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"XI"

If you throw a pebble into a pond, the ripples seem infinite. So, let us see the ripple effect in the scenario of sexual sin.
What does "Adultery" really mean? I suspect the vast majority would answer it means it is sex outside of the bonds of marriage. However, this definition is short sighted.
Adultery covers a continuum of grave sexual sins. Chastity is an umbrella concept. Violation of the law of Chastity is one that takes into consideration all possible gravely inappropriate sinful sex actions.

Eight mortal sexual sins fall beneath the Chastity Umbrella. The first is extra-marital sexual relations. More specifically, this act occurs when the husband or wife is having illicit sexual relations with a partner outside the marriage covenant. This is what most people believe the definition of adultery is. This is not the case. This is only one of eight sins against Chastity.
The second is fornication. Fornication is the mutual agreement between two consenting parties who engage in sexual activities when they are not married.
The third violation of Chastity is Masturbation. Some call masturbation a victimless sexual sin because it appears not to harm any other person. This is not true. Two parties hurt by this act are the person participating in self-sexual gratification. The other victim is God. This act as all unchaste sexual acts hurt the heart of God who created sex as a good and meaningful expression of one man in marriage to a woman for spiritual and sexual union in the pro-creative conjugal act.
The fourth violation of Chastity is acting out sexual relationships with someone of the same gender. Homosexual or Lesbian sex acts are a violation of Chastity because they violate the Natural law God created so that man and woman may become one flesh and edify each other with the procreation of children within the bond of marriage. Same gender in and of itself is not sinful as long as it is not ruminated and acted out.
Lust is the fifth violation of Chastity. Lust is the act of ruminating over sexual thoughts coming into the mind. Rumination is the key word. It is not the thought that is the sin but the continual regurgitation in ones mind about the sexual thought. There is significant difference between having a thought occur in your mind and the rehashing of the thought repeatedly. Repeated sexual thoughts arouse you and then this is true Lust.
Pornography, the sixth violation of Chastity, is the production of visible sex relations for the sole purpose of gratifying the audience. Even if the couple participating in the act is married, it is still a grave sin to display the acts of conjugal love to other persons.
The seventh violation of Chastity is Prostitution. It defiles God's plan for the sexual aspects of the men and women who are married. Not only that, prostitution causes much serious sexually transmitted diseases that affect other people. Such diseases as HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis and genital herpes are a few of the big ones.

The eighth violation of Chastity is Rape. The forcing another to subject themselves to any form of sexual violation to their body. Especially, the preying upon young teens, and children by homosexuals, incestuous relatives, pedophiles and other sexually deviant beings, be they teachers, parents, scoutmasters, siblings, collateral kin, priest, ministers, rabbis or employers. This is the most heinous grave sin one person can commit against another human being and God.
The previous thoughts are my prayerful understanding of the Holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I hope they will shed a brighter light on what sexual sin is for youth and adults in the Church.

Learn more about this author, SW Garner.
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