is masterbation a sin? (hell, beliefs, divorce, recall)

[GCSTroop]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

Plus.. I always heard if you play with it too much.. you can go blind..

I'm having a hard time reading your post... Is there any way you can increase the font size???

[Alpha8207]

Can we keep it clean please.

Make points on the OP and give the wise cracks a break.

Thanks all.

[Kin Atoms]

The spilling of seed had everything to do with providing for a family. In the case illustration from the OT, if I can recall it correctly, Onan inherited a wife (the woman's husband died) and did not want to provide a child for her by having intercourse with her, and so he spilled his seed. Whether this was by masturbation or by the withdrawal method is not stated. As such, Onan was punished for spilling his seed, a secondary act to not providing his brothers' wife with a child for their inheritance. The inheritance may have fallen to him if she bore no progeny and he made sure that she would bear no progeny by spilling seed.

While I cannot find the statistic, approximately 93% women and 95% men masturbate. As an aside, this number may be higher, but persons responding to the survey likely denied it. As a medical/human act, masturbation is about as sinful as breathing. Persons can enjoy masturbation w/o the visuals or images of anything. Trying to control masturbation is like trying to control a sneeze. I would think that would be how someone would go blind, but hey, go figure.

I have had contact with persons who were addicted to masturbation. These were fellows who were incarcerated for compulsive, non-violent sexual behaviors (read, without weapons, but this population also included serial rapists and pedophiles - a very narrow definition of non-violence). Among many things that individuals did to 'gain entry'/be arrested, one (or several) were identified as having masturbated approximately 60 times a day while engaged in other behaviors, some of which were criminal. I don't think in the Christianity forum anyone is talking about such numbers in combination with other behaviors. These behaviors taken together (masturbation with criminal activity - could have been with voyeurism, could have been with stealing undies) is what makes the acts criminal and offensive.

Referring to another post, sperm, sex, and semen are not pollution. Wow, where did that come from? There are other prohibtions in the OT regarding male discharges and female discharges, and being prohibited from entering the sanctuary of the OT temple is an illustration of sin, pure and simple, 'that there is no one righteous, not a one,' and 'our righteousness is as filthy (menstrual) rags.' A very simple interpretation of such a discharge being sinful is that any person identified with a discharge was prohibited entry into the temple after a cleansing period, and without which, entry was limited. Christ's death tore the veil/curtain between the Holy of Holies and the Outer Sanctuary, thus cleansing all seekers w/o the blood of goats and calves and other cleansing rituals, but 'merely' through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

As far as giving glory to G-d, there's a lot of stuff people do that's not in the bible, that don't give glory to G-d. Hocking out loogies is one (spitting). Being impolite in discourse is another. Neither of these acts, or many others that can be written, are addressed in the Bible. As an ending comment, the Apostle Paul was a pretty uptight fella. He wrote some good doctrine, but his ideas of sexuality and gender really were about him, not about the general population. Because he was celibate, we should all be? His positions were certainly not about persons in this millenia.

Finally, Roman Catholicism is one form of Christianity. Without ruffling too many feathers, Roman Catholic dogma is not adopted by many in the Christian world. Roman Catholicism has frowned on masturbation, but I recalled when they frowned on many forms of birth control as interfering with the natural endowment of women to be bearers of children. Again, this does not work in this millenia, let alone the last century. There were many miracle babies in Catholic churches - i.e., they were born after 6-7 months gestation, or from the time of nuptials to 6-7 months later. Read into that, their parents were playing a hanky-panky game, got caught, and got married really quickly, to reduce dishonor and the notion that they had engaged in 'sin.' Yeah, no one guessed otherwise.

There may have been some points missed, but I think I'll stop here for the barrage that likely will follow. One ending comment that may really spin people's wigs - some women can masturbate just by rubbing their legs together. Doesn't equate every female rubbing their legs together with masturbation, but it does say it can be done in public too - in a crowd, while sitting in class, etc.

[Robhu]

My old grandpa used to say, "Dont spill your seed on the ground. Find a hollow stump".

[moonsavvy]

Well this thread sure is popular!

My 2 cents. You know how research has shown us that a glass of red wine a night is good for you, but 5 glasses would be bad? I think that same mentality is good here.

Our sexuality is a gift from God to make us happy. So if you don't have a partner or your partner is not there, rather than using another person for instant gratification, or a photo like porn, making love to yourself would be highly appropriate. Yes our body is a temple but as long as we aren't using ourselves, you know like it's done with the thought of love, it can be very satisfying and loving. Did I just say that? Yes I did and none of you know me so I ok with it.

[RAZZEL]

The Bible tells us to avoid even the appearance of sexual immorality (Ephesians 5:3).

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Maybe the actions that lead to masturbation are sinful and I do not see how masturbation could be considered glorifying to God. Masturbation is the end result of lustful thoughts, sexual stimulation, and/or pornographic images.

[MaggieZ]

I was told that man should not throw/waste his seed on the earth....So I guess masturbation is not OK for men but OK for women....LOL

[denverian]

Originally Posted by curlythecosmo

No, it is call respect for what God has given!! And what one's priorities are! I have talked to men on this subject and they can discipline their thoughts and physical behavior through prayer. Just like anyone else.
Now if one is married different story!!! Or has been married!!! The body has had the experience and sensation and relief. But for one who has never tasted this it can be easy to overcome......
It can lead a young man to other things. Masturbation can become a perverted thing. So why even begin.....
Sorry to use the analogy with drugs and etc.... I was trying to be kosher about the subject. It can be come addictive, that is how perversion begins. Not everyone thinks on the same level......as some!
And no this someone has no problem with sex or her body..... this one thinks it's a beautiful thing to share with her hb. So the assuming is incorrect.
Blessings

Every male begins - as soon as he hits puberty! Prayer can't stop the male body from producing sperm. And I've never met a man who would prefer masturbation over sex, so it's not like a man would stop having sex with his wife because he became addicted to masturbation. Masturbation is used when sex is unavailable, not because you lust after yourself! As men can't truly understand women on this subject, I don't believe women can understand men either.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

But it was read.. and I didn't find what I asked for. I simply asked if there is some scientific study that shows that it is a "gateway" to other acts.

You provided an overly Christian view of it (nothing wrong with that)... but it doesn't really answer the question.

Personally I'd prefer my sons masturbate (in total privacy!) when they hit puberty and not feel guilty about it than to pursue girls for sex. I think that would be more productive than teen pregnancy.

[mari4him]

Originally Posted by denverian

Every male begins - as soon as he hits puberty! Prayer can't stop the male body from producing sperm. And I've never met a man who would prefer masturbation over sex, so it's not like a man would stop having sex with his wife because he became addicted to masturbation. Masturbation is used when sex is unavailable, not because you lust after yourself! As men can't truly understand women on this subject, I don't believe women can understand men either.

I have heard of men that do in fact take masterbation over sex. While it may not make a whole lot of sense to me it does occur. It can become an addiction, perhaps not to the act itself but to what accompanies that act as in say the use of pornography etc. Often when the man does in fact prefer masterbation over sex, say with their spouse, often it is a sign of some other underlying problem, but it does occur and serves to only magnify whatever that underlying problem could be.

In fact if you go to a lot of relationship forums, you can quite often find several posts from wives whose chief complaint is just that. That their husbands would rather sit at their computers and watch porn than come to bed with them or masterbate rather than have sex with them. It does occur, how common it is or how often it occurs I don't know, don't have any statistics for it, but I do know it occurs.

Mari