Michael Brooks
Lust is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic Christianity, and is described as a capital sin. While lust is a sin, not all lustful thoughts are mortal sins. According to Catholic teachings, a lustful thought becomes a mortal sin when one consciously chooses to entertain and dwell on it, and then acts or attempts to act on it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition of lust | A disordered craving of another for the purpose of self-satisfaction without regard for or love of another within the bonds of marriage |
| Is lust a sin? | Yes |
| Is lust a mortal sin? | Yes |
| When does lust become a mortal sin? | When one consciously chooses to entertain and dwell on lustful thoughts, and then acts or attempts to act on them |
| Grades of lust | There are grades of sexual sin |
| Forms of lust | Fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, sodomy |
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What You'll Learn
Lust is one of the seven deadly sins
Lust is a disordered craving for another person, seeking to satisfy one's desires without regard for, or love of, the other individual. It is a distortion of the human procreative drive and desire for love and companionship. This drive naturally seeks to bring about the union of a man and a woman, cooperating with God in self-giving for the purpose of union and procreation. However, lust seeks only to satisfy the distorted desires of the individual, with little to no concern for the other person.
Lust is not merely a matter of sexual thoughts or urges, but it becomes a sin when one allows themselves to dwell on these thoughts and objectify another person, desiring bodily pleasure from them. This is a conscious choice to continue entertaining lustful thoughts, which can then lead to acting upon them. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, consenting to the pleasure of a mortal sin, such as lust, is indeed a mortal sin.
The gravity of lust as a sin is emphasized by its ability to offer a temporary escape from the troubles of life. Indulging in lust provides a momentary high, giving the illusion of benefit without responsibility or consequences. However, it has a hollowing-out effect on the soul, leaving one's soul in a state of peril.
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The Catholic Church differentiates between grades of sexual sin
The Catholic Church differentiates between mortal and venial sins, with mortal sins being those that lead to spiritual death and venial sins being those that do not. The Church also differentiates between grades of sexual sin, with some being mortal and others being venial.
Lust, for example, is considered a sin by the Catholic Church, but it does not always constitute a mortal sin. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, lust is a "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure" that is rooted in pleasure for its own sake, rather than for unitive or procreative purposes. It is a sin committed primarily in the mind and becomes a mortal sin when one consciously chooses to dwell on lustful thoughts and objectify another person for bodily pleasure.
The Catholic Church identifies several forms of lust as consummated external sins, including fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy. These sins are considered mortal and are distinguished by their specific malice. The Church also teaches that the gravity of sins varies, with some sins, such as murder, being graver than others, like theft.
The determination of whether a lustful thought or desire constitutes a mortal or venial sin depends on factors such as the apprehended proximate danger of giving way to the desire and the known capacity of the action to bring about venereal pleasure. The Catholic Church emphasizes the dangers of failing to refrain from lustful thoughts and desires, even if there is no initial sinful intent.
While sexual sins are often viewed as the worst and most sinful type of sin by Catholics, this perspective is not universally accepted. Some argue that God does not grade sins, and that sexual sins are no worse than any other type of sin.
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Lust is a capital sin as it leads to other sins
Lust is considered a capital sin in Catholic Christianity, and it is one of the seven deadly sins. It is a disordered craving for another person for the purpose of self-satisfaction without regard for the other person or love of them within the bonds of marriage. Lust is a distortion of a person's natural procreative drive and desire for love and companionship.
Lust is a sin when one surrenders to it consciously. It is a sin when one allows themselves to dwell on lustful thoughts and desires bodily pleasure from another person, thereby objectifying them. The pleasure that lust has as its object is attractive and connatural to human nature, which leads one to commit many other disorders in the pursuit of it.
Lust is often not a sin that people fall into because it is awful or hurts; instead, it offers a temporary escape from life's troubles and worries. It offers a high without any apparent responsibility, worry, or effect. However, indulging in lust has a hollowing-out effect on the soul, selling the person out for all they are worth, simply to feel good for a little while.
Lust is a capital sin because it leads to other sins. St. Thomas notes that "a capital vice is that which has an exceedingly desirable end so that in his desire for it, a man goes on to the commission of many sins, all of which are said to originate in that vice as their chief source." Theologians distinguish various forms of lust as consummated external sins, such as fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy.
Therefore, lust is a capital sin in Catholicism as it leads to other sins and has the potential to cause significant harm to the individual and the community.
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Lust is a distortion of man's natural procreative drive
Lust is considered a mortal sin in Catholicism. It is a disordered craving of another for the purpose of self-satisfaction without regard for or love of another within the bonds of marriage. It is a distortion of man’s natural procreative drive and desire for love and companionship.
The procreative drive and desire seek to bring about the union of a man and a woman to cooperate with God in self-giving to one another for the purpose of union and procreation. Lust, on the other hand, seeks to satisfy the distorted desires of the individual without concern for the other. It is a desire for sexual pleasure that is "sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes".
The Catholic Church defines lust as the idolatry of sexual pleasure in all its forms, including contraception, masturbation, adultery, premarital relations, and relations between persons of the same sex. These acts are considered to destroy the human capacity for love, that is, the person's ability to give themselves to God and to others.
Lust is considered a capital sin, as it forcefully leads to other sins. It is an irrational attachment to venereal pleasure, with its opposing virtue being chastity.
The Catholic Church teaches that sexual intercourse has a two-fold unitive and procreative purpose. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "conjugal love ... aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul". The marriage bond is seen as a sign of the love between God and humanity.
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Lusting after someone on the street can be a mortal sin
Lust is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic Christianity. It is described as a "disordered craving of another for the purpose of self-satisfaction without regard for or love of another within the bonds of marriage." Lust is a distortion of an individual's natural procreative drive and desire for love and companionship.
The Catholic Church teaches that lust is a sin when it is embraced at first impulse and beyond. It is a sin when one allows themselves to dwell on lustful thoughts and desires bodily pleasure from another person, thereby objectifying their dignity. The key phrase here is "allowing yourself"; it becomes a sin when a conscious choice is made to continue thinking about it.
Lusting after someone on the street can, therefore, be a mortal sin. According to Padre Peregrino, "simply lusting after a woman or a man on the street can be a mortal sin!" This is supported by the Bible, which states, "whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).
However, it is important to note that not all sexual sins are mortal sins. There are grades of sexual sin, and lust can be a mortal sin when it leads to other sins or is acted upon. As St. Thomas notes, "a capital vice is that which has an exceedingly desirable end so that in his desire for it, a man goes on to the commission of many sins all of which are said to originate in that vice as their chief source."
To summarize, lusting after someone on the street can be a mortal sin in Catholic Christianity, depending on the individual's thoughts and actions. It becomes a mortal sin when one consciously chooses to dwell on lustful thoughts and desires, objectifying the other person's dignity.
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Frequently asked questions
Lust is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Catholicism. It is a capital sin that commonly and forcefully leads to other sins. However, not all sexual sins are mortal, and there are grades of sexual sin.
Lust is a disordered craving of another person for self-satisfaction without regard for or love of the other person within the bonds of marriage.
The Bible states, "Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).
Theologians distinguish various forms of lust as consummated external sins, including fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy.
