Masturbation is a sin.

[iaskquestions]

In my other thread “How old were you when you fell into masturbation for the first time?” some people are saying that masturbation is not a sin. However, that is not the purpose of the thread. Let us discuss the issue in this thread.

Here’s what the Catholic Church teaches:

Article no: 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.

 

[Will_B]

FYI … A bit of military history…

In 1966 our unit was required to view films on STDs… Not a very fun film to watch… There was a panel of Officers to answer questions, the panel was made up of Medical Doctors, and three chaplains ( One Catholic, One Protestant, and One Jewish)

The masturbation question came up and all three chaplains responded.

To summarize:

Protestant: It is a good form of sexual release, much safer then being with a prostitute.

Jewish: It’s a sign of immaturity.

Catholic: It’s a sin.

I wonder how that same group of chaplains would answer that today?

Blessings,

Will B.

 

[rlg94086]

FYI … A bit of military history…

In 1966 our unit was required to view films on STDs… Not a very fun film to watch… There was a panel of Officers to answer questions, the panel was made up of Medical Doctors, and three chaplains ( One Catholic, One Protestant, and One Jewish)

The masturbation question came up and all three chaplains responded.

To summarize:

Protestant: It is a good form of sexual release, much safer then being with a prostitute.

Jewish: It’s a sign of immaturity.

Catholic: It’s a sin.

I wonder how that same group of chaplains would answer that today?

Blessings,

Will B.

Probably the same. The Protestant chaplain sounds like he is giving more of a pragmatic, secular answer, whereas the other two are giving the clear teaching of their faith.

 

[thistle]

In my other thread “How old were you when you fell into masturbation for the first time?” some people are saying that masturbation is not a sin. However, that is not the purpose of the thread. Let us discuss the issue in this thread.

Here’s what the Catholic Church teaches:

Article no: 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.

It is always a grave sin. The issue is whether particular circumstances reduce culpability sufficiently for it not to be a mortal sin.

 

[rlg94086]

It is always a grave sin. The issue is whether particular circumstances reduce culpability sufficiently for it not to be a mortal sin.

Yep. That was included in iaskquestions’ original post (at the bottom):

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.

However, if it is a regular thing, the person in question shouldn’t just throw up their hands and say, for example, “oh, I’m addicted, so it’s not mortal…no problem.” They need to get help and/or continue to pray and work on it as a problem to be solved with the help of God’s grace.

 

[teachccd]

It is always a grave sin. The issue is whether particular circumstances reduce culpability sufficiently for it not to be a mortal sin.

Just to clarify…It is always grave matter.A person needs to meet the other two conditions for the sin to be grave. So masturbation could be a venial sin if the circumstances lack the full knowledge and full consent as presented in the CCC…teachccd

 

[FlatAffect]

I know I am confused. I thought masturbation was always a mortal sin. My confessor says if you are “addicted” that reduces your culpabillity. If that is the case, then how come homosexuality be wrong? If the person has convinced themselves they are born that way and can’t live any other way, then isn’t their culpabililty reduced just as well?

I’m beginning to feel the Catholic Church is on the slippery slope of not realizing the gravity of a sin because of the word “addiction.”

 

[rlg94086]

I know I am confused. I thought masturbation was always a mortal sin. My confessor says if you are “addicted” that reduces your culpabillity. If that is the case, then how come homosexuality be wrong? If the person has convinced themselves they are born that way and can’t live any other way, then isn’t their culpabililty reduced just as well?

Yes, but that doesn’t mean that homosexual sex is okay. It means the person *may *not be guilty of a mortal sin; however, they have still sinned…and it is a grave matter. Now, if they know in their heart it is a grave sin, but just say to themselves “well the Church is just wrong and I will do what I like,” justifying it with the ‘I was born that way’ argument, then it is still a mortal sin. Also, if they are properly catechized and make no attempts to repent, then they are still sinning.

My priest put it this way when discussing adultery versus a couple who is “living together.” The adulterer needs to repent and confess, and should stay away from the other person to avoid the occasion of sin. If someone who is “living in sin” with their girlfriend/boyfriend, then they haven’t really repented unless they move out.

Now, you can’t “move out” when it comes to masturbation, but you can try to avoid the occasion of sin in a variety of ways. In the case of homosexuality, you must do the same, and if you are living with your girlfriend/boyfriend, you need to move out.

FlatAffect:

I’m beginning to feel the Catholic Church is on the slippery slope of not realizing the gravity of a sin because of the word “addiction.”

The teaching of culpability has always been here, but I agree that there are some pastoral concerns. The important thing is that the priest work with the penitent on overcoming their sinfulness, regardless of the culpability. If the priest minimizes the sin because of the culpability, then they are doing the person a grave disservice.

 

[LJN21]

I think the teaching on culpability has gotten lost back there when the only sin became being judgmental.

Masturbation is always a mortal sin.

Your culpability for the sin and punishment due for it can be mitigated buy other factors, like knowledge or habit. So if the person for example truly doesn’t know masturbation is a sin, he is not culpable for the sin, but a mortal sin was still committed.

I think the whole “habitual sin of masturbation reducing the seriousness of the sin” is a slippery slope. I’ve seen people use that to justify their “addiction” instead of trying to fix it.

 

[Chaldean_Rite]

Masturbation is always a mortal sin.

You are wrong.

 

[teachccd]

I know I am confused. I thought masturbation was always a mortal sin. My confessor says if you are “addicted” that reduces your culpabillity. If that is the case, then how come homosexuality be wrong? If the person has convinced themselves they are born that way and can’t live any other way, then isn’t their culpabililty reduced just as well?

I’m beginning to feel the Catholic Church is on the slippery slope of not realizing the gravity of a sin because of the word “addiction.”

That’s because the term “addiction” is misused in this case. A person may form an acquired habit of masturbating to such a degree that their full consent of this sin is diminished. Many times a person may start this habit at a very young age and not even realize its sinful until years later making this habit extremely difficult to break. This is where the compulsion of this act may render the full consent only partial because of the intensity of this acquired habit. For many it takes years to free themselves of this all while knowing that what they just did was grave matter but the compulsion takes over.

Homosexuality is a sexual orientation and not an addiction no more than heterosexuals are addicted to sex. Sexual addictions can destroy both homosexuals and heterosexuals as well unless this is dealt with. Any sex act outside the marriage covenant is sinful and any sex act within the marriage covenant that degrades the conjugal union and procreation of the act is also sinful.

I’m not totally sure how you compare homosexuality with masturbation as masturbation can be practiced by both sexual orientations. Your last statement regarding the Church residing on a slippery slope because of the term “addiction” has no bearing on homosexuality or any other sexual attraction including pedophilia or beastialty.

In closing, the Chuch allows the same compassion for one struggling with homosexuality and for one who struggles with sexual addictions. It accepts neither but understands the three conditions for mortal sin and if for any reason one of those conditions, which would most likely be full consent, is obscured then culpability is diminished. Mortal sin says to God, 1) what I am about to do will separate us, 2) I have full knowledge that we will part ways and 3) I am so selfish that I don’t care and will carry this out regardless of your will. Many times # 3 is clouded by our excessive compulsion to such a degree that while some are actually committing a grave act they ask God to forgive them for their intense weaknesses.

God knows our hearts better than we do. The Church in no way sets Herself on slippery ground. Only we do when we pretend to be God. The judgment that we render to others will be returned to us accordingly…teachccd

 

[teachccd]

Masturbation is always a mortal sin.

Your culpability for the sin and punishment due for it can be mitigated buy other factors, like knowledge or habit. So if the person for example truly doesn’t know masturbation is a sin, he is not culpable for the sin, but a mortal sin was is still committed.

Your two statements above completely contradict themselves… And your last part is 100% against Catholic understanding of mortal sin. Re-read the CCC…teachccd

 

[LJN21]

Your two statements above completely contradict themselves… And your last part is 100% against Catholic understanding of mortal sin. Re-read the CCC…teachccd

No, I don’t think my statements contradict anything.

Yes you have to have full consent of the will and full knowledge to be guilty of said sin.

If no sin is committed you would not be required to go to confession upon realizing what you did.

 

[Predikant]

You can read about chastity and why it must be kept to enter Heaven, (also in marriage, it is only allowed for procreation, if you want no children, then you must live in chastity),

www.saintbirgitta.com - book 1, chapter 26
www.saintbirgitta.com - book 1, chapter 9
www.saintbirgitta.com - book 1, chapter 13
www.saintbirgitta.com - book 1, chapter 16

These words of God are accepted by the Church as infallible truth, this was ruled 700 years ago. Back then the Church had the same position as said in these words of God, if the Church today - in the end of times, when faith would be totally lost and people lovers of themselves and lovers of pleasures, rather then lovers of God and lovers of virtue, as prophesied by Christ, - teach different then what is said here by God, then guess who is wrong and are fulfillment of end time prophecy, and who should be followed and trusted, as all Saints of God teach the same.

 

[teachccd]

No, I don’t think my statements contradict anything.

Yes you have to have full consent of the will and full knowledge to be guilty** of said sin.

If no sin is committed you would not be required to go to confession upon realizing what you did.

The highlighted part of your post shows whereby a sin would not be mortal.

Your quote stated, “masturbation is always a mortal sin.” Then you say that if the three conditions are not met that it may not be. That is a contradiciton…teachccd

 

[rlg94086]

The highlighted part of your post shows whereby a sin would not be mortal.

Your quote stated, “masturbation is always a mortal sin.” Then you say that if the three conditions are not met that it may not be. That is a contradiciton…teachccd

LJN21 and teachccd…peace…I’m pretty sure this is a matter of symantics. LJN21 - you probably mean that masturbation is a grave matter and always a sinful act.

A sin doesn’t occur until someone actually sins. The culpability determines whether that sin is venial or mortal. I think it is safe to say that masturbation is *always *a sin. Since it is a grave matter, it is also a mortal sin, if the other conditions are met.

 

[StCsDavid]

I’m going to to out on a limb here; however, I believe that the inclination to pleasure oneself is not terribly different than other sexual disorders. There really seems to be some folks who are more inclined towards this activity than others. The question becomes is that inclination the result of a malformed conscience; a simple force of habit; or even a biological predisposition? Likely it’s a combination of all of the above. The popular culture wants people to believe that everyone does it and that it is “normal”…but in the beginning it was not so.

 

[thistle]

Just to clarify…It is always grave matter.A person needs to meet the other two conditions for the sin to be grave. So masturbation could be a venial sin if the circumstances lack the full knowledge and full consent as presented in the CCC…teachccd

You are wrong. Masturbation is always a grave sin. If someone commits a grave sin knowing that it is grave and doing it anyway then it becomes a mortal sin. If full knowledge was missing, for example, then the mortal sin remains grave but it does not become venial.
Before you jump in and say there are only two types of sin that is not quite correct.
There is a venial sin, and a grave sin (which can become a mortal sin if done with knowledge and consent). In other words a mortal sin is always a grave sin but a grave sin is not always a mortal sin and never a venial sin.

 

[teachccd]

You are wrong. Masturbation is always a grave sin. If someone commits a grave sin knowing that it is grave and doing it anyway then it becomes a mortal sin. If full knowledge was missing, for example, then the mortal sin remains grave but it does not become venial.
Before you jump in and say there are only two types of sin that is not quite correct.
There is a venial sin, and a grave sin (which can become a mortal sin if done with knowledge and consent). In other words a mortal sin is always a grave sin but a grave sin is not always a mortal sin and never a venial sin.

Grave and mortal are synonymous terms…teachccd

 

[ForwardProgress]

You are wrong. Masturbation is always a grave sin. If someone commits a grave sin knowing that it is grave and doing it anyway then it becomes a mortal sin. If full knowledge was missing, for example, then the mortal sin remains grave but it does not become venial.
Before you jump in and say there are only two types of sin that is not quite correct.
There is a venial sin, and a grave sin (which can become a mortal sin if done with knowledge and consent). In other words a mortal sin is always a grave sin but a grave sin is not always a mortal sin and never a venial sin.

No, TeachCCD is right…it is grave MATTER not grave SIN. For it to be sin, conditons have to be met. If one does this activity at 5 years old, he didn’t sin! If one does this in his/her sleep unconciously, there is no sin! If it were grave sin, it would always be actual sin when done, even when a person has no control over their actions. This is not sound teaching.

According to the Church, it is not always sinful, as you say above.