LUST COVETING and NATURE

LUST

 

 

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. 

4. ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life.

 

COVETING

1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.

2. to wish for, especially eagerly: He won the prize they all coveted.

verb (used without object)

3. to have an inordinate or wrongful desire.

 

 

NATURE

 

.

1.the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities.

2. the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization.

3. the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers.

4. natural scenery.

5. the universe, with all its phenomena.

 

Is it wrong to look at a member of the opposite sex with admiration and attraction?  Judeo - Christian ethics  admonish most forms of "Lust" and equate it with Lasciviousness.  The verb Covet is usually preceded by the words "Thou shall not".

and ends with, "They Neighbor's ________ " (fill in the hole) No pun intended.

 

If you look at the Webster dictionary definitions of Lust and Covet, it gives the religious admonishments a slightly different meaning.  Jesus said: "Who so ever looks upon another woman, has committed lust in his heart".  Does that mean that if I stand and drool at the cover of the Sports Illustrated's Kate Upton swim suit issue, I'm going to hell? 

I say NO ! (emphatically)

If I live next door to Kate Upton and watch her sun bathe then go borrow a cup of sugar with a condom in my back pocket? Is that lust? Yup.

 

Thou Shalt not COVET thy Neighbors wife.  (Or Car or House etc...)  Does this mean that if I look at my neighbor's Ferrari and say: "Golly gee; I wish I had one of those".  And I start a savings account for my 308, is that Coveting my neighbors car?

Again, NOPE !!!!

If I say: "Golly gee I want my neighbor's car". Then I wait until my neighbor goes out of town and I break into his garage and hot wire his 308 and hide it in a storage space across town; was that coveting?  Yes.  Same goes for my neighbors wife.  But thank god in my neighborhood, I don't have such temptations.  (But you get the Idea) You've heard the famous wife saying look but don't touch.  I say, Judeo - Christian ethics say look but don't plan.  Or look but don't think with (key word) Wanton.

 

Why do men enjoy staring at naked attractive women?  Why does Cosmopolitan sell (or use to sell) millions of magazines with articles that start out "Have better sex...."? It's because our maker designed us to be fruitful and to multiply.  One of the many side effects of Estrogen and Testosterone is a "chemical" attraction to the opposite sex.  In the pre-media days, I'm sure looks were based on health. (I've a great article on why we find certain people attractive).  It's nature.  It's the same physiology that makes dogs in heat "present" and males try to "Spread their DNA".  It's natural to stand and stare at a beautiful woman or guy.  To go any further determines if you are lusting or coveting.  If not; you're just acting the way you were wired. (well, for most of us) The ability to know the difference is what separates us from the animal kingdom.