Masterbation

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Montie_Claunch

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Just curious Why does the Church teach that Masterbation is wrong? I don’t think I have ever had that explained to me. Thanks and God bless.
 
Montie Claunch:

The physical sensations desired in masturbation are to be realized in the sexual act. The sexual act is reserved for married couples. It is mentioned as a sin in the OT and I believe in Acts or Romans as well, others would be able to confirm this.

God doesn’t ask for the impossible, so the options are available for everyone who it was gifted. Not everyone has the ability for the sexual act, and even for those that can, they still find their life fullfilled in their abstinance, and for some they can overcome their desires by expressing it in other ways, so it is possible to abstain from it.

Most people have a way out, and through marriage they can fulfill a life dedicated to God through Matrimony. Teens will have to wait for prior commitments, and judging by current poles, those who abstain are gaining ground today.

Andy
 
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AndyF:
Montie Claunch:

The physical sensations desired in masturbation are to be realized in the sexual act. The sexual act is reserved for married couples. It is mentioned as a sin in the OT and I believe in Acts or Romans as well, others would be able to confirm this.

God doesn’t ask for the impossible, so the options are available for everyone who it was gifted. Not everyone has the ability for the sexual act, and even for those that can, they still find their life fullfilled in their abstinance, and for some they can overcome their desires by expressing it in other ways, so it is possible to abstain from it.

Most people have a way out, and through marriage they can fulfill a life dedicated to God through Matrimony. Teens will have to wait for prior commitments, and judging by current poles, those who abstain are gaining ground today.

Andy
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For a good, short answer, see the Catechism 🙂

CCC 2352 (which is longish, so I’ll spare you the vast amount of typing :))

God bless,
k

(Also see JPII’s *Theology of the Body * or Christopher West’s The Good News about Sex and Marriage )
 
Montie Claunch:
Just curious Why does the Church teach that Masterbation is wrong?
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The Church teaches it because it is so.

If you meant “why is it so”, then the other posers have answered that.
 
What’s curious about the matter is that when I was in Catholic high school, the matter was described as a venial sin, that could be a mortal sin.

Now, there seems to be no doubt that it is a mortal sin.
 
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Crumpy:
What’s curious about the matter is that when I was in Catholic high school, the matter was described as a venial sin, that could be a mortal sin.

Now, there seems to be no doubt that it is a mortal sin.
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For any sin to be mortal there has to be:
    • Grave matter involved
    • free consent of the will
    • sufficent time for reflection
I’m not sure if all those are met in an act of masterbation, especially #2. I wouldn’t hesitate to confess it though, even if you’re not sure all the critereon have been met.
 
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Crumpy:
What’s curious about the matter is that when I was in Catholic high school, the matter was described as a venial sin, that could be a mortal sin.

Now, there seems to be no doubt that it is a mortal sin.
Click to expand...
+JMJ

More likely than not, it wasn’t that the doctrine that was in question, but your school’s theology that was questionable.
 
From what I know (I’ve read both the CCC and the West book), there is only one situation in which masturbation would not be a sin.

That would be as part of foreplay - i.e. if your wife is aroused by seeing you do it. But you still can’t do it to the point of climax.

There is only one place it is right to climax - and that’s the only place where climaxing has the chance to make new life. Deliberately climaxing anywhere else is a sin!
 
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Crumpy:
What’s curious about the matter is that when I was in Catholic high school, the matter was described as a venial sin, that could be a mortal sin.

Now, there seems to be no doubt that it is a mortal sin.
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The sinfulness is pastor handled differently for teenagers than adults.The church understands what goes on in teenagers and understands the intense pulling of temptation at that time in life. It very shortly becomes a mortal sin however with a couple of years or if there are other details that make it so.
 
I suggest reading (in addition to CCC 2352), CCC 1857-1860.

God bless,
k
 
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Timidity:
The Church teaches it because it is so.

If you meant “why is it so”, then the other posers have answered that.
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Yes, I meant “Why is it so”, Sorry for misphraseing. Forgive me.
 
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Seatuck:
It very shortly becomes a mortal sin however with a couple of years
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Exactly at what point does it become a mortal sin and what determines that? Sounds sort of odd to me, for example, for it to be a venial sin for a few years …* … - 3/20/06 = venial sin
  • 3/21/06 - … = mortal sin
    … and then suddenly on one day it becomes a mortal sin. What determines when it changes over?
 
It probably depends on how conscious the effort was to do the sin. If one committs this sin often almost habitually then it is probably venial. However when one is able to refrain from this sin for an extended period of time and then consciously chooses to get back into the sinful habit that, the first time, which would have to be a conscious effort knowing it will lead to subsequent masturbations and sinfullness would probably be mortal.
 
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Seatuck:
The sinfulness is pastor handled differently for teenagers than adults.The church understands what goes on in teenagers and understands the intense pulling of temptation at that time in life. It very shortly becomes a mortal sin however with a couple of years or if there are other details that make it so.
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I don’t believe that is correct. Masterbation by adults AND teenagers is a mortal sin. The Church teaching does NOT differentiate.
 
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thistle:
I don’t believe that is correct. Masterbation by adults AND teenagers is a mortal sin. The Church teaching does NOT differentiate.
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No the confessor can get the details to understand the culpability of the teen. It is recognised that because of our sinful world and the failure of parents to teach properly about this area of life there may be an absence of knowledge that it is a mortal sin. Plus at some point masterbation may be come compulsion and that changes the pastoral response as well. Yes , masterbation is sin , it is grave matter but the requirements of knowledge and consent must also apply.

couragerc.net/pastoral_problem_of_masturbation.htm
 
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Seatuck:
No the confessor can get the details to understand the culpability of the teen. It is recognised that because of our sinful world and the failure of parents to teach properly about this area of life there may be an absence of knowledge that it is a mortal sin. Plus at some point masterbation may be come compulsion and that changes the pastoral response as well. Yes , masterbation is sin , it is grave matter but the requirements of knowledge and consent must also apply.

couragerc.net/pastoral_problem_of_masturbation.htm
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The three requirements being fulfilled is what I am talking about. Without all 3 applying no mortal sin is committed.

Grave matter
Full knowledge
Full consent

Masturbation is a grave matter so if a teenager knows this and does it anyway then they are committing a mortal sin.
 
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