberately linger in the pleasure of the thing.

 

[brigid12]

Sometimes I’ll be surfing the internet or in the car looking/thinking about innocent, non-sexual things when all of a sudden I am hit with a feeling of lust or a sexual thought that pops out of no where that i did not intend. I’m like…go away lust…and I say that…and I try to think about something else.

what is tis?
is this sinful?

If none of it is going along with it - no sin, just temptation. What helps me is saying the Hail Mary. Sometimes I need to say it a number of times, however she always comes to my aid. She is the earthly master of purity.