Masturbation, is it good for you?

[se_goat]

Hello all. After studying the CC and its teachings on sexuality for quite some time, I wonder how masturbation fits into natural law.

If it is beneficial to masturbate, why is it immoral? Why would God stipulate that it is a mortal sin when it is good for the body?

 

[Genesis315]

It’s not beneficial–it’s a perversion of something that is beneficial. It is sexual intercourse that is the natural, ordered act. Just because the unnatural act retains some of the benefits of the natural act, doesn’t mean the unnatural act doesn’t violate natural law.

 

[LilyM]

Precisely - alcohol has all sorts of health benefits, doesn’t mean you drink til you puke every night. You have a responsible medicinal brandy every other day or so.

Narcotic drugs have health benefits - doctors know this. That’s why they use them. They’re good WHEN produced in pharmaceutical quality AND used under medical supervision and direction. Doesn’t mean you can abuse 'em when there’s no legitimate medical need.

So sex - when used as God intended, has some benefits. Doesn’t mean you can have sex whenever and however.

 

[CHCatholic]

Although it is an assumption, let us look at a majority of priests.
I’m willingly to bet a lot of them have never masturbated, did it kill 'em? Nope. Is that bad for 'em? Nope.

 

[Transformer]

Hello all. After studying the CC and its teachings on sexuality for quite some time, I wonder how masturbation fits into natural law.

If it is beneficial to masturbate, why is it immoral? Why would God stipulate that it is a mortal sin when it is good for the body?

Masturbation almost certainly reduces a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer, yes.

If the holocaust helped Germany’s unemployment rate, how can it be immoral? Because an action’s having a single positive effect does not at all gurantee that it isn’t wrong.

If you’re framing your question in terms of natural law because it is biologically or “naturally” healthy, then consider this. Frequent ejaculation is that which actually keeps one’s prostate a little cleaner, which means that frequent child molestation also lowers one’s risk of developing prostate cancer. Does child molestation suddenly become moral for no other reason than that it has one positive “natural” effect? Of course not. Likewise, does masturbation suddenly become moral for no other reason than that it has one positive “natural” effect, despite all of the evil it entails? Of course not.

And even furthermore, masturbation is not even strictly biologically healthy, it is phsyically harmful in some ways as well. Jason Evert points out in his main book that every time you ejaculate, your body produces slightly less oxytocin, the key hormone for emotional bonding in sex. A man who masturbated every day for 20 years and then married would have destroyed his ability to chemically-emotionally bond with his wife during sex.

So, all in all, the “prostate cancer” argument carries no weight at all, and shows just how desperate some men are to justify their evil actions.

God bless.

 

[jrnami]

This is a grave sin that leads to the downfall of many souls.

 

[goofyjim]

It may still be a mortal sin but it is safe sex. You don’t contract anything from doing it by yourself. And what alot of people forget is that there may be a number of factors which reduce or even eliminate culpability thereby not allowing it fit all the requirements of mortal sin.

 

[StCsDavid]

Hello all. After studying the CC and its teachings on sexuality for quite some time, I wonder how masturbation fits into natural law.

If it is beneficial to masturbate, why is it immoral? Why would God stipulate that it is a mortal sin when it is good for the body?

This article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association disputes the claim that frequency of ejaculation is in any way linked to prostate cancer.

The study that was done in Australia which gained all of the media hype also had its own problems. The researchers could not explain why men who had an equivalent number of sexual encounters where they ejaculated did not achieve the same benefit as suggested by their study of those who masturbated. Also there sample size was fewer than 100 subjects so their sample size was a bit small for such a study to conclude anything.

 

[Greg27]

Looking at this issue myself, generally what attracts one to it asides from physical pleasure is the desire to be sexually intimate with someone. The Church’s law is this occurs perfectly in a sacramental marriage, and many single men who masturbate ‘do it’ not really for pleasure, but because they want to have intimacy but can’t. Masturbation is morally wrong essentially because the truest expression of sexuality (which is a created good) is when we share it in intimate communion with someone we love to the core of their being. The Church defines this communion between two people as marriage between two people, a man and a woman.

Perhaps there are some health benefits from regular sexual activity but sexual activity is really supposed to be for Catholics only in a sacramental marriage, and not outside of it. Sexuality is holy and we shouldn’t misuse it for simple physical gratification.

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

Sex as given to us by God is a selfless act of giving to our spouse, freely, fruitfully and totally to them in the renewal of our marital vows. This act shows the love that is between them, that has been given to them from God. They are being unitive and procreative in the act, enjoying the love that God has given them. It is one of the truest forms of love that they can share.

However, masturbation is a selfish act. It turns one to self. It is not self-giving as is the marital embrace. It is for the pleasure of one, not of both. It is that selfishness that makes the act sinful.

God’s creation of sex was intended for a husband and wife to be a selfless act of giving to one another. Taking away from that, making sex a selfish act is where we fall into sin.

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

Although it is an assumption, let us look at a majority of priests.
I’m willingly to bet a lot of them have never masturbated, did it kill 'em? Nope. Is that bad for 'em? Nope.

CH-

Please be careful in making assumptions such as this…you have no way to substantiate this claim.

Does masturbation physically kill us? No. But the spiritual and emotional damage, how does one measure that?

 

[Michael_Howard]

Hello all. After studying the CC and its teachings on sexuality for quite some time, I wonder how masturbation fits into natural law.

If it is beneficial to masturbate, why is it immoral? Why would God stipulate that it is a mortal sin when it is good for the body?

It almost destroyed my marriage, robbed my spouse of intimacy, kept me isolated in my mind and a slave to poronography, but the biggest reason being, it nearly destroyed my spiritual life and robbed me of the most precious thing in the universe, the love of Jesus Christ in my soul. I believe that where there is masturbation that in most cases, not all, but most, and I’m mainly addressing this to males, there is pornography invloved on some level.

 

[Franciscan]

Hello all. After studying the CC and its teachings on sexuality for quite some time, I wonder how masturbation fits into natural law.

If it is beneficial to masturbate, why is it immoral? Why would God stipulate that it is a mortal sin when it is good for the body?

I thinks its more about self-control. We are not just flesh we are spirit, made in God’s image. Enslavement to one’s passions goes against our idea of Redemption.

 

[goofyjim]

The only scriptural condemnation of masturbation I find is in the OT. I do not recall St. Paul including it in his list of things which exclude one from the kingdom.

 

[Margita]

The only scriptural condemnation of masturbation I find is in the OT. I do not recall St. Paul including it in his list of things which exclude one from the kingdom.

So what? Is your faith based on St Paul only?

YOu also stated in one of your above posts that masturbation is “safe sex” - I wonder what you meant by that, for I do not recall St Paul including it in any of his epistles.

 

[whatevergirl]

Masturbation almost certainly reduces a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer, yes.

If the holocaust helped Germany’s unemployment rate, how can it be immoral? Because an action’s having a single positive effect does not at all gurantee that it isn’t wrong.

If you’re framing your question in terms of natural law because it is biologically or “naturally” healthy, then consider this. Frequent ejaculation is that which actually keeps one’s prostate a little cleaner, which means that frequent child molestation also lowers one’s risk of developing prostate cancer. Does child molestation suddenly become moral for no other reason than that it has one positive “natural” effect? Of course not. Likewise, does masturbation suddenly become moral for no other reason than that it has one positive “natural” effect, despite all of the evil it entails? Of course not.

And even furthermore, masturbation is not even strictly biologically healthy, it is phsyically harmful in some ways as well. Jason Evert points out in his main book that every time you ejaculate, your body produces slightly less oxytocin, the key hormone for emotional bonding in sex. A man who masturbated every day for 20 years and then married would have destroyed his ability to chemically-emotionally bond with his wife during sex.

So, all in all, the “prostate cancer” argument carries no weight at all, and shows just how desperate some men are to justify their evil actions.

God bless.

I’m not sure I’d compare the Holocaust to masturbation, but ok. lol

 

[whatevergirl]

I think the OP is asking if it’s healthy, from a physical standpoint…and from a secular view, yes it can be…you will hear doctors like Dr Weil, and other modern docs in the media…advocate masturbation as ‘safe sex.’ But, morally…it’s wrong. Hope that helps?

 

[PauloFreire2]

“I’m willingly to bet a lot of them have never masturbated, did it kill 'em?”

What about those who ***have ***masturbated? Should they be dead?

 

[seeker44]

I, as a male sex addict (like recovering alcoholics we are always addicts even if we are presently sober – so far – in my case, masterbation to pornography and mental fantasies), second what Michael Howard says in the above post.

On the spiritual level, Jesus tells us that if we look at a woman lustfully, we have already committed adultery with her in our heart. And St. Paul also tells us not to live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. I think most men who act out do so looking at images of women or think of themselves with actual women they know or have seen, like my neighbor’s wife.

Masterbation is also selfish because it involves being in love with oneself in terms of fantasy and my own self-gratification above all and before anyone else. If my wife were not such a saint, she would have divorced me long ago because I was too busy acting out with my “fantasy girlfriends” to share a loving sexual relationship with her. As my need for sexual gratification escalated, my helpless wife could no longer compete with the always-willing, always-stunning, super-sexy women in my mind and imagination, or the make-believe porn queens on the computer screen who could be all things to all men in the realm of fantasy. Thus, masterbation has robbed my wife and I of a divinely ordained sexual relationship and obligation to each other, has distracted me from growth in my spiritual life and relationship with God, and has exposed me to financial and legal risks. I am talking as a male (I don’t know about the dangers of masterbation for females; they are drawn more into love relationship addiction).

At the present time I can only hope in the Lord’s mercy towards my compulsions and weaknesses and abandonment of my wife in favor of self-gratification. I look to the Holy Spirit for His grace and strength to continue the battle.

For men, who lust with their eyes as many men do, it is extremely difficult to avoid stimulating images–even in Church these days. Don’t let yourself be deceived into thinking that a “little” self-indulgence will stop there, or that the physical benefits or psychological “normality” of masterbation is license to get into it. This is the message from the World, Flesh and Devil.

 

[Ahimsa]

If you can avoid masturbation, then avoid it.

Or, better yet, don’t “avoid” it, but do something else.