Self Pleasure is a sin - the simple explanation.

[Yusuf Evans]

What if you are thinking about your spouse, or in David Lee Roth's case, yourself?

Well, I have heard of bodybuilders who masturbated thinking about themselves. Semantics in relation to the spouse issue. Obviously, I'm referring to lusting after someone other than your spouse.

 

[SummerMadness]

99% of men touch, the 1% that don't have no arms. If masturbation is a sin, all men will go to hell.

 

[Caylin]

Well, I have heard of bodybuilders who masturbated thinking about themselves. Semantics in relation to the spouse issue. Obviously, I'm referring to lusting after someone other than your spouse.

Wow talk about narcissistic.

 

[momalle1]

Two things, first there is a huge difference between finding someone else attractive and lusting after them, sort of like the difference between having a beer and being an alcoholic.

Second, I'm going to play devil's advocate here (not in the literal sense) suppose you get married to a woman who says she enjoys sex often. This is very important to you, and right after you get married she does and participates as much as you both had discussed. Then she stops, she no longer wants to have sex at all. What do you do? Do you get divorced? Do you touch? Do you live the rest of your life miserable because she changed or lied? (Obviously this question applies to women also). Do you really think God wants you to be unhappy? There is nothing wrong with a healthy sex life in a marriage.

 

[ebia]

One of the issues I have always had with Christianity is the idea that an all powerful god who created this huge universe with such diverse wonders would give a flying fig what I do with the reproductive apparatus that he assigned me. Some people want to make their gods very small and petty for some reason.

I guess they are interested in everyone else's sex life, so God must be too.

 

[Asimov]

I have seen big, long posts about why self pleasure is a sin going as far as endless Bible qoutes. All of that is good, but I recently came to a very simplified conclussion.

1. Self pleasure is to have sex with your self.
2. Premarrital sex is a sin.
3. Self pleasure is a sin, since it's effectively premarrital sex.
4. Wait until you're married!

Thoughts?

I see a specific lack of thought in this.

1. Sex is defined as coitus between humans or as sexual contact between humans.
2. Self-pleasure is not sex.
3. Self-pleasure is not premarital sex.
4. Self-pleasure is not defined as a sin.

 

[ebia]

99% of men touch, the 1% that don't have no arms. If masturbation is a sin, all men will go to hell.

Who first said "There are two sorts of men, those who touch, and those who lie about it"?

 

[Lilly of the Valley]

I have seen big, long posts about why self pleasure is a sin going as far as endless Bible qoutes. All of that is good, but I recently came to a very simplified conclussion.

1. Self pleasure is to have sex with your self.
2. Premarrital sex is a sin.
3. Self pleasure is a sin, since it's effectively premarrital sex.
4. Wait until you're married!

Thoughts?

There are rt ways to have pleasure and wrong ways. I can have self pleasure by reading...am I sinning? No...it depends what you do to get that pleasure and your motive in it. Pleasure itself isn't sin...it's what you do to get it...like sex before marriage, raping someone (that may be pleasure to someone, but that's wrong), etc...

 

[tocis]

Thoughts?

Unsupported assertion: "Premarrital sex is a sin."

Many christians will agree with you of course. I don't necessarily. Inasmuch as all persons involved engage in sexual activity out of their own free will, and are fully in possession of their mental faculties, what harm can be done?

Now, if you are involved in a relationship, you should contemplate what your partner thinks about your self-pleasuring... but in that case, the "wrong" thing wouldn't be masturbation in and of itself, but doing something you know will hurt your partner if she ever finds out (and eventually she will... secrets have that nasty habit of being revealed when you least expect it).

 

[Argumentumadhominem]

When you try to restrict something as primitive and deep rooted as masturbation, you're throwing open the gates of chaos. Trying to get people to suppress and demonize their natural urges like that is beyond ridiculous. There have actually been a lot of cases where Christian teenagers have offed themselves because they couldn't take the guilt of it.

At times it seems like Christianity takes everything your DNA naturally tells you to do and makes it wrong.

 

[kopilo]

I have seen big, long posts about why self pleasure is a sin going as far as endless Bible qoutes. All of that is good, but I recently came to a very simplified conclussion.

1. Self pleasure is to have sex with your self.
2. Premarrital sex is a sin.
3. Self pleasure is a sin, since it's effectively premarrital sex.
4. Wait until you're married!

Thoughts?

If self pleasure is a sin, then lent is pointless because that's most likely how we should be have all year round.

FYI: There is more ways to pleasure one's self then fulfilling sexual desires.

At times it seems like Christianity takes everything your DNA naturally tells you to do and makes it wrong.

Not Christianity, people. I have heard some liberal christians talk about masturbation in a very positive manner and almost as if we all should be doing it.

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

God decides that premarital sex is a sin. Why? Perhaps because the likelyhood of pregnancy. God might want the child to have his father and mother in a loving union because that might be best for the child.

So you are saying that god makes something a sin not because it causes harm, but because it might cause harm.

So therefore driving a car is a sin because you might run over someone.

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

The bible does say though that if you think something is wrong then it is a sin for you to do that.

So this means that if you don't think something is wrong, then it is not a sin. I like this idea. Can we get this incorporated into doctrine?

Oh, wait, I don't believe in the concept of sin. Never mind.

 

[Asimov]

The bible does say though that if you think something is wrong then it is a sin for you to do that.

It also says that you should cut things off if they cause you to sin....

 

[Herman Hedning]

There are rt ways to have pleasure and wrong ways. I can have self pleasure by reading...am I sinning? No...it depends what you do to get that pleasure and your motive in it.

Whoa there, Lilly! Self pleasure by reading? Are you sure it isn't a sin reading that kind of books?

 

[TheDag]

4. Self-pleasure is not defined as a sin.

I never gave the points as much thought as you did. I agree self pleasure is not a sin. When we go on vacation that is self pleasure yet I doubt God would see that as a sin. We can do things that are self pleasing. However it is when they become more important than God that it is a problem.

 

[TheDag]

So this means that if you don't think something is wrong, then it is not a sin. I like this idea. Can we get this incorporated into doctrine?

Sorry to dissapoint you but that doesn't follow. It is talking about christian beliefs that are open to dispute by christians. Certain things are seen as clearly being sinful.

Oh, wait, I don't believe in the concept of sin. Never mind.

Oh silly me you won't be dissapointed cause you don't believe in the concept of sin! Just out of curiosity what is the concept of sin in your opinion. Feel free to send me the answer via pm if you think it will side track the thread. I don't plan on debating your view with you I'm just interested.

 

[Marie D]

When you try to restrict something as primitive and deep rooted as masturbation, you're throwing open the gates of chaos. Trying to get people to suppress and demonize their natural urges like that is beyond ridiculous. There have actually been a lot of cases where Christian teenagers have offed themselves because they couldn't take the guilt of it.

At times it seems like Christianity takes everything your DNA naturally tells you to do and makes it wrong.

I don't agree with you. The Bible tells us that lust is wrong and if people can't contain it they should marry. So if you're single, you have to suppress such urges.

However the Bible also tells us that suicide is wrong and that God can forgive us any sin if we truly repent. If any teenager has killed him/herself because of guilt relating to self abuse I think that's a terrible tragedy because God with his immense love had already forgiven them for what they'd done.

There are many things our baser instincts might tempt us to do, not just sexually, and the Bible is there to tell us that there is a higher purpose to life than simply to pursue our own selfish inclinations...

 

[Marie D]

I don't think masturbation in and of itself would be a sin; it's the thoughts running through the mind that are the sin.

Exactly - M is a sin because it's about indulging human lust rather than suppressing it or channeling it into a positive and Godly activity (making love with one's spouse). However in the case of men it may be additionally sinful due to the spilling of seed...

 

[TeddyKGB]

Exactly - M is a sin because it's about indulging human lust rather than suppressing it or channeling it into a positive and Godly activity (making love with one's spouse).

Funny, as far as channeling lust goes masturbation seems about the least indulgent activity short of doing nothing.

However in the case of men it may be additionally sinful due to the spilling of seed...

It takes a serious agenda-driven reading of Onan to conclude that the mere 'spilling of seed' is considered sinful.