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A question for any ordained ministers. Is masturbation a sin?
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Rev. Smith
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Different churches have different views on masturbation. The Roman Catholic Church holds that any sexual expression that is outside marriage and not open to procreation is improper. At the other end of the spectrum, my church - finding no prohabition in scripture (as you probably already know, the sin of Onan was failing in his duty to his family, not in "spilling his seed") we hold that like drinkning, clubbing and a variety of other activities masturbation is fine and natural so long as it doesn't interfere with your secular or spiritual life.
The wisdom of the biblical admonistions against fornication, strong drink and other hedonistic persuits is not that the acts themselves are, per se, bad, but because humans tend to seek pleasure, and the more we get the more we want. Smoking pot a few times a year probably isn't a problem (except with the police, and in many parts of the country they don't seem to care about the occasional user much), but we all know a few "pot heads", people who have made their entire lives revolve around smoking pot.
Sex is the same, a person who occasionally masturbates for relief of tension, stress control etc. is probably fine. A person who starts missing church, schools or work so they can get a new porn magazine (do they still have those or does everybody use the internet now?) and pleasure themselves is in trouble. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, so that which interferes with your relation with God is bad for your soul. That which interferes with your relations with others is bad for you.
My guess is that the responses of other creeds fall on a spectrum in between.
The wisdom of the biblical admonistions against fornication, strong drink and other hedonistic persuits is not that the acts themselves are, per se, bad, but because humans tend to seek pleasure, and the more we get the more we want. Smoking pot a few times a year probably isn't a problem (except with the police, and in many parts of the country they don't seem to care about the occasional user much), but we all know a few "pot heads", people who have made their entire lives revolve around smoking pot.
Sex is the same, a person who occasionally masturbates for relief of tension, stress control etc. is probably fine. A person who starts missing church, schools or work so they can get a new porn magazine (do they still have those or does everybody use the internet now?) and pleasure themselves is in trouble. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, so that which interferes with your relation with God is bad for your soul. That which interferes with your relations with others is bad for you.
My guess is that the responses of other creeds fall on a spectrum in between.
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That which is diobediant to or contradicting to God's commands is bad for your soul.
There is no justification for impure thoughts or impure actions from Christians. Excuse me for disagreeing but my Bible doesn't say "Its ok to do these things sometimes as long as its not all the time."
It also doesn't say "Its ok to do these things as long as you don't miss church."
It says "Don't do them."
It is extremely dangerous to attempt to justify sinful behavior.
There is no justification for impure thoughts or impure actions from Christians. Excuse me for disagreeing but my Bible doesn't say "Its ok to do these things sometimes as long as its not all the time."
It also doesn't say "Its ok to do these things as long as you don't miss church."
It says "Don't do them."
It is extremely dangerous to attempt to justify sinful behavior.
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rural_preacher
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Hebrews 12
If you are unmarried, God designed your body to "take care of business" while you sleep. Mastrubation to relieve stress is unnecessary.
I think it would be kind of tough to touch if your mind is occupied with verses such this. Just imagine that "cloud of witnesses" watching everything you're doing.
If you are unmarried, God designed your body to "take care of business" while you sleep. Mastrubation to relieve stress is unnecessary.
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herev
CL--you are missed!
but one has to establish first that masturbation is sinful behavior...I recognize what others are saying about lust--agreed, it is a sin--however, I must insist that the two do not have to go together. there is no bibical support to say masturbation, in and of itself, is a sinWesWoodell said:
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herev
CL--you are missed!
wow!
now this is surely just my opinion and my own exegesis, but to me, that is perhaps the biggest stretch and reach I have seen, the sentences all fit together nicely with one central theme without trying to create a connection through masturbation.WesWoodell said:
absolutely--don't judge everyone based on your own experience.
agreed
yes, sometimes it just feels good
that's insulting and presumptuous
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herev
CL--you are missed!
you know Wes, when you suggest that your interpretation is the only one God approves of, you insult others. When you say something like you did in that post, it insults many. "no normal person does" says a lot more than you intend. I personally am not insulted by it, but there are those who may read it and feel rightly that you are saying they are not normal--all because they are different from YOUWesWoodell said:You sure get insulted a lot
Do you not, as a pastor, understand how that would be insulting?
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AngelusSax
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It'd be hard for me to pee or poop, too. I don't like the idea of even one person watching me as I do those things, yet there's a cloud of witnesses that watch me take a dump? No wonder I gave new meaning to "anal retentive" when I was younger...
Seriously, I get what you're saying. But if we occupy our minds all the time with verses as this one, it's gonna be hard to do some biologically very necessary things. Reminds me of a Family Guy episode...
Peter: I'm looking for a toilet training book.
Salesman: Oh, well, we've got the standard "everybody poops". And then there's the less popular "nobody poops but you."
Peter: Well, see, we're Catholic, so...
Salesman: Ah! Then you want, "You're a naughty child and that's concentrated evil coming out the back of you!"
(No offense to the Catholics here. I didn't make it up)
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Martin Calvin
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First let me say that I'm not ordained yet but would still like to comment.
My first response to the first question "is touching yourself a sin" is to say it depends what is on your heart, or in this case what's in your head? If you are able to complete the task at hand with pure thoughts and are honest with yourself and God then more power to you. On the other hand if you cannot touch with clean thoughts (those that are edifing and not lustful) you have commited sin. My advice is to be honest with God about your perdicament.
The second question (fantasizing about your wife) is still a quandry for me. I'm still praying about this and looking to the word for answers. While there is nothing wrong about finding your wife attractive and sexually motivational, I would caution you against idolitry. Once you focus on your wife instead of Christ you have sinned. Other than that I see nothing wrong.
My first response to the first question "is touching yourself a sin" is to say it depends what is on your heart, or in this case what's in your head? If you are able to complete the task at hand with pure thoughts and are honest with yourself and God then more power to you. On the other hand if you cannot touch with clean thoughts (those that are edifing and not lustful) you have commited sin. My advice is to be honest with God about your perdicament.
The second question (fantasizing about your wife) is still a quandry for me. I'm still praying about this and looking to the word for answers. While there is nothing wrong about finding your wife attractive and sexually motivational, I would caution you against idolitry. Once you focus on your wife instead of Christ you have sinned. Other than that I see nothing wrong.
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rural_preacher
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LOL!!AngelusSax said:It'd be hard for me to pee or poop, too. I don't like the idea of even one person watching me as I do those things, yet there's a cloud of witnesses that watch me take a dump? No wonder I gave new meaning to "anal retentive" when I was younger...
Seriously, I get what you're saying. But if we occupy our minds all the time with verses as this one, it's gonna be hard to do some biologically very necessary things. Reminds me of a Family Guy episode...
Peter: I'm looking for a toilet training book.
Salesman: Oh, well, we've got the standard "everybody poops". And then there's the less popular "nobody poops but you."
Peter: Well, see, we're Catholic, so...
Salesman: Ah! Then you want, "You're a naughty child and that's concentrated evil coming out the back of you!"
(No offense to the Catholics here. I didn't make it up)
You make a very good point!
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AngelusSax
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