American And Muslim Lust And Adultery

We can learn several lessons from the Muslim world, from their mistakes and from their successes too. One such mistake and success is adultery, one of The Ten Commandments. The muslims take lust and adultery very seriously. Compared to some of us Americans they follow Jesus’s command better than we do today! Jesus used the commandment “though shall not commit adultery” and he told us that even if you look at a woman lustfully you have committed adultery. The Muslims have all women dress modestly so that their men would not be tempted to look, and commit adultery. However, they may have taken it too far in that Muslim’s censor and force women to dress in a way that you cant tell that they are women. American’s though encourage and reward immodest dress and advertising. On television, billboards, magazines, computers… we are saturated with it. It breeds lustful and adulterous sin. In America though, we celibrate the free will God has given and we force no-one to dress that way, but, some of us abuse that free will not just in dressing immodestly but also looking lustfully. In America, you have free will but in muslim countries you are publicly executed for adultery. However, remember that eternal damnation is infinitely worse that a public execution. We need to not only celebrate free will, but celebrate celibacy too.

I too committed the sin many times of looking and lusting. Not just looking and appreciating beauty, but looking too long and at the wrong areas!

Hard habit to break but after several confessions and after asking God to help, I am happy to say I have broken the habit, I still slip sometimes but am now better able to recognize the beginning of lust better and I divert my eyes.

I knew a married couple that owned a $400k house and a business that brought in $250k per year. Things seemed to be going fine but business required that he travel to this one location for about 1 month a year. When he was there, he met another woman and was tempted. He had to go back again and was tempted again by the same woman, this time the temptation was stronger. Yes, you say he should have recognized it and not went back or sent someone else in his stead but hindsight being 20/20 he didn’t. He was too fearful of losing his position in the business etc… After he committed adultery, he used Oscar Wilde’s expression “the only way to beat temptation is to give in to it”. But that phrase should not be one of futility, it should be a challenge to us! Who among us likes to surrender to something we hate? When you play football, and you’re muddy, do you just intentionally fumble and let the other team run it in for a touchdown? If you go shopping, and you spot a nice deal on the only item left, do you stand back and let the other person take it? No, we’re Americans, we don’t like to give up easily and not at least without a fight or argument! Look at Congress when they debate a bill!

The couple soon went through a messy divorce that took over 4 years to get finalized, neither one wanted to give in and by then the legal costs were staggering. The wages of sin were terrible and I hope that he and she became penitent… I do not know if they did, only God does. I should have encouraged them too do so, a sin in my own fault. But adultery is a terrible sin and if you are caught in it’s snares I encourage you to please beg God for His forgiveness, His mercy, and His help to conquer it. It would be hard to do just by yourself since sex is as addicting to some people as heroin is to others. But God has the infinite power to conquer it. Trust in Him. Open your hearts to his mercy and his power to free you from the sin. He can do all things. Come to reconciliation and pray with the priest for help. May God bless you. +