Lust & Death of Marriage in America

Ishaq Zahid

May 14, 2014

Outline

·         Global and Domestic Statistics

·         Islamic perspective

When I speak about lust, I am addressing the forbidden, the unclean side of the lust.

Global and Domestic Statistics

Adultery Laws in the USA

In 2012, adultery was a criminal offense in 23 states.[76] In 2013, Colorado abolished its adultery law.[77]

In those states where adultery is still on the statute books (although rarely prosecuted), penalties vary from life sentence (Michigan)[78] to a $10 fine (Maryland)[79] to a Class B misdemeanor (New York)[80] to a Class I felony (Wisconsin).[81]

Pornography

·         The pornography industry is larger than the revenues of the top technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink

·         US porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC ($13.33 Billion in 2006)

·         Pornographic websites:                4.2 million (12% of total websites)

Ref: http://www.familysafemedia.com/ (2005 data)

How is it?

·         We forbid a naked person to walk on a street, but allow pornography on a website? Pornography is a universal crime.

2006 Search Engine Request Keyword Trends
Keyword=”porn”

2006 Search Engine Request Keyword Trends
Keyword “sex”

Just looking at this data shows that there is no such thing as a Christian country or a Muslim country. We are in a lust infested global village.

USA Child Sexual Abuse

·         There are more than 42 million survivors of sexual abuse in America.

·         1 in 3 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18.

·         1 in 5 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18.

·         1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the Internet before the age of 18.

·         Approximately 20% of the victims of sexual abuse are under age eight.

USA Children of Unmarried Women

• Number of live births to unmarried women in the USA: 1,607,773
• Percent of all births to unmarried women in the USA: 40.7%

(CDC)

USA Youth and Lust

2011 U.S. high school students  survey:

• 47.4% had ever had sexual intercourse
• 15.3% had had sex with four or more people during their life
• Nearly half of the 19 million new STDs each year are among young people aged 15–24 years
• More than 400,000 teen girls aged 15–19 years gave birth in 2009

Islamic Teachings

Before we begin on Islamic teachings on these specific topics, we need to keep Islam’s fundamentals:

·         There is One and Only One God

·         The Core Message of all Messengers of God is the same:
       Worship and obey God as taught by His Messengers

·         All Prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishaq, Ismael, Israel, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad were Muslims! (peace be on them all)

There are Universal & Timeless Commandments of God for all of mankind.  These commandments apply equally to followers of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Below we give the four related to our subject:

·         Marriage is between man and woman

·         Fornication and adultery are major sins

·         Same gender sex is a major sin.

·         Pornography is a major sin

Lust in New Testament

The New Testament, the word  "lust"  translates the Greek word 'ἐπιθυμέω', particularly in Matthew 5:27-28: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust (ἐπιθυμέω) after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (KJB:  1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

The Quran on Lust

• "Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve (The Quran: 4:135)."
• "Allah doth wish to Turn to you, but the wish of those who follow their lusts is that ye should turn away (from Him), far, far away (The Quran: 4:27)."

Hadeeth on Lust

• "The fornication of the eyes is to look with lust; the fornication of the tongue is to speak lustful things; the fornication of the hands is to touch with lust; the fornication of the feet is to walk towards lust; the fornication of the heart is to desire evil.“ (Muslim)
• Advice of the Prophet: "Young men, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at women (lit., lowers your gaze) and preserves your chastity; but those who cannot should fast, for it is a means of cooling sexual passion.“ (Bukhari)

Homosexuality

Translation from The Holy Quran, 7:80-84:

We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" But We saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who lagged behind. And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime!

Resolving Godly-unGodly conflict of Marriage

• Those who believe in God and that He created mankind with purpose, also know that God gave a free will to everyone to choose a way of life, but with consequences. When it comes to marriage and permitted acts of intimacy, these are limited to husband and wife. Anything else is a sin in the sight of God. The Holy Scriptures tell us how God destroyed the people of Prophet Lot because of their open sexual acts between men. It is that fear of destruction of our towns and cities, which is making God-fearing people grief stricken.

Message of Rahmah

·         Rahmah in Arabic approximately translates to “Love, Compassion and Mercy.”

• We understand that it is up to each individual to not even believe in the existence of God and not consider such acts evil. When done in private, these acts remain confined to the two individuals. It becomes a major crisis for everyone, when such acts are done openly and campaigns are launched to even make it legal. That is when we tremble from the wrath of God and fear for the destruction of our towns. We can only plead for the sake of peace and safety of the people on earth, that either not commit these acts or at most keep them private. It is a message of Rahmah.  Rahmah for the security and peace of all of mankind.

Repentance

• God is the Most-Forgiving.
• Repent and Return to life of worship and obedience to God
• The Best Way remains to be the way of belief and obedience in One and Only One God, as taught by Messengers of God, including Abraham, Lot, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. (Peace be on all the prophets sent by God.)

Silent Slavery

The following points need separate articles. Here, I am only raising the questions and thought. The fact is the mankind is more enslaved than it was a century ago.

·         Exponential Decline in the Century?
Evil now comes to your home by a click on TV, internet or phone

·         Where is the G-lane? Is wilderness the only place left to live righteously?

·         Overwhelming impact on new generations.

·         Freedom totally eroded? Lust enslaved global village?

Change and Act

·         Calling out to about 4 billion Christians, Muslims and Jews:
                          Stop being producers and consumers of evil

·         Know that

·         Inaction in righteousness is a sin.

·         Silence on evil is a sin.

Advocate and Inspire

Change can’t be forced. Change has to be inspired

In the 20’s, attempt to ban alcohol in the USA failed. Fourteen hundred years ago, alcoholic usage in the Arabia was a norm.  Islamic teachings with the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.a.w.) brought a total change against its use.