And yet, we’re conditioned to consider practically everyone as an amorous possibility. In monogamy and Christianity there’s a reality: Every man or woman who accepts salvation is a brother or sister in Christ, which deems all other people as un-romantic companions. Innocent and edifying friendships are marred by expectation or repulsion by the opposite sex all too soon for our young people. Children naturally notice likeness, difference, and beauty in others, but perhaps we’re ascribing and encouraging attraction in their relationships before they’re ready. “Do you think she’s pretty? Are you going to get married?” we prod. We might consider the ways we’re raising kids to view one another as possible romantic partners.įrom the beginnings of our elementary school experience, pressure is put on children in relationships. But if we can all agree that eye candy leads to some form of lust or need for gratification, then we can also ask the question, “Why?” The easy answers are biology, natural attraction, sin, and fallen nature-the typical Christian response. “Lust is conscience baffled or biased: biased if it says nothing against the sin baffled, if it prevails not in what it says… feeding the eye with the sight of the forbidden fruit… but looking till I do lust, or looking to gratify the lust, where further satisfaction cannot be obtained.”Ī baffled and biased conscience, we’ve all experienced it at some point. The accompanying Matthew Henry commentary to Matthew 4:27-19 says this about lust and desire: Hiring guidelines, based on gender considerations for travel, isolated office environments, etc.Whether or not staff should travel or stay in hotels alone.How long a man should be able to talk to a woman without “supervision”.We become robotic in our decision-making, viewing people as expendable based on our own desires. Researchers have proposed in the past that, when we become enticed by exposed skin, common sense is thrown out the window. It means to reduce a person to an inanimate object, as something to be used rather than someone to be cared for. It’s a well-known verse, but is it that simple? Is faithfulness to a spouse the only issue that should prevent us from allowing our gazes to linger? I propose that there are a few other issues we should consider.Īctivists working to combat sexual assault, harassment, rape culture, and stereotyping based on appearance have used a staple term for years: objectification. The Bible has this to say, “… everyone who looks at a woman (or man) with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her (or him) in his heart.” ( Matthew 5:27-29) There’s a lot being said about modesty in the Christian world-from videos advertising “appropriate” bathing suits, professional garb, and church wear-to methods for “bouncing” eye gazes away from questionable scenes on TV or from scantily clad men and women around town. No man or woman is completely immune to reacting to the human form. We love to blame men for noticing, but women can’t help but to double-take at shirtless beachgoers, or to notice muscles beneath form-fitting tees and skinny jeans. Would you believe it, bikini bottoms are shrinking!įor every head turned and eyebrow raised, there’s a spouse ready to smack their partner on the arm for tracking “eye candy” down the shoreline. Teens up and down the coast are nervous too, constantly tugging at the edges of their clothing. Small children’s eyes widen at the pure horror, pointing fingers and rousing parents from their naps, nestled beneath beach umbrellas. I don’t know where you live in the world, but in the state of North Carolina, we’re experiencing an epidemic.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |