[fr_freak]

Really? Then why did Jesus tell people that if they looked upon a woman with lust they have already committed adultry? Hmmmm....

I've always wondered about that. If I remember the passage correctly, Jesus said something like "If you have sinned in your heart, then it is the same as committing the sin." To me, this did not mean necessarily that if you felt the temptation, you had already sinned. Instead, I always thought it meant that if you had decided that you would do it, if you could, then you had sinned. For example, if you see another man's beautiful wife, and you think of what it would be like to have sex with her, but then put it out of your mind and walk away, you have not sinned. However, if you were to look at that man's wife and know that you would have sex with her if she offered it, then you have sinned, because you have accepted that sin in your heart, whereas in the first case you rejected the sinful thought.

[al_c]

To me, this did not mean necessarily that if you felt the temptation, you had already sinned.

Agreed. Temptation is going to always be a part of every day life. Regarding this particular sin, temptations are all around us ... billboards, TV, movies, etc. How we handle the tempation is where the line is. If we accept these temptations and let them dwell in our minds and hearts (occupy our thoughts) then we're crossing the line into sin. If the tempation is a fleeting thought that we put aside and move on, then it remains merely a temptation.

[James C. Bennett]

“Wet” dreams are a natural part of male adolescence. Have they involuntarily “sinned” for having them?