What do you see masturbating as? Sin? Sorry about all the topics you must have!

[MoNiCa4316]

I think it's a sin. But the question shouldn't be "how much can we get away with?" but "does this glorify God?" ...it doesn't glorify God.

just my two cents...

 

[Floatingaxe]

I think it's a sin. But the question shouldn't be "how much can we get away with?" but "does this glorify God?" ...it doesn't glorify God.

just my two cents...

It may be only two cents to you, but it is priceless to God! His wisdom flows through you.

 

[BloodwashedPilgrim]

I think it's a sin. But the question shouldn't be "how much can we get away with?" but "does this glorify God?" ...it doesn't glorify God.

just my two cents...

EXACTLY! and AMEN! A succinct version of my earlier point. Our sanctification and His glorification. Amen! It doesn't make a complete argument against masturbation, but it's a much needed realization for the Church.

Much love in Christ!

 

[Abufihamat]

Originally Posted by Zilam
False. I was raised in an enviroment where sex, and certainly masturbation was looked upon positively. But because of God's Grace, I have been able to turn from such evil deeds, and rely on on God.

Anyone is a child until death.

 

[Floatingaxe]

Anyone is a child until death.

Whatever that means...?

The point is--whose child are you?

When I was a little girl, my mother would call after me as I was leaving to go with my friends, "Remember whose you are!" She wanted me to be careful about my choices, as I was really a child of Jesus Christ, a King's kid.

We all serve someone. Is it Jesus or the devil?

 

[BloodwashedPilgrim]

Whatever that means...?

The point is--whose child are you?

When I was a little girl, my mother would call after me as I was leaving to go with my friends, "Remember whose you are!" She wanted me to be careful about my choices, as I was really a child of Jesus Christ, a King's kid.

We all serve someone. Is it Jesus or the devil?

Satan's greatest trick is to make you believe it's not so "black and white". An apathetic and complacent Christian is the best Satan can hope for being they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Even in the Marine Corps we are instilled with the mentality that "Complacency Kills". We hear it all the time. If it is true in our wars here on earth, how true must it be of our warring in the spiritual realm. Amazing how the physical realm parallels the spiritual realm so closely...I guess that's what happens when there is design involved.

Much love in Christ!

 

[Floatingaxe]

Satan's greatest trick is to make you believe it's not so "black and white". An apathetic and complacent Christian is the best Satan can hope for being they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Even in the Marine Corps we are instilled with the mentality that "Complacency Kills". We hear it all the time. If it is true in our wars here on earth, how true must it be of our warring in the spiritual realm. Amazing how the physical realm parallels the spiritual realm so closely...I guess that's what happens when there is design involved.

Much love in Christ!

Yes! God only sees in black and white, when it comes to righteousness, doesn't He? all the colours of our sins are washed in the rich red blood of the Saviour.

 

[Gukkor]

Satan's greatest trick is to make you believe it's not so "black and white". An apathetic and complacent Christian is the best Satan can hope for being they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Even in the Marine Corps we are instilled with the mentality that "Complacency Kills". We hear it all the time. If it is true in our wars here on earth, how true must it be of our warring in the spiritual realm. Amazing how the physical realm parallels the spiritual realm so closely...I guess that's what happens when there is design involved.

Much love in Christ!

Whoever said anything about it not being black and white? The argument is over whether it is black OR white. One side thinks it's black, the other thinks it's white.

About morality: when examined from very far away, Earth looks like nothing more than a light blue dot. However, when shown in more detail, one sees that while there are parts of it that are light blue, there are others that are a whole range of other colors. Moral issues are the same. If you ask very general questions, you will generally come up with ambiguous, "gray" answers. However, examine the question in more detail, break it down into several different questions which address different situations, and eventually everything becomes either black or white. Morality only appears ambiguous to humans because we lack perspective.

 

[daas]

The moral question here should not be "Is masturbation a sin?" It should be "Is making pubescent teenagers feel guilty about a normal developmental behaviour wrong?"
Masturbation is something that is part of discovering your sexuality, and what feels normal and nice for you as an individual, and mutually can be a safe alternative for people in relationships to practice that will not result in them transmitting STDs or getting pregnant. Suppressing sexuality and controlling people through guilt is one of the worst aspects of religion. Just as you won't go blind, or get hairy palms, or run out of sperm, or rub your [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] away if you touch, you sure as sheep-stations won't go to hell either.

 

[Floatingaxe]

The moral question here should not be "Is masturbation a sin?" It should be "Is making pubescent teenagers feel guilty about a normal developmental behaviour wrong?"
Masturbation is something that is part of discovering your sexuality, and what feels normal and nice for you as an individual, and mutually can be a safe alternative for people in relationships to practice that will not result in them transmitting STDs or getting pregnant. Suppressing sexuality and controlling people through guilt is one of the worst aspects of religion. Just as you won't go blind, or get hairy palms, or run out of sperm, or rub your [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] away if you touch, you sure as sheep-stations won't go to hell either.

James 1:15
The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.


Thought leads to desire, leads to action (sin), leads to death.

Look what happened to David, who gave birth to ONE THOUGHT! Death and chaos came to his household because of his one thought for Bathsheba that he didn't take captive!

Look, on the other hand, what happened to Joseph, who DID take his thoughts captive and resisted valiantly in the Lord against a relentless woman, Potiphar's wife, and succeeded, even though he went to prison. He never allowed his thoughts to govern him. He rose above and became the deliverer and saviour of Israel!


Take your thoughts captive. That is what God's word tells us to do. That is the mark of a conquering and successful Christian. That is the kind of Christian that receives blessing and favour from God.

A mind that is in the gutter and is not even remorseful, will inhabit a believer that remains a spiritual infant, never succeeding and never growing.

 

[Dmarketto22]

The very fact that masturbation is even in question as to whether or not it is a sin goes all of the way back to Romans 14. This passage talks about debatable matters in the church.

Romans 14 begins with the issue of eating meat or being a vegetarian. It addresses that neither position is wrong..............BUT.........it says in verse 5 (ESV) "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND." It then continues and addresses "clean" and "unclean" food and how no food is unclean now that the new covenant was in place. However verse 23 then concludes it with very convicting words. "BUT WHOEVER HAS DOUBTS IS CONDEMNED IF HE EATS, BECAUSE THE EATING IS NOT FROM FAITH. FOR WHATEVER DOES NOT PROCEED FROM FAITH IS SIN."

This passage is saying that if a person eats what HE THINKS is unclean food, it is sin for him...EVEN THOUGH ALL FOOD IS CLEAN. He is still sinning because his actions come from doubt and not faith.

In other words, If you're doubting about whether something, for instance masturbation, is sin or not and follow through with that action, IT IS SIN as is clearly stated in Romans 14.

 

[Jerrell]

Masturbation may not be the sin it is what you think during it which is the sin and also whatever you may watch or look at (i.e. picures and pornography- or remembering somebody) during or before it.

Although i agree with what the man above me said.
-Masturbation can turn into addiction, and addiction in all forms is sin.

P.S.- Mastubation is not just a guy thing, women can do it too.

 

[Dannager]

I think it's a sin. But the question shouldn't be "how much can we get away with?" but "does this glorify God?" ...it doesn't glorify God.

just my two cents...

Really? Does defecating glorify God? If so, how is that different from masturbation? If not, why do you continue to defecate?

 

[Abufihamat]

Satan's greatest trick is to make you believe it's not so "black and white". An apathetic and complacent Christian is the best Satan can hope for being they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Even in the Marine Corps we are instilled with the mentality that "Complacency Kills". We hear it all the time. If it is true in our wars here on earth, how true must it be of our warring in the spiritual realm. Amazing how the physical realm parallels the spiritual realm so closely...I guess that's what happens when there is design involved.

Agreed. It is also amazing how a well commanded knowledge of the bible and its practising tennents parallels your choice to serve in an organization that kills believer and non-believer alike, against the word of God engraved in his own Ten Commandments.

Thou Shalt Not Kill.

So, what is your excuse, besides I imagine the following:

"Terrorism (Was'nt made by God so its murderers will be judged accordingly, excusing not your choice against Gods to follow with an organization that practises in the slaughtering of lambs and lions alike), Blasphemy (The Marine Corp doesn't fight blasphemy), Al-Qaeda (A danger no worse then an armed religious zealot wearing MARPAT), and God (Who does not condone murder, even if they're excused with titles like PFC.).

What was the last possible reason for your serving? To protect your family? God will do that. Unless, you believe ...

He wont.

Whatever that means...?

It means that our decisions, whether guided by Gods or our own free choice, usually remain fickle.

 

[daas]

James 1:15
The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.


Thought leads to desire, leads to action (sin), leads to death.

Firstly, apologies if I shouldn't be in this part of the forum (as a non-christian), but I'm new here and stumbled in to what I thought would be an interesting topic, and now I feel Floatingaxe deserves a reply, as you took the time to give me your considered thoughts.

In all honesty quoting the bible does not hold any great weight in this argument. The bible is questionable in it's historical veracity and contemporary relevance to say the least, so to name-drop from it raises issues for me, but I'm guessing we'll agree to disagree on that, as you clearly hold it dear. The above quote, and your extrapolation of it does raise questions though (and also the thought that you sound like Yoda, or is that just me?). Thought leads to death?!? Explains why religion is so keen on its adherents being obedient, unquestioning, non-thinkers.

A mind that is in the gutter and is not even remorseful, will inhabit a believer that remains a spiritual infant, never succeeding and never growing.

Reading this part made me chuckle - mind in the gutter - it's almost like you know me! However, as much as I hate to disappoint you, I have had many successes in my life, and have grown immeasurably. Just because I regard human sexuality as something that should be guilt-free does not mean that I am somehow morally degenerate, if indeed that is the implication you are making.

We don't need to have god tell us to take our thoughts captive - we need to have a moral framework based on common sense and respect for other people that allows us to explore our thoughts and understand them. If within that framework of love for each other, people find a need to occassionally love themselves, without impinging on or hurting others, there is nothing wrong with that, and it is wrong for any religion to impose on people that there is.

 

[sentipente]

Masturbating is beginning to sound more like Master Baiting.

 

[dayhiker]

What do you mean by Master Baiting?

dayhiker

 

[dayhiker]

I've heard of masturbation being an addiction ... but I can't say I've ever meet a person who was addicted to masturbation. I read a lot of posts on the web and I think one guy said he was addicted to masturbation. His description sounded just like a lot of teenage boys to me. So even his I'd not have called an addiction.

So anyone know how common this actually is?
dayhiker

 

[sentipente]

What do you mean by Master Baiting?

dayhiker

It's simple play on words. They are masters at baiting.

 

[Floatingaxe]

Really? Does defecating glorify God? If so, how is that different from masturbation? If not, why do you continue to defecate?

It is not a natural body function that God created us with. It is a BEHAVIOUR! such behaviour cannot occur without a thought, a sinful thought. Following through on a sinful thought is just what God speaks about in James 1:15.