Do people really go to Hell for masturbation and using birth control?

[fix]

Hi fix,

It seems like we are really splitting hairs here; this is all academic.

The point that I wanted to make was just that nobody goes to Hell for eternity “by accident”, because they were unlucky enough to die before getting a chance to repent. On that we certainly seem to agree. Whether this “last chance” comes just before, right at, or just after, is really just a detail.

You said it’s a bad idea to think “we can lead a bad life and presume on God’s mercy to save us”. I certainly agree with that! 1st of all, ALL SINS ARE EXPIATED. In this life or the next. There is no free lunch. We can, of course, gain indulgences, but this is still expiation. Every sin must be paid for… so, someone who adopts a ‘repent on my deathbed’ strategy is certainly extra foolish as a Catholic.

Cheers,
Paul

OK, I was just pointing that after death there is no second chance. The concept of time seems to be the issue and I do not want to dwell on that point.

 

[YinYangMom]

I don’t see how it is unnatural. If children do it upon entering puberty, it is probably natural. Sexual pleasure is only to be used for the creation of life? Where in the bible does it say that? ANd how is masturbating showing less respect to one’s body then, say, scratching an itch on the back? Isn’t eating and resting “selfish and self-centered” actions? Or vacationing? Or going for a quiet walk?

How is it a slap in God’s face to think only of yourself once in a while???

Apparently you aren’t Catholic, and as such what we share with you today will come off sounding bizarre because you don’t share our perspective. That’s ok. You’ve asked really good questions and I’m glad you did.

That we are naturally inclined to satisfy ourselves is a result of the Fall, but just because we are tempted doesn’t mean we should give in to those temptations.

Sexual pleasure is not to be used only to create life.
It is a gift bestowed upon men and women to be used in the Sacrament of marriage for the purpose of unifying the couple and/or bringing life into the world.

Outside of marriage, and outside the giving/recieving intent of the couple, sexual pleasure can be used in a selfish manner and that’s when it degrades itself to the acts of lust and fornication. It’s not the actions of sex which are bad, it’s the intent behind the actions.

Eating, sleeping, scratching and itch are necessary for the well-being of a body. Sex is not essential in life. Again, it’s a gift to be used for specific purposes. If one never marries, or if one chooses to live a celibate life their bodies won’t fall apart. If one fails to eat, drink, or sleep the body will die.

Vacationing is important for the body, the mind, and the soul because it falls under that category of needed rest. Without vacations our minds fry and we get really cranky which can lead to actual physical ailments (ulcers, anxiety attacks, etc.).

Any time we think only of ourselves it is a slap in God’s face because it, if even for a brief moment, presumes we own ourselves, that we exist from our own doing, and that’s just not true. We exist only because God gives us the gift of life. He created us to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him…and only when we do that will we find true happiness and peace. That’s why when we do get bogged down with life matters, finding ourselves stressed it’s usually because we have forgotten to pray daily, to thank Him for another day, to call upon Him for strength and wisdom to get through that day, etc.

 

[Valke2]

Apparently you aren’t Catholic, and as such what we share with you today will come off sounding bizarre because you don’t share our perspective. That’s ok. You’ve asked really good questions and I’m glad you did.

That we are naturally inclined to satisfy ourselves is a result of the Fall, but just because we are tempted doesn’t mean we should give in to those temptations.

Sexual pleasure is not to be used only to create life.
It is a gift bestowed upon men and women to be used in the Sacrament of marriage for the purpose of unifying the couple and/or bringing life into the world.

Outside of marriage, and outside the giving/recieving intent of the couple, sexual pleasure can be used in a selfish manner and that’s when it degrades itself to the acts of lust and fornication. It’s not the actions of sex which are bad, it’s the intent behind the actions.

Eating, sleeping, scratching and itch are necessary for the well-being of a body. Sex is not essential in life. Again, it’s a gift to be used for specific purposes. If one never marries, or if one chooses to live a celibate life their bodies won’t fall apart. If one fails to eat, drink, or sleep the body will die.

Vacationing is important for the body, the mind, and the soul because it falls under that category of needed rest. Without vacations our minds fry and we get really cranky which can lead to actual physical ailments (ulcers, anxiety attacks, etc.).

Any time we think only of ourselves it is a slap in God’s face because it, if even for a brief moment, presumes we own ourselves, that we exist from our own doing, and that’s just not true. We exist only because God gives us the gift of life. He created us to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him…and only when we do that will we find true happiness and peace. That’s why when we do get bogged down with life matters, finding ourselves stressed it’s usually because we have forgotten to pray daily, to thank Him for another day, to call upon Him for strength and wisdom to get through that day, etc.

Well, I can certainly agree with your last paragraph and I understand what you are saying in the rest of your post. Thanks for the response.

 

[CrossoverManiac]

Masturbation - At what level is the symbolic raping of persons offensive to God?

If birth control was not a serious subject that relates to salvation then why would the Holy Spirit inspire this passage?
Deut.23

1
"He whose testicles are crushed or whose male member is cut off shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.

Also excluded from the assembly of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23):

• children of incestous unions and their descendants for nine generations
• Moabites for ten generations
• Ammorites for ten generations

Are you going to argue that being a child born of incest is a mortal sin?

 

[Valke2]

crushed testicales had nothing to do with birth control. Biblical man viewed physical deformities as an outward sign of spiritual unfitness. There are other passages which deal with hairlips, deformed limbs, rashes, etc.

 

[FillTheVoid]

This is the very essence of the problem Mortal Sin has.

Every single sin, even the slightest hint is worthy of an eternity seperated from God.

Then why doesn’t god send everyone to purgatory if you can die with even one venial sin against you?

No, when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior

His righteousness is counted as yours, he wipes the entire slate clean from beginning to end.

Congrats you’re free from condemnation

 

[setter]

This is the very essence of the problem Mortal Sin has.

Every single sin, even the slightest hint is worthy of an eternity seperated from God.

Then why doesn’t god send everyone to purgatory if you can die with even one venial sin against you?

No, when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior

His righteousness is counted as yours, he wipes the entire slate clean from beginning to end.

Congrats you’re free from condemnation

But one must daily choose His righteousness, and seek forgiveness when one turns from grace to sin; otherwise one runs the risk of cutting themself off, over time or from a grievious offfense, from the grace to repent and be saved. Serious buisiness.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” Phillipians 2: 12

 

[FillTheVoid]

This is why I’m considering becomming a Catholic.

I guess I’ve just been taught wrong.

How do I know if something is a grievous offense?

If someone doesn’t know it’s a grievous offense it’s no longer grievous?

 

[setter]

This is why I’m considering becomming a Catholic.

I guess I’ve just been taught wrong.

How do I know if something is a grievous offense?

Good questions.

It is a grievious offense if sinful behavior involves a grave matter; from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: “Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.” The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger. (CCC)

One should always consult a priest if unsure, and better to confess if in doubt.

If someone doesn’t know it’s a grievous offense it’s no longer grievous?

Objectively it is still grave sin, but the moral culpability may be lessened due to subjective factors.

1857 For a sin to be* mortal*, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.” (CCC)

**2352 **By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. “Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.” “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.”

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability. (CCC)

 

[minkymurph]

God is the only one who can judge as God is the only one who knows everything in relation to a sin. I believe masturbation has different contexts, that does not mean it is never a sin. However, the way I see it, there is a distinction between a teenager who has little understanding of sexual union and a more mature person who, through time and experience of life has a greater comprehension of why it is a sin. Personally, I think a sexual relationship with yourself is sad, and the fulfillment of sexual union is with another person were the two parties have love, intense feeling and commitment to one another. God wants us to experience the fullfillment of sexual love which is why he tells us it involves another person in marriage. Outside of that, sexual union lacks fullfillment. Sadly, there are many people who don’t experience this for a variety of reasons and choice is one of those reasons. There are people who have difficulty having a satisfying relationship because of sexual abuse. In these circumstances, I believe people are less responsible because their experience of sexual union has been so distorted. In any circumstance, I believe we should pray for God like love and to experience true sexual union. When you have experienced true sexual union, nothing else will do.

 

[Rebecca_New]

I really was sickened when one of my co-workers brought in a magazine with an article on masturbation, how to get more pleasure out of it! A lot of teens read this OTC magazine! Yes, it is a sin-no matter how many people say it is not. It is amost schizophrenic to want to make love to yourself! Using birth control cuts off communication and self control when it is most important. Both acts are sins. God did not say “How can I take away pleasure from my children.” I have found that our loving Father wants us to be as happy and content as we can be, and He is trying to guide us. The closer we are to Him, the happier we are.

I would not want to teach a class to young children and talk about masterbation. I would teach them about Chastity. They are not dumb-you don’t have to spell out this act in a mixed class and embarass them.