To lust is to have a burning feeling deep inside with an unquenchable thirst or desire that cannot be satisfied. Lust has existed as a feeling in every man, woman, and child since the beginning of documented civilization. As a child, did you ever want a toy so badly you would do anything for it? Many people believe that lust is a sin that is primarily sexual and erotic, but this is only a piece of what it truly is. While there is lust for power or lust for money, sexual desire is the first thing most people think of when hearing lust.
The connotation of lust didn’t start out as merely intense sexual desire. The meaning of the word lust has changed over the years. The word lust is found in several languages. In the Online Etymology Dictionary, the German word lust is derived from the Proto-Germanic root lustaz. This is also derived from the Proto-Indo-European root las. In other languages such as Dutch, English, and Swedish, the word for lust is also derived from the Proto-Indo-European root las. This root word means eager. Proto-Indo-European is believed to be the ancestor language of many languages. Lust has a few definitions. In older English usage, it was sometimes viewed in a positive sense. The modern meaning of lust is a “sinful pleasure” or “degrading animal passion.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (MW), lust is defined as “intense or unbridled sexual desire: lasciviousness” and “intense longing: craving.” However, during the 12th to 14th centuries, northern Europeans used word lust was used as “to please or delight.” To them, the word “lusty” meant “joyful, merry, or full of healthy vigor.” The MW dictionary calls this older definition of lust, obsolete. Like the MW, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has a few definitions of lust that it calls obsolete. These definitions are considered very reserved in today’s standard of the lust. The OED’s obsolete definition of lust, like “pleasures or delight”, “an attraction”,” liking or friendly inclination to a person” pale in comparison to today’s definition of the word.
Under Catholic doctrine, sins of gluttony, pride, envy, wrath, greed, sloth, and lust, are called the Seven Deadly Sins. This concept is linked to 4th century monk Evagrius Ponticus. In Greek, he created a list of eight evil thoughts, or eight evil temptations, from which sin originates. It was created to help people identify their own weaknesses and overcome their temptations. These eight that he created were gastrimargia, porneia, philargyria, lype, orge, akedia, kenodoxia, and hyperphania. This list was translated into Latin soon after. In Latin, they were gula, fornicatio, avaritia, tristitia, ira, acedia, vangloria, and superbia. Some years later, Pope Gregory I revised this list into what is now commonly called the Seven Deadly Sins. Tristitia became what is now known as despair, vainglory became pride, and fornicatio was removed from the list.
The definitions of the Seven Deadly Sins have evolved over time. The way the world has viewed lust has also changed through the years because of religion. In ancient times, many pagan religions viewed lust as a very religious act and would practice lust as a ritual. Like the Bible, the Qur’an prohibits lust and interferes with a person’s path towards God (Surah 4:135). Because of this, Muslims believe lust to be a sin and many Muslims view the fast of Ramadan a way of stopping these lustful thoughts. Muslims have such a strong belief that lust and other sins are so bad that they do not permit themselves to eat or have sexual intercourse for the month of Ramadan. Although Islamic beliefs view lust in a bad way, Jewish teachings view lust as natural feeling. Lust is believed to be a result of yetzer harah, the evil tendency that is part of every person. It says in one Midrash, a rabbinic interpretation of biblical text, “were it not for the yetzer hara, a man would not build a house, take a wife, beget children, or engage in commerce.” (Genesis Rabbah 9:7). In Bibles, lust is often used as a translation for the Greek word “επιθυμία”. Many biblical writers use this Greek word to express any strong desire. Luke uses the word epithymia (the actual english translation of επιθυμία) to express an intense desire of Christ (Luke 22:15). The bible also defines lust as the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). How can a word be expressed as a good desire but can also be expressed as a deadly sin? This is evidence that the meaning of lust and how society had viewed it has changed over time.
In today’s society, lust has evolved into something shameless and very open. Mainstream media outlets use lust to their advantage, portraying sex as a way to attain social status and ultimately happiness. In movies, television, and advertisements, scantily clad women appear everywhere to sell something or make its audience do something. Based on these interviews, the media has also changed our view of lust. Lust has been present in history since the beginning, whether it is lust for power, lust for money, or lust for sex. Religion and the media have influenced what we believe lust is. However, in as much as the concept of lust represents an essential human passion, it is not always bad. There are two sides to everything. Love was always thought to be good, but there are things such as forbidden love and love can sometimes turn into an obsession. Lust, if used in the right way, is a good thing. Everyone has a strong desire to be successful. Lust, as part of the passions, helps provide direction in life.
Sources:
The Holy Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1990. Print.
Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language. Trans. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali. Riyadh: Darussalam, 2001. Print.
“Lust.” Wikipedia. 2009. Wikimedia Foundation.
“Lust.” The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 8 November 2009.
“Lust.” The Oxford English Dictionary of English Etymology. 2nd ed.1996. Oxford University Press. Print.
Lust,” An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2nd ed. 1882. Print.
“Lust.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online. 8 November 2009.
Midrash Rabbah. Trans. Rabbi Dr. Freedman, H., Simon, Maurice. Soncino Pr Ltd, 1992. Print.
