Is masturbation not sinful?

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dallas_r

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I am a teenage boy who is constantly having lustful thoughts and fighting an iffy battle with masturbation. I read online some people say its bad and some good. I also saw an article featuring Father Ruffo who said “I think the only time masturbation could be considered seriously sinful is if someone is using this activity to avoid one’s obligations to one’s spouse. Modern moral theologians tell us that masturbation is a normal part of one’s psychosexual development. Most people go through phases of masturbation, during adolescence, for example, individuals separated from their spouses in war time, the elderly, and others in unique situations of life. It’s hoped that individuals not become fixed or stuck in only this form of sexual expression, but rather develop a relationship with another person with whom one can express one’s own sexuality in an appropriate loving and intimate way.”
Is this true? Someone, please help me 😦
 
I don’t know if masturbating is a sin, but lusting certainly is and that goes hand-in-hand with masturbation. The Lord said: “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

Masturbation is treatable, though. God has rescued me from masturbation and pornography altogether. What I did was that I gave up on my own efforts [to fight it] and placed it into God’s hands. Sometimes we think that we’re all alone and that God has forgotten us-- don’t think that. Fasting can also help; when your stomach is empty, it’s much more difficult to have lustful thoughts. Also, do something to keep yourself busier. You’re not likely to masturbate when you’re mowing your church’s lawn or playing basketball with your neighbors. Do something to avoid spending time alone with your computer.

When you believe that masturbation is overpowering and you can’t overcome it, your prayer life will be affected. You’ll no longer believe that the Spirit of God is capable of rescuing you. That’s a blasphemy and you must reject it. When you believe that God can rescue you, you pray with confidence. My prayer life is far more passionate now that I don’t masturbate anymore.
 
dallas_r said:
I am a teenage boy who is constantly having lustful thoughts and fighting an iffy battle with masturbation. I read online some people say its bad and some good. I also saw an article featuring Father Ruffo who said “I think the only time masturbation could be considered seriously sinful is if someone is using this activity to avoid one’s obligations to one’s spouse. Modern moral theologians tell us that masturbation is a normal part of one’s psychosexual development. Most people go through phases of masturbation, during adolescence, for example, individuals separated from their spouses in war time, the elderly, and others in unique situations of life. It’s hoped that individuals not become fixed or stuck in only this form of sexual expression, but rather develop a relationship with another person with whom one can express one’s own sexuality in an appropriate loving and intimate way.”
Is this true? Someone, please help me 😦
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Masturbation IS sinful.

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.
 
thistle said:
CCC 2352

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.
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This is where we get interesting. Yes, masterbation is a normal part of development because of our immaturity (when does one start? 11,12 years old? Hardly mature.). And then it becomes a habit aided by the anxiety and stress of adolescence. Can we agree with the ccc that it is a sin that for most, has minimum culpability?

That is in general. An adult who gets involved with pornography is another story. That gets into addiction and the greater culpability is in the lack of effort to break the addiction.
 
Boys cannot achieve full orgasm until puberty. However, girls can and do achieve orgasms at a much younger age. Even 2-3 old girls have been observed to stimulate their clitoris until orgasm. To declare masturbation to be “sinful” is highly detrimental to the normal sexual development.

So draw your own conclusions. 🙂

PS.: And only the helpers on fishing boat can be justly called “Master baiters”. 😉
 
Michael_Mayo said:
This is where we get interesting. Yes, masterbation is a normal part of development because of our immaturity (when does one start? 11,12 years old? Hardly mature.). And then it becomes a habit aided by the anxiety and stress of adolescence. Can we agree with the ccc that it is a sin that for most, has minimum culpability?

That is in general. An adult who gets involved with pornography is another story. That gets into addiction and the greater culpability is in the lack of effort to break the addiction.
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I’d agree it’s very often mitigated, but I think part of that mitigation comes from a sincere effort to break the habit. Someone who says to themselves, “Whatever, it’s probably venial, I’ll indulge whenever the mood strikes” without doing anything to resist the temptation is in much more dangerous territory than someone who makes an honest effort to abstain but occasionally slips up.

That’s my sense, anyway.
 
Im not going to argue whether it’s sinful or not, there are several great posts here that have it right. I will tell you this, it is not healthy, and especially when it is combined with porn, it becomes dangerous to your sexual health, as those who do this often have been found to later have issues performing during actual sexual interactions, and it is harmful to your spouse (whether you are married now or in the future) as it puts unrealistic, unfair and impure expectations upon them.

It is a completely selfish act, contrary to the design which gives everything to your spouse and gives life, instead you are taking, it is all about you and the gratification of your desires for the passions of the flesh.

All that being said I understand it’s difficult, especially if you come from a family where it was never condemned and if you have lived and worked in an environment that promoted it constantly. However, you are able to overcome this and live a pure and fulfilling life united to the Lord. I would advise much prayer, and fasting to help you with this. Ask God to help keep you chaste and pure for your spouse (if that becomes your vocation), I also, on a personal note, have found that since my consecration to the Blessed Mother all things are easier to bear, including the desires of the flesh.

I would strongly suggest reading “Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix” by Bishop Thomas Olmsted. It is somewhat lengthy but a very good read and it would help you a lot I think.

It can be found here: intothebreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/INTO-THE-BREACH-ROMAN-CATHOLIC-DIOCESE-OF-PHOENIX.pdf

Are you gonna be perfect? No. Can you become holy and pleasing before the Lord? Absolutely.
 
Yes it is. A Mortal one.
I encourage you to please stop and resist the urge. I have made those mistakes and now I am suffering greatly. The Devil will steal your innocence and it will be insanely difficult to stop the habit.

If you did it, confess as soon as possible and be truly sorry.

It’s mortal sin since it is not the proper time for you to feel those pleasures. Don’t endanger your soul for a temporary pleasure.
 
There is no question masturbation is sinful. Is it a pleasurable sin? Is it a common sin? It is it a sin that is widely encouraged today? Yes to all. But it is a serious sin we should strive to avoid. We are called to be perfect which means not sinning at all. That includes all sins.

Fighting an iffy battle is still fighting. Being a young man full of hormones is tough, especially in our culture. But keep fighting. Don’t let people, even priests, get you thinking you shouldn’t worry about masturbation. Many people don’t talk gossip as a sin seriously either. That doesn’t mean they are right.
 
On a lighter note, “Downton Abbey” formerly on the PBS station, ran its course and ended this year.

One of the servants was Bates. That was his last name. (See where I’m going with this.) The very proper English gentry often called people “Mr.” to avoid too much familiarity. Most of the time he was just called Bates, but on occasion, someone would call him Mr. Bates.
 
striker_eureka9 said:
Yes it is. A Mortal one.

It’s mortal sin since it is not the proper time for you to feel those pleasures.
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Huh? This is not Church teaching. Not even close.

While intrinsically sinful, masturbation can be either mortal or venial, depending on the situation. Read the Catechism.
 
Regarding Downtown Abbey, it could be worse, they could call him Master. 😃

What was useful to me while stopping masturbation, was that once I stopped it, I began to have wet dreams. That was like continuing the masturbation but without sin. But you can’t think about those dreams, like dwelling on them, otherwise would be sin too. With time you will not think about them anymore. And you would have stop masturbation for good. Of course pray the rosary. I pray 3 rosaries per day. That helped a lot.

PS:Beside not dwelling on them, you have to also not desire them, otherwise:sin.
 
exnihilo said:
That view has been pushed for a while. Medical opinions, unfortunately, change often. Even if this is true that doesn’t mean one should masturbate. There is the question of morality. And even if one is a secularist who thinks masturbation is fine morally there may be negative psychological consequences of masturbation.
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Not to mention that masturbation usually goes hand in hand (pardon the pun) with pornography, which is a much harder thing to make a case for.
 
I suggest you read “Persona Humana”, a declaration published by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on certain questions concerning sexual ethics. Its ninth section discusses masturbation, which is grave matter. Be sure the Lord asks nothing impossible of us and gives everyone more than enough grace to live up to His commandments. God bless you.
 
dallas_r said:
I am a teenage boy who is constantly having lustful thoughts and fighting an iffy battle with masturbation. I read online some people say its bad and some good. I also saw an article featuring Father Ruffo who said “I think the only time masturbation could be considered seriously sinful is if someone is using this activity to avoid one’s obligations to one’s spouse. Modern moral theologians tell us that masturbation is a normal part of one’s psychosexual development. Most people go through phases of masturbation, during adolescence, for example, individuals separated from their spouses in war time, the elderly, and others in unique situations of life. It’s hoped that individuals not become fixed or stuck in only this form of sexual expression, but rather develop a relationship with another person with whom one can express one’s own sexuality in an appropriate loving and intimate way.”
Is this true? Someone, please help me 😦
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I’m always wary of this subject and advice. But read the catechism.
 
SolicitorPirate said:
Going to have to see receipts on this one. As far as I’m aware, there is no great division of controversy.

Definitely agree that pornography is…dicier, since the porn industry has a history of taking advantage of vulnerable people (largely women), using and discarding them.

That said, there are more moral alternatives, for those so inclined. The feminist porn industry generally tries to take good care of its talent, for instance. Also, hentai is always an option, if that’s your thing.
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Your examples of moral alternatives is ludicrous. And I’ll remind you, that this thread was started by a teen. The debate excercise is not a good idea here.

Stop titilating for the sake of antagonistic debate!
 
SolicitorPirate said:
I would consider my posts respectful disagreement, rather than antagonistic. Please keep in mind that at no point have I attacked anyone for their beliefs. I merely pointed out that masturbation is healthy.
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Pointing out masturbation is healthy is antagonistic to Catholic teaching. Also, it is a belief that can’t be scientifically proven. What I mean is even if scientific study showed masturbation reduced the incidence of prostate cancer that doesn’t mean it is healthy. Health is a broad concept that is really philosophical rather than scientific.
 
exnihilo said:
Pointing out masturbation is healthy is antagonistic to Catholic teaching.
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It’s contrary to Catholic teaching, but I don’t think he’s being antagonistic. We don’t require everyone who posts here to affirm Catholic teaching. There are plenty of non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-theists who post here. As long as everyone is being respectful (which he has been thus far) I don’t think he’s doing anything wrong.
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
It’s contrary to Catholic teaching, but I don’t think he’s being antagonistic. We don’t require everyone who posts here to affirm Catholic teaching. There are plenty of non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-theists who post here. As long as everyone is being respectful (which he has been thus far) I don’t think he’s doing anything wrong.
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I agree all are welcome. However I’d say:
The optimum amount was about 21 times per month, so uh, have fun?
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is antagonistic or at least flippant about Catholic morality. I think we can discuss things and even question, respectfully, teaching.
 
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