A while back, my friend and I were discussing what it meant to be a Christian. He excitedly told me that he now had a working definition: a Christian is a person who is actively striving to strengthen his or her relationship with God. Next, he proudly shared with me his latest achievement: he had not masturbated in months. (uhhh... what?
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Naturally, I was amazed. Behavior like that... well, it certainly isn't common.
He went on to explain the logic behind his decision.
According to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, God states, "You shall not commit adultery." The typical Protestant view interprets adultery to include lustful thoughts. Therefore, if you're not married and you're thinking about having sex with someone, you've committed adultery.
Okay, let's be practical. Who masturbates without thinking about another person? Whether it's a significant other or an anonymous Internet porn star doesn't matter... the fact is that the person isn't your spouse. But I'm not trying to condemn anyone who masturbates because they've committed adultery. It's totally normal. The awesome thing is that this is just another example of how humans are sinful in nature, and gives us another reason to ask God to make us holy.
To answer the question, I think my friend is right, but of course everyone interprets the Bible differently. What do you think?
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Comments (213)
I wouldn't argue that masturbation is inherently sinful.
I also don't think that sexual thoughts are a requirement for the task at hand (unlike the poster near the top, I did mean that one). I am speaking from a guy's perspective, and maybe some people can't figure it out, but it is physiologically not a pinnacle of human achievement to masturbate without thinking sexual thoughts, especially if one has pent-up sexual energy.
This one is quite intriguing. I was taught that masturbation is a good way to get to know myself. Prepare myself by knowing my body well. So that when I am married I will not be unprepared in the sexual area. I never really had a problem with lusting after a man while masturbating. As a matter of fact I only recently met the first man who ever attracted me in a sexual way. When I masturbated I was just enjoying me. Enjoying the discovery of my body and all the amazing feelings God put into it. Wow that really sounds self-centered doesn't it.. Oh well... sorry it is what it is. It may sound selfish but in my self-exploration I was pretty much focused on me and not on someone else. I sort of feel sorry for someone who can only enjoy themselves sexualy if they are thinking of someone else...... just seems sad to me....
At confirmation classes I was told masturbation is a sin. What a joke.
@nyclegodesi24@xanga - While I agree with the gist of what you are saying, that is a massive generalization. Several points that I would like to bring up. I am a female, and not capable of what most would call an erection. However, I can assure you, arousal does occur for women, and it is not necessarily caused by lust. Sexual arousal can be brought about, not only by lustful thinking but also by inevitable physical reaction. Pants too tight, the harness of an amusement park ride, etc.
Also, while I am not a male, and cannot understand the physical distinctions of the male genitalia, it seems to me that not every erection can be traced to a lustful thought, or sexual activity.
While I realize that this post deals with the conscious decision towards ADULT self gratification, to argue your point that erection is only possible due to sexual arousal... I am the mother of two toddler boys. Almost since the day they were born they have had occasional erections. It is a natural physical occurance. I can only hope that you are not trying to make the point that my infant children were imagining themselves in a sexual situation and therefore stirring themselves toward lustful behavior.
I am certainly not going to make an argument for or against masturbation, however, I just wanted to point out to you that not everyone who has ever felt a twinge of sexual excitement is a raving, sex crazed maniac. I remember being a small child and touching myself. It was NOT in any way sexual, it was an exploration of the body that GOD gave me. At that age, all I could tell you is that it felt good, and I was certainly NOT thinking about or lusting after another. Again, I realize that the original post was (assumedly) about the adult decision to masturbate, I simply wanted to point out to you that your statement was an extremely broad and inaccurate generalization.
I really don't see masturbation as being a sin anymore. Especially a serious one such as adultery/lust. And if it is there must be a stupidly large amount of people in purgatory milling that one over.
How my chaplain explained the concept of 'sin' to me was that a sin is something that either harms your relationship with yourself, your relationship with other people, or your relationship with God.
Unless you are masturbating so much that you are neglecting other aspects in your life, you prefer to masturbate than to spend time with your partner, or you are neglecting your relationship with God in order to masturbate, I don't see how it can be a sin.
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the act physically itself is not a sin, but mentally it is??
If masturabation is a sin because it's selfish, then it should be a sin to let your physical appearance go once you get married to somebody, since you will become less attractive to your spouse. Doesn't mean you don't love them if you're attracted to somebody on an emotional level, but not physical.
Like everything else, it can be a sin. There's a big difference between bringing youself to orgasm and some perv drooling over pictures of school girls with his pants around his ankles.
Eating is not a sin. Gluttony is. Killing your body by not eating is a sin.
One way to control drunkeness is to abstain from drinking altogether. One way to control lust is to abstain from masturbation. But drinking alcohol isn't always a sin and neither is masturbation.
If you decide to embark on a holy, God-centered walk with Jesus then you may need to modify your behavior. Avoid situations where you fall into sin. However, if you start telling others what they need to do to avoid sin and you've left the walk and descended into the pit of vipers with the Pharisees.
I agree with the idea of lust as sin, not masturbation. The thing with masturbation is it's hard to find someone who will be able to separate the ideation of lust from the act of masturbation. If you can do that, then good for you, it's not sin. But to me, masturbation always carries that connotation of lust, so in the end, it can lead someone to sin.
I don't see why there's a need for a debate here
You need to have sexual thoughts about another person to actually do something like that being it someone you don't know or you do.
So yes lust is absolutely involved. The author is right about this.
So you have to have sinned before you can masturbate and this is where I don't agree with the Bible.
If Men or Women don't lust, they simply won't have sex and humans will not reproduce. Where are you going to find more Christians for the next generation if the entire human population dies because they don't want to "sin"? Where is the logic in this?
I was thinking what to write and came across this verse in the bible. I think it applies...for me anyways. : )
Romans 14:22-23 (New International Version)
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Behaviour like that is indeed more common than men will admit. So, guess if a married man masterbates and thinks only of his spouse its okay, but if he thinks of someone else it's a sin. Not gonna happen.
We have already sinned in the act of "lusting in our hearts" masterbation isn't the problem, lust is.
@black_lie@xanga - If masturbation is a sin, then yes. Your logic is going the wrong direction; it can't possibly be wrong to help people who are infertile, so therefore masturbation isn't a sin.
There are examples of God keeping people infertile in the Bible because for His reasons.
@IAmPositiveILostAnElectron@xanga -
You were bought with a price, so honor God with your body (not just your mind).
Did God give you a penis so you could treat your body like an amusement park? No. God gave you a penis for a reason, and hopefully one day you'll discover the reason and then put your penis to more purposeful tasks.
wanted to share a vid i saw on this one time.:
"Masturbation as birth control" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbxkQw-FEVw&feature=PlayList&p=71BAFF39F4BF8E1A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=42
@babyK102982@xanga - Thank you for raising that point. It's not the case for toddlers, and can't be extended to include females. The assumed context of the entry and my point is the 16-30 yr old who is erected to the purpose of masturbation. The actual context of erection was one where someone in response masturbates, and such an erection in that case would be sexual. You pointed this out already, but I repeat that because in that context, what I said wasn't a broad generalization.
In the post, you said, "but of course everyone interprets the Bible differently"... But they shouldn't!!!!!! The Bible isn't SUBJECTIVE.
And about the subject here.. just read this, it's a free book by Mark Driscoll: http://relit.org/porn_again_christian/
@BIGPHILLY82@xanga - what logic? I was just asking a question. I wasn't trying to imply anything.
that's just a bit ridiculous... you commit adultery with yourself? thoughts are thoughts, and unless acted on, they're relatively harmless.
I honestly cannot masturbate while thinking about someone else. I've tried, it honestly just doesn't work. Ah well.
In my opinion, it would make no sense for god to have made masturbation if he really wanted people NOT to do it. Masturbation is the alternative to sex before marriage, assuming you want to wait until you're married.
@Broken_Beautiful@xanga - I agree with all your points but I disagree with your spelling:
The word is: MASTURBATION; not master - bation. There is no letter "e" in there.
hahaha.. oh man.. what some people believe "I feel my mind with thoughts of god when i plessure myself". i would hate to be god at that very moment for sure!
Good for him. :) (He probably didn't have mush of a sex drive anyway...people who can do that usually don't.)Too bad for all the others who will read this and beat themselves up over not being able to control completely normal biological urge.