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7 DEADLY SINS- LUST

Posted by Dawn Sutherland (Phoenix, United States) on 7 September 2007 in Abstract & Conceptual.

Continuing my version of the 7 deadly sins, today's image represents lust. In today's world kids are having sex younger and younger and if they aren't having intercourse because of their fear of pregnancy they are having oral sex which isn't safer! The sentence in the definition from Wikipedia below that floored me was: "Lust can be described as the excessive desire for sexual release. The other person can be therefore seen as a "means to an end" for the fulfillment of the subject's desires, and becomes thus objectified in the process". Wow, think about that......

Taken from Wikipedia:
Lust (Latin, luxuria)
Main articles: Lust (fornication, rape, perversion)
Lust is usually thought of as involving obsessive or excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. Unfulfilled lusts sometimes lead to sexual or sociological compulsions and/or transgressions including (but obviously not limited to) sexual addiction, adultery, bestiality, and rape.

Dante's criterion was "excessive love of others," which therefore rendered love and devotion to God as secondary. However, lust and love are two different things; while a genuine, selfless love can represent the highest degree of development and feeling of community with others in a human relationship, Lust can be described as the excessive desire for sexual release. The other person can be therefore seen as a "means to an end" for the fulfillment of the subject's desires, and becomes thus objectified in the process. In Purgatorio, the penitent walks within flames to purge himself of lustful/sexual thoughts.

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Comments (16)

Rabbit from Richmond, United States

Powerful image - Powerful words.

i agree about kids getting younger and younger and having sex. The only advice i can offer is parents no matter how hard it is PLEASE just TALK to your kids. If it's hard for you to talk please find a good book on the subject and maybe that will help you in talking to them.

7 Sep 2007 5:55am

@Rabbit: I agree, I talk openly and honestly with my kids and I hope it will help. Time will tell.....

Dimitrios from ATHENS, Greece

poor lady, centuries ago, she was in need of a good locksmith!

7 Sep 2007 8:27am

@Dimitrios: Ha ha, I wonder if it helped?

Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States

Lust is not just a problem for kids. It is a problem for all ages and genders. And we photographers are in part to blame for creating images that help feed this unwholesome appetite. And photographers or not, all of us are part to blame for supporting books, movies and television programs, and other forms of mass communication and entertainment that contain more than just a tiny suggestion of the encouragement of lust.

You have pictured this well today, Dawn. It is a fiery problem. And your expansion on the topic is excellent, also.

7 Sep 2007 11:50am

@Viewfinder: Can't argue with that, you certainly have a point! I thought of another great idea for this sin after I posted this shot. With the whole computer age and porn it would have been cool to shoot that, oh well I still like this shot. Thank you for your thoughts!!

e. from Washington DC, United States

wow, the colors are crazy in this picture. I like it a lot.

7 Sep 2007 3:56pm

@e.: This is all camera, no PP. This was a display in the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in LA. I loved the colors in the display and luckily I was able to capture the beauty even though it was behind glass.

Stunner from Kingston, Jamaica

Oh my, that looks dangerous! Great colours!

7 Sep 2007 5:27pm

@Stunner: Can you believe people wore these? Crazy!

Walt from Scarborough, Canada

I've missed the last few in the series - will have to go back...but wow...isn't that the antithesis of the theme, though? Looks more like a barrier to me...but a fabulous photo, nonetheless!

7 Sep 2007 7:21pm

@Walt: Thank you for your comments!

Rebecca from Leicester, United Kingdom

A fiery and very strong image, Dawn. Suitably so, as it reminds me of the all-consuming nature of this sin. I must agree with VF here though that it's a problem across the board, not confined to our young people. That said, I think our over-sexualised pop culture & advertising nowadays (which seems to be targetting younger and younger people - even dolls eg. Bratz are so sexualised nowadays!!) definitely stoke the flames of this one.
I feel much prayer is needed here (as with all the others, in fact). Even great king David of old fell at this one. We all need to be careful personally, and also look out for our little ones.

May I also say thank you so much Dawn for your very kind and encouraging words at my site earlier this evening. I much appreciate everything you said, and thank you again for your kindness. Blessings to you and yours.

7 Sep 2007 10:19pm

@Rebecca: It is a problem across the board, the reason I limited it was because I am a parent of an 11yr old so that touched home for me. I hope I have educated her enough to make wise decisions.

tyan from Singapore, Singapore

wow,this is a powerful statement you are making. Just curious,where did you get this chastity belt? just today,a student told me about her cschoolmate becooming pregnant and had to give away the baby after delivery.Very sad stories,but a lot of them are happening.When i was teaching i also had to counsel girls who come back from delivering their babies. Scarrred for life when they are unwanted pregnancies. so dawn,you are right in being there for your kids,they need your guidance badly!

8 Sep 2007 3:01am

@tyan: This is on display at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum in Los Angeles California. It was in a display case so I was pleased it turned out this well. This was the first and only time I have ever seen one in real life, it was crazy!

Andrew Gould from Sydney, Australia

I was going to start off, "Well, whatever the case may be these days, I'm glad that women aren't subjected to this type of treatment in our times...", when I suddenly realised that they are being subjected to much worse treatment than this in many parts of the world right now. I know that wasn't your purpose in posting this, Dawn, but it's what it made me think of. Excellently done.

8 Sep 2007 4:57am

@Andrew Gould: Yes you are correct, in many parts of the world women are being subjected to inhumane treatments, this was inhumane in it's time. It is amazing the lengths some people will go to in order to limit/prevent the sexual desire.

ChaCha from United States

Everyone said it already. Nice framing!

8 Sep 2007 9:24am

Laurie from New Jersey, United States

Ouch! That image is scary! Combined with your words it is a sobering message.

Raising teens in today's world is definitely challenging. They get into situations at younger ages than we did.

8 Sep 2007 1:52pm

bronzebilly u.k. from cardiff, United Kingdom

hey Dawn--quick resolution to this lust theory--make the guys wear the tin pants--easy answer--billyouch!!

9 Sep 2007 11:38pm

m from PARIS, France

ouchhhhhhhhhhhhh

10 Sep 2007 10:03am

alla from Toronto, Canada

I can't belive people were acctually using those. OUCH!!! It probally didn't help anyways, hahahah.

Sex is everywhere, it's impossible not to want to have it!

10 Sep 2007 12:55pm

Alfredo J. Martiz J. from Tokyo, Japan

We live in a complex world and it is getting more complex, it seems that many things you see in TV, books, magazines, music has this touch of sensuality, seems that the most important thing is that, worshiping sex. Amazing that even in tv shows of Disney Channel issued for teenagers you see it but in attitude not in specific images...

14 Sep 2007 12:56am

pedro alexandre from loures, Portugal

what?!?!? who invented that?!?.

15 Sep 2007 11:57am

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