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Lexi Grubbs

Mr. Clark

English 12: Honors British Literature

9 March 2018

The Vice and Virtue of Lust and Chastity

I. Lust and Chastity

Marked as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, lust emits a particular sense of maliciousness. It

is defined and taught by many Catholics as “willfully allowing pleasurable gratification of

wrongfully directed sexual desire that takes place deep inside.” (Vander Spek) However, lust is

far more immoral than its fellow Deadly Sins, as it attacks the body, mind, and soul, puts those

inflicted into dangerous predicaments, and fools sinners into believing it is acceptable.

Firstly, Lust is a very powerful demon. An understandable example that will assist you in

understanding how lust works. That being said, think of sexual desires as an alcoholic beverage;

sometimes, a person may decide to indulge in a pleasant and mutual drink. This is completely

normal. When he or she continually drinks himself or herself into an unhealthy state of being on

more than one occasion, the person is what is commonly referred to as an alcoholic. To bring this

discussion back on track, if a person continues to overly immerse himself or herself in sexual

desires and actions, the person is experiencing lust.

Lust can affect a person in the mind, body, and soul. The mind seems to be the most

acceptable target for others to understand. The inflicted with constantly be subject to sexual

thoughts and desires. This means almost every single time that the person is alone in his or her
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mind, all that is present with them is the idea or image of sex. This desire, in turn, will develop

into a physically dependency. Gearing back to the alcoholic example, when an alcoholic stops

drinking, he or she will began to deteriorate into a bodily state that involves shaking, moodiness,

discomfort, violent tendencies, and even illness. This is true for sex-addicts as well. (Orloff) On

top of all this, the soul is damaged as the sinner is directly going against the teaching of Exodus

20:14, which states, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Bible: New International Version, Exodus

20:14)

The biblical remedy for this temptation is called Chastity, which is described by Gospel

preacher, Jeff Asher, as being “free from sexual obscenity.” (Asher) To be chaste also could be

interpreted as having a strong sense of self-control, which can help to prevent the holds of lust

from taking over. It is a heavily taught subject by the Catholic Church in an attempt to lessen the

blow of the lascivious nature and hold of lust.

II. Wisdom from the Past

The idea of battling the Seven Deadly Sins, or any sins, for the matter, has often enlisted

the help of scare tactics to frighten people away from evil. In the past, Lust was highly perceived

as a serious offense due to its severity and was punished justly in many publications of the times.

One of the early examples of how Lust will affect humans appears in the critically acclaimed

novel by Dante Alighieri, Inferno. In the book, more particularly in circle two, sinners who are

imprisoned in hell for committing lust are spun in a violent tornado, which brutally tears at their

flesh. (Alighieri 37) Additionally, in Nicolas le Rouge’s Le Grant Kalendrier des Bergiers,

which was published in 1496, also gives a hefty punishment to all who have committed lust: they

burn in oil. (Cline) In both cases, those indicted of improper sexual actions are punished in

horrendous physical fashion. Punishments, to leaders in old time periods, often issued
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punishments as a form of teaching others by example. Therefore, it is inquisitive that these

methods did not carry on as time progressed.

Additionally, in more recent history, the Motion Picture Production Codes, also known as

the Hays Codes, came into effect in order to rid the public of sexual suggestive material. They

stood from 1930 to 1968, and they were very aware of how influential cinema was to the general

public. (Bynum) One of their major rules referenced throughout the documents stated, “No

picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the

sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.”

Films that were not approved by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America were

not permitted to air in mass cinemas, or if they were granted the opportunity to air, they were not

given a stamp of approval. Many film studios chose to conform to these policies rather than

receiving an offense, similarly to how past leaders used discipline as an example for others.

III. Lust and Chastity Today

Through the many temptation of modern media and peer pressure, lust has only tightened

its grip on humanity. Firstly, mass media productions heavily influence many of the world’s

lustful endeavors. In this medium of entertainment, such places were forms of racy content can

take be found are on social media and pornography. Additionally, these visuals inspire people to

commit similar acts on both willing and unwilling peers alike.

On the topic of social media, if one were to just browse through the App Store, the

amount of apps that are intended to incite relations amongst people is extraordinary. What is

truly upsetting is how many of these apps are used for sexual encounters, including Tinder,

Grinder, Bumble, and High There, just to name a few. This, in and of itself, promotes the
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ideology of “sleeping around”. With apps, a user can express and withhold any information that

he or she wants to, which can include being in a relationship or looking for a “good time with no

strings attached.”

On the note of pornography, Blessed Pope John Paull II states, “Pornography perverts the

conjugal act because it reduces the mutual self donation of husband and wife to an object of lust.

Pornography trains a spouse to look at his or her spouse as an object for their pleasure only.”

(Pope John Paul II) When a person engages himself or herself fin pornographic content, as

previously states, (potential) partners are viewed in a more objectified manner; the desired

persons are now looked at because of their appearance rather than their personalities.

Additionally, the acts that are being performed between both partners are no longer performed to

represent their love for one another, but they are performed to in a pleasure-seeking manner.

Sadly, through the exposure that is available through media, these can manifest in many

violent forms. According to renowned Catholic Church figure Bishop Robert Barron, lust can

cause “adultery, desensitization toward graphic images, promiscuity, pornography, physical or

sexual abuse, and violent acts toward children.” (Barron) These acts come as a result of the deep,

burning desire within the sinner’s soul to attain that for which they long most for. Worst of all, as

these crimes are committed, the sinner does not openly see the problem in his or her actions.

Through all of this evidence, it is acceptable to assume that lust has continually affected the

world today.

IV. Wisdom from the Past

The only logical manner for which the world should cut down on lustful acts is by

ceasing to accept / stand for them. If one were to turn on the television or watch a movie at the
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theater, it is nearly inevitable that the person will be exposed to some form of lascivious

behavior. Commercials, magazines, billboards, music, and even children’s products are geared

towards people in a lustful manner; it is considered a “norm” now. Worst of all, there are

advocates that state that sexual expression is natural and should be openly shared to the world.

With all of these sexual manifestations coming about, it is only appropriate and necessary to

enlist the help of the former laws against over-sexualization. More particularly, media must be

held to its previous standards.

As the Hays Codes mentioned, media holds a major source of influence. (Bynum)

Nowadays, almost every form of lust can be seen on the big screen, and more often than not, it

causes copy-cats. To ensure that impure behaviors do not continue because of cinematic

productions is to bring back a form of the Hays Codes. Companies did not want to break those

rules in fear of losing profit, and by bringing some variation of this system back, it would be

because more appropriate content to be distributed out into mass media. If a company chooses to

knowing defy these rules, they do not get a stamp of approval or they face some punishment,

such as banned distribution or a fine.

To clean up the content being disseminated to the general public, it is essential to make

an example of the indiscretions being present to the public. If a stance is not taken and we

continue to allow lust to take hold of the whole body and soul, society as a whole will continue

to suffer through the abuses previously mentioned. It is not acceptable that there is no

punishment for encouraging indecent behavior, but it is even more debilitating that good people

of the world are constantly faced with an increased risk of being gripped by the vice of lust.

The only way to cure the community is through punishment, but as for the curing a

human of their impure nature, 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue
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righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

(Bible: New International Version, 2 Tim. 2:22) It is time to promote and depict virtue over vice;

if a sufferer of vice needs help, he or she should be able to get it. It is only through practicing

virtuous activity and leading a life that is focused around the desirable religious traits, such as

self-denial and humility, that an individual can be free. To make the transition easier, it is

important that the temptations in question – the inappropriate media – be weaned to ensure these

behaviors no longer continue. The previous generations knew how to handle this issue, and if the

modern world want to control this pandemic, it must follow suit.

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Works Cited

Asher, Jeff. “Teaching Values: Chastity.” BibleTalk with Jeff Asher, 2016,

www.bibletalk.net/articles/chastity.html

Barron, Robert. “Week Six Lust and Chastity.” WeConnect,

uploads.weconnect.com/mce/4728a26498a7441a03a375eb0280b65c24a8cbd9/The%207

%20Deadly%20Sins%20Week%20Six%20Lust%20and%20Chastity.pdf+

Bynum, Matt. “The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code).”

ArtsReformation.com, 12 Apr. 2006, www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html

“Cantos V.” The Inferno, by Dante Alighieri, Modern Library, 2002, pp. 35–43.

Cline, Austin. “Punishing the Seven Deadly Sins.” ThoughtCo, 17 Mar. 2017,

www.thoughtco.com/punishing-the-seven-deadly-sins-4123091

Orloff, Judith. “Lust vs Love: Do You Know the Difference?” Psychology Today, Sussex

Publishers, 15 Aug.

2011, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201108/lust-vs-love-do-you-

know-the-difference

“Pope John Paul II on Pornography.” Covenant Eyes, 28 Dec. 2009,

www.covenanteyes.com/2009/12/28/pope-john-paul-ii-on-pornography/

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Zondervan, 2017.

Vander Spek, Jim. Christian Bible Studies, 12 June 2012,

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www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/spiritualformation/understanding-

lust.html