Bad Interpretation of Holy Scripture

Re “Straight Arrows” (May 3): Hugh O’Neill’s interpretation of what the Bible says about lust is misleading and inaccurate.

He says, “When the guys who wrote the Bible made lust one of the seven deadly sins, they were talking about bad lust. . . . I’m talking about good lust.” Jesus Christ made no such distinction in Matthew 5:28: “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

O’Neill further advises men that, “The feelings are not a problem; acting on them is. It’s perfectly OK to covet thy neighbor’s wife.” Well, God says it’s not OK in Exodus 20:17: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

JERRY AND LAURA GORDON

Torrance

*

While Hugh O’Neill’s article on monogamy was amusing, and perhaps even useful, I disagree with some of his assumptions.

First, although evolution may incline men more than women toward multiple sex partners, humans are more than just our biology. Not all men want multiple partners; not all women want to be limited to one.

Second, while a hunch may linger somewhere deep within Hugh O’Neill that monogamy leads to contentment, he does not speak for the world. If monogamy made everyone happiest, wouldn’t it be more common? The article seems to say that men find themselves in bed with other partners when all they meant to do was make a bank deposit or buy stamps. This hardly suggests evidence of monogamy as a natural state.

Simply put, some people want to have multiple sex partners and some do not. Both groups should choose partners who are similarly inclined.

KAY M. GILBERT

Santa Monica