Hypersexuality and sin

[lightmyway82]

If someone is having a hypersexual episode, has an extremely high libido and seeks casual sexual activities due to a chemical imbalance of the brain. Is that a sin?

 

[ClothedInGrace]

You mean almost everyone in the secular world? Yes. Casual sex--aka fornication--is a form of sexual immorality. If one is not saving themselves for marriage then they are in sin. God did not design us to go around and have sex with everyone and anyone, as sex is an activity designed specifically for marriage.

 

[Hieronymus]

If someone is having a hypersexual episode, has an extremely high libido and seeks casual sexual activities due to a chemical imbalance of the brain. Is that a sin?

Yes, they should repent and walk with God and / or touch.
But that's their own responsibility / choice.

 

[lightmyway82]

You mean almost everyone in the secular world?

No, I'm not. I'm talking about people who have abnormal sexual episodes due to mental illness. For example bipolar/schizoaffective disorder.

 

[ClothedInGrace]

No, I'm not. I'm talking about people who have abnormal sexual episodes due to mental illness. For example bipolar/schizoaffective disorder.

Since when does a mental illness cause people to go and have casual sex? That just sounds like a case of someone not being able to handle their flesh. It doesn't matter how sad or sick you are: fornication is and always will be a sin.

 

[lightmyway82]

Since when does a mental illness cause people to go and have casual sex? That just sounds like a case of someone not being able to handle their flesh. It doesn't matter how sad or sick you are: fornication is and always will be a sin.

People who are experiencing a manic high do things they would not normally do. They can participate in inappropriate and risky sexual behaviour due to chemical imbalance. Some people ruin their marriages or relationships because they’re unable to control their sexual urges.

 

[ClothedInGrace]

People who are experiencing a manic high do things they would not normally do. They can participate in inappropriate and risky sexual behaviour due to chemical imbalance. Some people ruin their marriages or relationships because they’re unable to control their sexual urges.

I would encourage them to seek the Lord to gain victory over their flesh. If a chemical imbalance is causing someone to sin then they need to fix that chemical imbalance asap or learn how to deal with it.

 

[lightmyway82]

I would encourage them to seek the Lord to gain victory over their flesh. If a chemical imbalance is causing someone to sin then they need to fix that chemical imbalance asap or learn how to deal with it.

Is it really “sin” if it caused them preoccupation with sexual thoughts and engaged in sexual activity?

 

[com7fy8]

Hi, Light My Way . . . God bless you I am Bill, pleased to meet you.

This forum is for exploring Christianity, and therefore for giving you scriptural answers for your questions, but I would say there are different ideas which Bible claiming people have about mental illness and chemical imbalance and how accountable a mentally ill person is for one's actions. Secular people mostly, I think, accept that chemical imbalance can make certain people unable to control themselves and therefore they are not responsible for their actions. But there are secular judges who have held mentally ill people, including psychopaths, accountable for killing and hurting other people.

And the Bible does say, "Love does no harm to a neighbor," in Romans 13:10. And God's love is almighty to make us able to overcome any evil and cruel and wrong impulse or emotion, I consider. Ones might believe that God can choose not to heal you of a mental illness, but I will offer that He is committed to keeping you from sinning and hurting yourself or anyone else. So, I do believe our Father does cure mental illness, because there is spiritual sin at the root; but even if this were not so, still it is certain He will keep a person from sinning and hurting anyone, if that person is with God; so there is no excuse for any sinning or hurting people.

I understand that if I do not tenderly love someone enough not to hurt the person, then my problem is deeper than only what is going on in my brain chemistry; because we humans are not only physical; we have our deeper character which could be our real dictator making us able to react badly and hurt ourselves and others . . . and argue and complain (Philippians 2:13-16).

In my case, I understand that there is spiritual existence which can cause physical medical things in us. For example, if I am getting raging angry because of sinful desire to control and use someone who won't cooperate with what I want, then such spiritual anger can effect my physical blood pressure and turn my face red. So, even from a practical standpoint, I do understand that physical and medical things can have spiritual roots.

Also, ones in psychiatry understand that physical medications can not actually cure a personality problem. I can see why > because our personalities with our emotions really are spiritual, deeper than what's happening in our physical brains. A physical drug can not cure a spiritual trouble. But God's love can clear us of fear and its "torment" > 1 John 4:18. And I consider that some sort of fear is at the root of every sort of personality torment. So, in case this is right, the effect of God's love in us can do away with any personality torment, mainly by removing the fear witch is at the root.

So, going with this, I understand that harmful and immoral behavior might have chemical imbalance attached to it, but the real cause can be deeper in one's spiritual personality. And only God is able to cure us in our spiritual nature > He is easily and breezily and beautifully able to clear us of fear and its various torments, plus cure our nature so we no longer are available to being effected by cruel things of Satan's "spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (in Ephesians 2:2).

Therefore, it is crucial that we get our diagnosis right, so then we might be more able to correctly understand a problem so we can know how to cure it and not only ease the symptoms. This means seeing a problem for what it really is, in the case of a sin thing, but not only guilt-tripping ourselves, but having hope for how God is able to cure us into living in His love, instead.

And I understand that love does not have us only using people for pleasure. So, it is wrong to fornicate. And I now understand I do better if I do not use anyone in my imagination for masturbating. Instead, care about ladies, and do not use them only for looking at them and imagining. Love does not have us only using anyone. And the sex drive truly given by God is honest because it is from God. Therefore, a sex drive which is of God will bring us only to whomever our Father knows we belong with, and there is self-control in any drive which is in God's love.

But we all were born in sin; so we all have had various wrong ways and drives and methods of reacting in order to get our selfish pleasures which we treasure. And only God can change us into the image of Jesus so we are free of such stuff. And our Apostle Paul says that if we pray the way Philippians 4:6-7 says, then "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And God's peace which keeps our minds is spiritual; so I understand this means that our minds are also spiritual . . . deeper than any chemistry in our brains!

"and be renewed in the spirit of your mind," (Ephesians 4:23)

And God's love in our minds is almighty against howsoever any evil and dominating drives and ways of reacting would be our dictator. Jesus is "gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-29)

So, I would not trust and worship any of this world's excuses to accept less.

 

[ClothedInGrace]

Is it really “sin” if it caused them preoccupation with sexual thoughts and engaged in sexual activity?

Is murder really wrong if a mental disorder causes someone to obsess about it and then engage in it? Yes! Premarital sex will always be a sin, and it doesn't matter who does it or why.

 

[BadHabit]

Good to see morality in this thread. Non-marital sex is fornication and sinful. Period.

 

[Sketcher]

Fornication and adultery are sins, regardless of the reasons.

 

[lightmyway82]

Ok, I do thank you for your replies. It reaffirms to me that Christianity does not have an understanding of mental illness (for me personally) therefore I feel confident it’s not true. What also did confuse me is about Jesus casting demons out of people, if that was these days they would have been properly diagnosed by psychiatry.

 

[Onyx208]

It's tricky. I have schizoaffective and when I'm manic, I get an immensely heightened sex drive. Of course, I'm sexually active regardless (no, not looking for your opinions on that, I only mention it because it's relevant), but I haven't been manic since I truly began a relationship with Christ. (I was raised in a strictly Christian household.) When I'm manic... there's no telling what I'll do. I would hope when mania strikes again that I don't go off the deep end sexually (or otherwise) but if I do, I would repent once I come down. Mental illness causes intense changes in behavior, so while I don't think it's okay and swell to be sexually impure when manic, I also believe that one would need to repent for behaviors once stabilized. Same thing with negative behavior during depressive episodes, or even major anxieties.
Also, if one does not seek professional help, I think that in itself leans toward being a sin. If you know you act in sinful behavior when manic, and choose to not get help, therefore repeating the cycle... then you are choosing to fall into those behaviors. And that's sin.

 

[lightmyway82]

Thanks for your input, I used to be a strong Christian. If I rewind months ago and seen where I am “now” I wouldn’t believe me! But can I ask..How can you repent for something you had no control over in your mind? It just doesn’t ring true to me...Also what about times before medication and treatment? Is there a certain point in time when treatment becomes available it then becomes sin? Just so confusing! To be honest I’ve never been through before what I have now. And doctors are now at disagreement with each other (about diagnosis)! So don’t know what to believe..But one thing is for sure I'm no longer certain about christianity.

 

[Onyx208]

So don’t know what to believe..But one thing is for sure I'm no longer certain about christianity.

The way I look at it- blame Christians for being fallible and often judgemental. But don't blame Christ for such people's display of what they call Christianity. Don't give up on Christ. He'll never give up on you.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Ok, I do thank you for your replies. It reaffirms to me that Christianity does not have an understanding of mental illness (for me personally) therefore I feel confident it’s not true. What also did confuse me is about Jesus casting demons out of people, if that was these days they would have been properly diagnosed by psychiatry.

You're right, Light. Many Christians don't have an understanding, let alone a good one, about mental illness (although, truth be known, I imagine that if you could take a survey of Christians themselves in relation to their own mental states, many of them would be found to be suffering emotionally, maybe without yet having been diagnosed, from varies mental challenges and maladies). How do I know this? I have an 'inkling' about this because my mother was Schizophrenic/Bi-polar Depressive, and while I was growing up trying to deal with her illness, it was the rare Christian that ever had insight into her problem and genuinely reached out to her or befriended her. Because of this, I was often bewildered and at times a bit off-put with fellow Christians who I thought would and should know how to be sensitive to people with emotional needs and challenges, especially with someone who suffered as much as my mom.

However, just because a lot of people who claim to be Christians can be apathetic knuckle-heads doesn't by necessity demonstrate that Christianity is at fault. It just shows that Christians refuse to learn a lot of things about their humanity that God never restricted them from learning.

Blessings,
2PhiloVoid

 

[Hieronymus]

No, I'm not. I'm talking about people who have abnormal sexual episodes due to mental illness. For example bipolar/schizoaffective disorder.

Aha, then i don't know.
But then there's still always masturbation.
Or is that 'not enough' in such cases?

 

[Hieronymus]

Thanks for your input, I used to be a strong Christian. If I rewind months ago and seen where I am “now” I wouldn’t believe me! But can I ask..How can you repent for something you had no control over in your mind?

Sex in the mind is not sex in the flesh between people.
Is it? (honest question)

It just doesn’t ring true to me...Also what about times before medication and treatment? Is there a certain point in time when treatment becomes available it then becomes sin? Just so confusing! To be honest I’ve never been through before what I have now. And doctors are now at disagreement with each other (about diagnosis)! So don’t know what to believe..But one thing is for sure I'm no longer certain about christianity.

This is between you and God i.m.o., not between you and christianity.
We can not feel what you feel, but God can.

 

[Hieronymus]

Ok, I do thank you for your replies. It reaffirms to me that Christianity does not have an understanding of mental illness (for me personally) therefore I feel confident it’s not true.

Let me get this straight.
You hardly mention you have this serious problem and ask Christians what their beliefs are regarding fornication and adultery.
They give you the answer based on Scripture and this proves to you that Christianity is not true?