Is Masturbation a sin?

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d_floyd77 said:
As a habitual, addicted, compulsive masturbater let me just say that it is not only a sin because the Church says so, it is easily discerned as a sin by the way it makes you feel.

Masturbation gives temporary relief for stress and anxiety but the anxiety and guilt causes in the long term are tell tale signs of deceit.

I was confirmed just this Vigil and it took me two hole days to fall into it again. That was over a week ago and I haven’t been able to make it to confession yet. In the course of living in that sin despair, sorrow, and anxiety have led me to feelings of hoplessness that in turn has led me to compound my original fall by doing it again. I’m not making excuses, I chose to follow those impulses, but that’s just what happens.

After you give in and your stress is “relieved” it’s so easy to look back and see the evilness in the lustful desires. Nothing else matters. Only sexual satisfaction. It’s horrible.

Pray for those who struggle with this, myself included.
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D_floyd77,

I fully agree with your explanation and I welcome you home with open arms and open heart! I suffer the same as you but for over 20 years and 17 years as a practicing Catholic. I’ve always known it was a mortal sin but when it happened I couldn’t care less. I even told a priest in confession that I felt like I had 2 personalities; one that love God with all his heart, soul and strength and the other that only love this sin. I’ve seen counselors (who usually blow it off as normal behaviour) and followed all the advice of priests throughout the years. But what I know is that it is ME, being selfish and self-loving. I could be going great for awhile doing all the right things and WHAM! something would happen that brought my mind directly to masterbation. Sometimes it was just a good looking woman or maybe a movie that had nudity in it. Whatever, it IS a mortal sin, simply by how you feel afterwards. The total destruction of your grace-filled relationship with God, the separation from his grace and the deep feelings of betrayal to Him. I can’t stand it yet at times I’ve felt powerless to overcome it.

I’m coming to grips with it to defeat it now as I’ve done many times in the past so I ask that you pray for me as I will pray for you. No matter what it takes, GET OUT OF IT NOW! It is the most insidious, demeaning, horribly offensive sin to our Lord. I HATE IT!!

Please, EMBRACETHECROSS, pray for all men, and all women, who suffer from this most terrible attack of our souls! And tell anyone that asks that it is a mortal sin worthy of hell!

TMB
 
TheDoctor said:
I think you are thinking of 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
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From NAB
9
7 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people,
10
not at all referring to the immoral of this world or the greedy and robbers or idolaters; for you would then have to leave the world.
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But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person.
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For why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within?
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God will judge those outside. “Purge the evil person from your midst.”
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Nothing :confused:
 
From Personae Humanae:

Whatever the force of certain arguments of a biological and philosophical nature, which have sometimes been used by theologians, in fact both the Magisterium of the Church - in the course of a constant tradition - and the moral sense of the faithful have declared without hesitation that masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act.[19] The main reason is that, whatever the motive for acting this way, the deliberate use of the sexual faculty outside normal conjugal relations essentially contradicts the finality of the faculty. For it lacks the sexual relationship called for by the moral order, namely the relationship which realizes “the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love.”[20] All deliberate exercise of sexuality must be reserved to this regular relationship. Even if it cannot be proved that Scripture condemns this sin by name, the tradition of the Church has rightly understood it to be condemned in the New Testament when the latter speaks of “impurity,” “unchasteness” and other vices contrary to chastity and continence.
 
The Bible tells us the following,
1Cr 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

1Cr 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

1Cr 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body

God bless,
jean8
 
I don’t believe it is a sin. It is actually quite healthy. It relieves stress and for men it helps the prostate.
 
Masturbation is sinful. So is cussing. So are many things. Technically speeding is sinful. The Church teaches we are to abide by the laws of the country we are in. So speeding is sinful.

When you cuss, or take the Lord’s Name in vain, do you feel the same way as when you masturbate? Should you?

Is it just possible that masturbation makes us so upset because we cannot control ourselves? Self control is important to people. I guess I look at masturbation as a sin, nothing more, or less. I commit sins, I don’t like it, but I’ll admit that I do it. I also do God’s work and God loves me. Now God knows I sin. I tell Him. But He still loves me. I think you can commit any sin and God will still love you. I think God, in loving us unconditionally, is providing an excellent example for us.

Let masturbation be a source of enlightenment. As you masturbate know that God loves you, right then. He wants you to be free from the sin of masturbation, just as you do.

I am a cynical old fart and do not believe that God is going to send you a woman to have sex with you so you will not masturbate. I also believe you may never stop masturbating. Some people never do. Each time you masturbate know that God loves you anyway and learn to love yourself in the same way He does.

What, do you want to be right here? Do you want God to despise you as you might despise yourself? You know, in any good marriage, either spouse can tell someone the sins of their spouse. They usually don’t, except on TV. No, a good spouse learns to love despite the faults of their spouse. Understand?
 
larry85704 said:
Masturbation is sinful. So is cussing. So are many things. Technically speeding is sinful. The Church teaches we are to abide by the laws of the country we are in. So speeding is sinful.

When you cuss, or take the Lord’s Name in vain, do you feel the same way as when you masturbate? Should you?

Is it just possible that masturbation makes us so upset because we cannot control ourselves? Self control is important to people. I guess I look at masturbation as a sin, nothing more, or less. I commit sins, I don’t like it, but I’ll admit that I do it. I also do God’s work and God loves me. Now God knows I sin. I tell Him. But He still loves me. I think you can commit any sin and God will still love you. I think God, in loving us unconditionally, is providing an excellent example for us.

Let masturbation be a source of enlightenment. As you masturbate know that God loves you, right then. He wants you to be free from the sin of masturbation, just as you do.

I am a cynical old fart and do not believe that God is going to send you a woman to have sex with you so you will not masturbate. I also believe you may never stop masturbating. Some people never do. Each time you masturbate know that God loves you anyway and learn to love yourself in the same way He does.

What, do you want to be right here? Do you want God to despise you as you might despise yourself? You know, in any good marriage, either spouse can tell someone the sins of their spouse. They usually don’t, except on TV. No, a good spouse learns to love despite the faults of their spouse. Understand?
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Aren’t we called to overcome our sins and weaknesses with the help of God’s Grace?
 
larry85704 said:
Let masturbation be a source of enlightenment. As you masturbate know that God loves you, right then. He wants you to be free from the sin of masturbation, just as you do.

I am a cynical old fart and do not believe that God is going to send you a woman to have sex with you so you will not masturbate. I also believe you may never stop masturbating. Some people never do. Each time you masturbate know that God loves you anyway and learn to love yourself in the same way He does.

What, do you want to be right here? Do you want God to despise you as you might despise yourself? You know, in any good marriage, either spouse can tell someone the sins of their spouse. They usually don’t, except on TV. No, a good spouse learns to love despite the faults of their spouse. Understand?
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This kind of advice is what has me so confused regarding my sprituality. I’ve had a couple priests kind of give me the same low-down during confession. That God loves us no matter what our faults, and that we should not beat our selves up over this kind of issue, but reflect on God’s mercy and love and be happy. Thank God for your sexuality. This view of spirituality seems to make much sense from a happiness standpoint. Realize your faults and shortcomings, but really focus on love, and the expression of. Stop worring about personal-type sins because you are being selfish about striving for your own personal salvation, and let your love shine as you help and love your neighbor, show concern for the people who are struggling with unhappiness, etc. If you live like the latter, this is what God wants to see and you will be brought to eternal life.

On the other hand, I seem to also have a battle where I believe as the prev. poster said about wanting God to despise me due to my sin. This is where we get into the law-model of God and salvation. Break a law, go to jail basically. It seems that’s how it’s always been taught, and the other view is how everything is being presented now. I have to admit, the first view seems to make more sense in the world today. People seem to be so worried about losing their own salvation that they don’t put forth any effort to live like real Christians. Even Ghandi said “Oh, I don’t reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

This really strikes a chord with me. I am so sad and confused.
 
The way I see it, (and I’m talking from experience, not a soapbox), is this.

God is Holy. He is the definition of all Holiness. When I masturbate i feel very, very, very, unholy.

I know God loves me and wants to forgive me. He also wants me to overcome this terrible habit and even the temptation to do it.

When we do unHoly things we remove ourselves from God’s Grace and Presence. Not because of a trite law or a vengeful punishment, but because unHolines can not by definition stand in the presence of God almighty.

May God help all who struggle with this overcome.
 
Ghandi pretty much had it right.

Look, the world God created has sin. Masturbation is a very personal sin, you cannot blame anybody else, nobody forces you to do it, and many people really cannot stop. So grow up and face reality. It is no different from any sin, a sin is a sin. I think some people want to live in a perfect world, with perfect people, and perfect hair. Sorta like Bill Clinton. Well, gee, the whole world knows Mr. Clinton, the dude with the hair, wasn’t perfect.

The point is this, stop trying to be perfect, just be the best you can be. If you do that you will be good enough for God.
 
Not trying to be perfect man. Just trying to love God more like he first loved us.
 
I am married and in my 70’s. My wife and I have had a very satisfying sex life for most of our long mariage. During the past few years it has become painful for my wife to have intercourse and in addition she has a MS which affects her mobility. I am in good health and have the same sexual desires that I have had when we were able to have frequent sex. There is a great deal of frustration in dealing with varying aspects of my wife’s MS. I feel pained that I cannot do much to stop the progression of the disease. I also feel guilty seeing her struggle while I am lying there in bed looking for sexual satisfaction. My only recourse in occasional masturbation. I had a conversation with a priest about 10 years ago (prior to my current situation) who told me to forget about confessing masturbation since it is not something that anyone confess now days. In addition, the entire subject of sexual morality in the Church needs to be examined. I read Father Charles Curran’s book on sexual morality when he had the run-in with the Vatican when they stopped him from teaching at Catholic University.

I am looking for some (name removed by moderator)ut and your thoughts on my current situation.
 
embracethecross said:
I have really been wondering if masturbation is a sin. I dont think that it is so much because of the sexual content, but rather because of the fact that the sperm is life giving potential. Masturbation is more of a release of stress and anxiety. We need some nurturing that we are not getting and so we literally stroke ourselves to ease the pain. So how can it be a sin of sexual temptation?

Pax Christi
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I believe the actual act of masturbation is not sinful. To defend this I point I look at 1 Corinthians 6:18 which exhorts the Believer to ‘flee from sexual immorality’; however, St. Paul (being raised a good Pharisaic Jew) would have based his views on the Mosaic Law (read Leviticus and there are chapters which discuss all the forbidden sexual acts…masturbation is not one of them) and the OT in general (the only possible reference to a person masturbating is possibly Onan [he may have simply performed *coitus interruptis] in Genesis 38:8-10; note that Onan was smited because he disobeyed his father, Judah, and refused to perform the Levirite duty so that his elder brother would have offspring). Thus, based on the Mosaic Law and the Old Testament, masturbation would not have fallen under ‘sexual immorality’.

The sin I believe is in the lust. Speaking for myself, I admit that masturbation is an issue I deal with it and I also admit that everytime I commit such an act, there is some kind of willful lust accompanying it (usually online cybersex/sexual role-playing or just my imagination).

Now, as food for thought, I’ll put forward an argument made by a Catholic guy I used to know (I mention that he was Roman Catholic so that there is no accusation of Protestant antinominism thrown around) who put it something like this:
  1. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against comitting 'adultery in the heart)
  2. The Mosaic law (the basis for ideas of sexual immorality and purity) condemns adultery and coveting the wife of your neighbor
  3. Looking at points 1 and 2, where is the sin if a unmarried person lusts after another unmarried person of the opposite sex (homsexual activity is condemned in Leviticus). If the luster is unmarried and the lusted-after one is unmarried, where is the adultery or the coveting of someone else’s spouse?
Please note, I am not saying I agree with this view, but I just want to hear (actually read) some responses to it.
 
nsper7 said:
  1. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against comitting 'adultery in the heart)
  2. The Mosaic law (the basis for ideas of sexual immorality and purity) condemns adultery and coveting the wife of your neighbor
  3. Looking at points 1 and 2, where is the sin if a unmarried person lusts after another unmarried person of the opposite sex (homsexual activity is condemned in Leviticus). If the luster is unmarried and the lusted-after one is unmarried, where is the adultery or the coveting of someone else’s spouse?
Please note, I am not saying I agree with this view, but I just want to hear (actually read) some responses to it.
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The object of lust ‘belongs’ depending on your time in history to herself or to her father. To use her as an object of lust is to disrespect her, as she has no actual say in whether you think of her in that way. Now would it make a difference if she gave permission for you to have those kind of thoughts about her or if she willfully aided you in it? Probably, its still a sin because it is giving into temptation and the lure of self gratification. In addition we are told of our body as being a temple to God, allowing others to think of you, or to think of others, in that way is also disrespectful to some degree to him.

Obviously it would be incredibly difficult to be perfect, or anywhere near it in this regard but it remains something to aspire to.
 
Juneboy said:
I am married and in my 70’s. My wife and I have had a very satisfying sex life for most of our long mariage. During the past few years it has become painful for my wife to have intercourse and in addition she has a MS which affects her mobility. I am in good health and have the same sexual desires that I have had when we were able to have frequent sex. There is a great deal of frustration in dealing with varying aspects of my wife’s MS. I feel pained that I cannot do much to stop the progression of the disease. I also feel guilty seeing her struggle while I am lying there in bed looking for sexual satisfaction. My only recourse in occasional masturbation. I had a conversation with a priest about 10 years ago (prior to my current situation) who told me to forget about confessing masturbation since it is not something that anyone confess now days. In addition, the entire subject of sexual morality in the Church needs to be examined. I read Father Charles Curran’s book on sexual morality when he had the run-in with the Vatican when they stopped him from teaching at Catholic University.

I am looking for some (name removed by moderator)ut and your thoughts on my current situation.
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Hi Juneboy.

First, the Catholic Way is that Masturbation is wrong…in any form, shape or way.
They teach this and enforce it religiously…pardon the pun.

They do not care if it will help you mentally or physically. They do not care that it would make you a better spouse, since the yearning will be lessened in dealing with your wife. They do not care that it is most probably what stands between many men and full blown pornography or adulterous affairs…

Nope, it’s wrong, just plain wrong. Period. Ha-Pa-Pa-Pa…don’t argue.

Sorry to all that this was phrased in a sarcastic light, but the Church is so rigorous in her stance on these things, that for a good man seeking help, it comes across as this way most of the time.

Juneboy, the only Catholic way is to accept that it’s wrong, and every time it’s done, you need to confess it, before receiving communion. That’s all there is to it. No loopholes, no leeway.

Honesty, there should be leeway. There should be small amendments made for people like you who, inside a loving marriage cannot be intimate with their wives. They should allow release, either through masturbation, or through mutual stimulation not ending in intercourse.
They do not understand what it is to live with your love, your partner, your soul mate, but not be able to express your love in the way you know best.
They cannot understand this since they are celibate and dno’t have to live like that.

I’m afraid you have no option but to confess it every time.

It gets more tough though…if you go to confession and you know that you’ll do it again, and you cannot promise to honestly try as hard as you can to stop masturbation, you will not be forgiven, since your prayer includes to promise to keep from doing it again, as much as you possibly can, and to avoid all the near occasions of this sin.
If you can’t promise this and pray this prayer honestly, then the Church teaches that your confession is invalid.
 
originally posted by Juneboy
My wife and I have had a very satisfying sex life for most of our long mariage. During the past few years it has become painful for my wife to have intercourse and in addition she has a MS which affects her mobility…My only recourse is occasional masturbation
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You say you have the same desires as when younger. I find that hard to believe. Desire goes down usually. If you are saying that sex is not available but the desire is strong at times. OK.

Have you talked to her gently about it. Have you expressed to her that you feel pained that you have not been able to stop the progression, the guilt you feel at even asking for sex? If she rejects you, do not feel bad. She loves you but she is sick and who knows what is going through her mind.

If you are helping care for her and I hope you are, what prevents her from not be able to be intimate? If she is uncomfortable, is there some way to make her more comfortable? Have you talked to her doctor in private? Later talk to her doctor with her in the room.
 
Why is it that some priests convey that masturbation is venial if sinful at all and others maintain that one act will render eternal damnation? Isn’t there some kind of official Church teaching whereby one or the other must abide by? The CCC leaves loopholes for acquired habit, psychological situations and the like. So, who do I believe? The priest that I went to two weeks ago that told me that in no way is masturbation a mortal sin or the previous priest that told me that I was in mortal sin? And in what concrete fashion may I believe anyone who sides for either??

This is very difficult for someone like my son who recently returned after years away from the Church. He asked me, " If the priest is in the person of Christ, how come Christ gives me answers that contradict each other?" How does the priest that I went to last feel comfortable with his advice while a priest across the Church disagrees??

Is masturbation a mortal sin?? It all depends on which priest you talk to and where you fall in the loopholes of the CCC…teachccd :confused:
 
gam197 said:
You say you have the same desires as when younger. I find that hard to believe. Desire goes down usually. If you are saying that sex is not available but the desire is strong at times. OK.

Have you talked to her gently about it. Have you expressed to her that you feel pained that you have not been able to stop the progression, the guilt you feel at even asking for sex? If she rejects you, do not feel bad. She loves you but she is sick and who knows what is going through her mind.

If you are helping care for her and I hope you are, what prevents her from not be able to be intimate? If she is uncomfortable, is there some way to make her more comfortable? Have you talked to her doctor in private? Later talk to her doctor with her in the room.
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\

This is ludicrous! First off, you cannot tell this man in his seventies what his sex drive is. It’s his, for crying out loud.

And then you go on to finding a way to make his wife “comfortable” so that he can have sex. Are you serious? So if my wife were to become paralyzed I should prop her up and make her comfortable for sex? You don’t think that he’s following a recommended doctor’s advice with something as crucial as this? Do you know anything about MS?? I’ve got to go…teachccd :eek:
 
The Catholic Church is pretty solid in regards to how it looks at this matter. Masturbation is sinful–primarily for two reasons: (1) it takes the sexual aspect of human life out of its proper context and (2) is almost always (if not always) accompanied by lustful thoughts.

The truth is, though, it’s a very natural thing, as well. The Church isn’t without sympathy. Hence why the Catechism, in addressing this matter, is very clear that one should not necessarily beat oneself up over it. It’s hard for me, a 14-year-old, not to look at this as a venial sin. I fall into this temptation pretty regularly. I’m not proud, but I’m going to deny it.

As with any sin, grave or not, we fall, we get up, we ask God’s merciful forgiveness, and just get on with life.
 
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