Respectfully odd that you should use Carter as example - oddly more that he still considers himself to be the 'helper' of making the world a better place and keeps on making wrong decisions for helping. - martha

I strongly agree with martha. I dont think carter is honest since he was saying it to playboy. We would be better off if he had lost.
Please defind lust. - mike

This happens to be an area I strongly disagree with. To compare having impulses to actually acting on them is ludicrous. Perhaps it is a sin but I wouldn't say adultery. It is the nature of men to lust after women. That is not learned behavior but imbred desire. The true character of a man is if he can control and contain those desires when he knows they are sinful. - Matthew

Byant didn't make it up, he is quoting scripture. Who are we to argue with a completely holy God? In God's eyes, lust is the same as adultery, period. So, who then can be saved? That's the point. No one can be saved on their own by trying to be good. Jesus was saying you may think you have kept the commandments, but you have no idea how impossible it is to hit the mark.... so let me tell you how far you really are. - RickY

I have been considering in particular the part of the devotion that states, "While our actions are what cause us to be separated from our spouse or our fellow man, it is our thought-life (a sinful heart) that separates us from God. From my female perspective I see that the thought life also separates one from one's spouse (not just the actions although perhaps the devotion was meaning the actual physical act of adultery). Thoughts are energizing and if a husband has spent all his thought time and created energy by looking upon women lustfully whether it be women out in public or women in magazines or on the internet then there is a loss of thought time and energy directed toward his wife. That is to me how the adultery is committed without the physical act happening. By Carter making his comment in Playboy it was almost as if he were saying, "Hey guys, you can look at this stuff and afterwards ask God to forgive you and He will and everything will be okay." Yes, God is forgiving but He also wants repentence after forgiving. Carter did not mention his struggle to try and turn from the lust and how God could help him accomplish that. That would not have been good for magazine sales. Then again, perhaps he did say it in the interview and it got left out by the editor. For any who are struggling with this issue in their marriage, the movie "Fireproof" addresses this issue and it comes out to theaters tomorrow. God bless you all with the desire to live pute lives with God's help. - Janice

Jesus taught us not to call our brother a fool. In my opinion that was judgmental and puts us as He said "in danger of hellfire".

No matter what one may think, Carter has proven himself as one who walks in faith and unworthy of ridicule especially by other Christians. Lust is one kind of evil thought, hatred is another. Just as lust is adultery, hatred is not love.

I've commented before on our apparent inability to speak about those of faith who we disagree with our understanding in other than disparaging terms.

We seem to have become "clanging cymbals" because we "have not love". Here's what we don't know. How many people who read that pornographic material exclusively came to Christ eventually because of that statement of faith by Carter?

I firmly believe God is in control and we don't need to second guess and judge the things He allows to happen. - Don

Matthew, I am not sure where you are in your walk with Christ but to call what He says ludicrous is unhealthy. Jesus did not say it is like adultery He said it was adultery. There is no question as to what He meant.

You are correct when you say "It is the nature of men to lust after women. That is not learned behavior but imbred desire." Read Romans 5:12. We are born into sin thanks to Adam. And we can't control and contain those desires without the Holy Spirit. That is why we need the grace of Jesus. That is where we get our character. "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Rom 5:3,4
Be careful, my brother, and do not let the enemy twist the words of God in your heart. Satan is a liar. Call him that and rebuke him in Jesus name. He knows what will destroy us and wants us to think it is ok.
- Keith R.

I always thought that the point Jesus was making was that it is impossible for any man to be "righteous". Who among us hasn't looked at someone else's car, house, physique, athletic ability, popularity, you name it without envy or coveting at some point. Jesus made the same point about lust=adultery and anger=murder. He took all that on himself, so that we could stand before a Holy and Righteous God. - Grant

Don. It was good to see there is a voice of reason. I agree with everything in the article except when Bryant called Carter a fool.

The bad comments about Carter seem to be from others who dislike the man because of political reasons. One day we will be able to leave politics out of our comments. That day is certainly not today.
- Centurion

Yes, it was a poor choice of words by Bryant, but in context he didn't call Carter a fool, he was talking about that that particular decision. It's not an uncommon way of making that type of point in southern vernacular. He also called him "honest and right". A better way to have put it would have been to say "Where Carter was foolish was choosing Playboy...". Of course, in the midst of political races every candidate does and says foolish things, and aren't we all painfully aware of that right now. - RickY

I admire President Carter for his honesty and besides this question and comment would not have came up in any other medium. He could have said the obvious but he was honest. I have struggled with this (lust) every since I can remember and I don't know if I would have been as honest as President Carter. - Stephen

I never did read the comment that good ole Jimmy gave to Playboy, 1. I don't read that kind of magazine. 2.I am not a fan of him or Heff, but I was told that in the same interview he admitted reading the magazine from time to time. Yeah right, it was for the financial articles. This sounds like a poor excuse of a Christine to admit doing something like this without having reservations or convictions about playing in the devils pigpen. I don't believe he should have even thought a second time about doing the interview with this magazine. One comment on some of other peoples thoughts, it is only human nature to look and admire a person of the opposite sex, where sin comes in the picture is where we intertain the evil desires that start to surface. Don't tell me it hasn't happened to any of you, it has happened to all of us from time to time. We just need to surpress the thoughts when they come up and ask forgivness for them, when we keep dwelling on them then we start to sin and as humans, we love to sin. Have a blessed day. - Jerry

Sort of my point Jerry and I did not mean to offend anyone with my comment yesterday. My apology but I didn't mean it quite like that. I do not feel I am free to interpret the Bible as I see it. I am a lowly sinner but I have accepted Jesus as my savior and have for many, many years. Amen - Matthew