Masturbation (Self-Service or Self-Serving?)

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seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#1
May 23, 2009
14,943
4,587
113
#1
Ok everyone,

Hopefully I won't be banned for mentioning this topic, but I tend to ask the questions everyone wonders but are afraid to talk about.

A guy friend posed a challenge to me recently--he said, "Show me in the Bible where it says that masturbation is wrong." He is trying to live the "Christian single life", trying to abide by all the commandments we live by as singles who are trying to follow Christ, but feels he should be at least allowed this one vice, as he is trying not to have sex before marriage.

I was raised in a very conservative Lutheran church--of course, all my life, I've been told that this particular action is immoral, impure, etc.

I know of passages that say "Neither the adulterer nor the fornicator shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven," but I am unaware of any passages that state, "Nor shall the one who masturbates enter heaven." I am not trying to argue for a justification, but rather, am asking for reasons why we are taught against it.

What do you all think? And if you can supply any passages, that would be helpful.
 
seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#3
May 23, 2009
14,943
4,587
113
#3
Sorry if this is a dead topic... am trying to read through the links... and the links those links lead to... thanks!
 
D

dedeye29

Guest
#4
#4
it is true the bible does not state anywhere, "Thou shalt not masterbate".It is truly self-serving. The Bible talks about us not to defile our bodies. I Corinthians 3:16-18. Hopefully that's a start for you.
 
seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#5
May 23, 2009
14,943
4,587
113
#5
I appreciate the input... I have another question... and will start a new thread about it so it doesn't get lost here.

But please, everyone, feel free to continue with your thoughts, comments, Scriptures, etc.
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

Banned
#6
Jan 8, 2009
7,576
23
0
#6
Some see it as a corruption and evil sinful act and defiling the body. Let's call it a).

It probably isn't wise to get our views on this topic from medieval or Catholic Christianity, especially since the teachings of early church writings are so prevalent. Augustine for example believed the original sin was Adam and Eve having sex! Protestants already sin anyway by using contraception.


Others see it as much 'self-serving' as eating, drinking, sleeping, going to the toilet, as a way for sexual release. Then it's not defiling, but a normal natural bodily function. Let's call it b).

I think the answer is somewhere between a) and b). Everything in moderation. If you do it instead of making love to your spouse, unless there are good reasons for it, that's no good. If you do it to pictures of animals or something sick like that, that's no good. But if you are single and your bodies hormones are at full throttle there may be no escape from it. It is well known that if men don't do it they will have nocturnal emissions often with erotic dreams which can be worse than any pornographic film. I don't know what is worse. It can be a no-win situation and the guilt and shame and condemnation that religion puts onto others over this practice probably far outways the crime, if it is ever a crime in the first place.

As far as I understand, the connection with masturbation being sinful is in the release or waste of seed. But hey, hardly a strong convincing argument since it happens naturally for boys anyway even if they don't masturbate. And use of contraception is the same deal. Same with periods for women. Emissions or periods made a person unclean in the old testament, and I believe this is the main issue. Yet, do these old testament thinking still apply today since Christ and the New Testament? Medical studies have shown men can cut their prostrate cancer risk as it may prevent carcinogens accumulating in the prostate gland and flushes out the ducts. There are similar links between cancer and breast feeding for women, the release of the bodily fluids flushes out any carcinogens. Perhaps by God's natural creation and design men are supposed to masturbate, which is why most if not all do or have at some point in their life.
 
T

thefightinglamb

Guest
#7
#7
I truly see this as evil...

If only for the fact that I do not think anyone would ever say "masterbation is holy" and my heart and the LORD both testify to me that it is wrong...

I see Snail's point that I would not say 'going to the restroom is holy' either...but I see 'sex' as deeply holy and masterbation as profaning this...I felt it in my own life for a while...though the LORD has set me free, All praise to him...

I have little doubt that you cannot think of God and masterbate--and therefore some other force is governing you at that time--and is not your love for him...but simply lust...and not love...even if you did it thinking about your wife as Roboop suggested...

Just my input...and once you start it, it is like a disease that infests your body and mind...telling you that "you have to" or "it is natural" or any of the other stuff that you threw out before because those thoughts are LUDICRUOS when you are pure...

Can you be pure and masterbate?

NO, you defile yourself...

God bless and may his light always shine in our lives...especially admist our flesh laid before you, Lord, as a LIVING SACRIFICE
tony

ps The verses in the Bible I was convicted on this are...

In the Old Testament someone spills his seed on the ground in order not to get a women pregnant...which made God furious...while his motives where different...it is the same thing as masterbation...

In the New Testament...anybody that sexually sins, violates his own body; all other sins are outside the body; but he who sins sexually sins against his own body...

I felt convicted after reading both of these...though the Lord has always shown me it was wrong when I did it years ago...

God bless
tony
 
P

pinkstix56

Guest
#8
#8
My Pastor justified this for me a long time ago. When you are masturbating - you become an adulterer against God. If you are letting sexual contacts overcome you - and it's not within marriage (not saying masturbation should be in the marriage because thats not holy in the marriage) then you are already committing adultery against God , and He frowns upon that. No matter how many times people try to justify/ make it right it doesn't matter what you think. If God says it's wrong, then it's wrong. I've battled with this addiction for years..but i had to seek help for this and i finally got delievered out of it.
 
F

ForeverYours

Guest
#9
#9
I heard there was something about, I would rather your seed be in the belly of a whore that on the ground. I don't know.
 
S

Servantofiam

Guest
#10
#10
The final answer

25 "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.
26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity.
27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.
28 But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29 And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting.
30 And the priest shall use one for a SIN offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.
31 "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst."
32 This is the law for him who has a discharge AND HIM WHO HAS THE EMISSION OF SEMEN, becoming unclean thereby;
33 also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.

How clear does it need to be? A woman with menstrual impurity must offer a SIN offering and the law that requires her to do that also applies to the emission of semen for men, outside of sexual Intercourse. Masturbation in the eyes of God is SIN
 
A

alanwrench

Guest
#11
#11
seoulsearch said:
Sorry if this is a dead topic... am trying to read through the links... and the links those links lead to... thanks!
Click to expand...
You need to pray and get some support from your church.
 
zeroturbulence

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
#12
Aug 2, 2009
24,581
4,269
113
#12
Child: Daddy what is masturbation?

Father: Go read about it in your bible

Child (some time later): The bible doesnt mention anything about masturbation, Father.

Father: Then go ask your mother.

Child: Mother what is masturbation?

Mother: Well what does the bible say it is?

Child: The bible doesnt say anything about it

Mother: Well then I am not going to say anything about it either :)

(Get the hint?)
 
Last edited:
Pheonix

Pheonix

Senior Member
#13
Jan 17, 2007
578
7
18
#13
Servantofiam said:
The final answer

25 "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.
26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity.
27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.
28 But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29 And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting.
30 And the priest shall use one for a SIN offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.
31 "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst."
32 This is the law for him who has a discharge AND HIM WHO HAS THE EMISSION OF SEMEN, becoming unclean thereby;
33 also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.

How clear does it need to be? A woman with menstrual impurity must offer a SIN offering and the law that requires her to do that also applies to the emission of semen for men, outside of sexual Intercourse. Masturbation in the eyes of God is SIN
Click to expand...
Where is all this found? Leviticus?
 
zeroturbulence

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
#15
Aug 2, 2009
24,581
4,269
113
#15
Uncleanliness and sin are not the same thing. Sin had to be covered by sacrifices. Uncleanliness did not require sacrifice.
 
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