Saturday, January 08, 2005

The Cardinal ... uh... Interest

I've concluded that, as the word is used today, there are two distinct meanings for the word "lust." According to the Baltimore Catechism lust, the cardinal sin, is "Lust is an excessive desire for the sinful pleasures forbidden by the Sixth Commandment." But in common parlance lust, like celibacy, means something more simple than its technical theological definition. Husbands and wives do not sin by desiring one another physically, and strong physical desire -- strong enough to act upon -- is what many people mean when they use the word in a common sense. In that sense of strong desire, it may or may not be sinful, depending on who feels it for whom, and how they allow their minds or bodies to react to the desirous feelings or thoughts.

Frankly, once married, strong desire is a very nice thing. It goes very well with marital love.

Said my husband this morning, "'You got your lust in my love!' 'You got your love in my lust!'"

Here's wishing every married couple happiness, security, and plenty of non-sinful desire.

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