Masturbation: NOT A SIN

[CWBetts]

This really comes down to authority. Its interesting, isn’t it, that most sin comes down to this. The Church, which has autority granted by Jesus, teaches that masturbation is a sin. However some people refuse to submit to said authority, and mistakenly fell thay have the right to dicide for themselves what is and is not sin. When did Israel get in trouble in the book of Judges? When they did what was right in their own eyes. I think the message here is very clear. We cannot presume to know better than the Magesterium of the Church.

 

[Snerticus]

Why did God give us all this & expect us to suppress it, which again I say , it`s almost impossible to do, I dont care how much church You have.
Just from reading the different threads on the topic, I find that many catholics have a problem trying to rid themselves of this so called sin.

Because God says you must deny yourself. Read your Bible. Those who follow His words will inherit the kindom. Like many on this thread, you don’t have to conquer it to follow him, but you do need to TRY! If you give in to your animal instinct and want to remain an animal instead of a man, then you are not following His words, but the will of the evil one. You want your cake and eat it too, unfortunately it’s not cake that will save you, but the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. And if you continue to masturbate and think it good enough to not confess while at the same time recieving the Eucharist, then my friend you are eating and drinking condemnation on yourself.

Masturbation wont hurt you, its the other immoral sins of sex that will hurt you

Spoken like a true enemy of God. What does God have to do to you in order for you to believe it’s a sin?

There is a reason why I speak out against sexual sins in these forums. Perhaps not as much as I should, but there is a reason.

 

[CWBetts]

I believe in God, But there are certain things that stay as they are

“You believe God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.” --James 2:19 NAB

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!” II Corinthinans 5:17 NRSV

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” I Corinthians 13:11 NRSV

What does this tell us? Simply “believing in God” is not enough. As we grow in Christ, we discard our old ways. We have a new desire to please Him, and not to cling to things of the world.

 

[Methodi]

Because God says you must deny yourself. Read your Bible. Those who follow His words will inherit the kindom. Like many on this thread, you don’t have to conquer it to follow him, but you do need to TRY! If you give in to your animal instinct and want to remain an animal instead of a man, then you are not following His words, but the will of the evil one. You want your cake and eat it too, unfortunately it’s not cake that will save you, but the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. And if you continue to masturbate and think it good enough to not confess while at the same time recieving the Eucharist, then my friend you are eating and drinking condemnation on yourself.

Spoken like a true enemy of God. What does God have to do to you in order for you to believe it’s a sin?

There is a reason why I speak out against sexual sins in these forums. Perhaps not as much as I should, but there is a reason.

I am not an enemy of God, & If & when I do masturbate I will confess it , or I will not approach the altar to receive, like a lot of other people in Mortal sin do, & dont tell me that isnt true.& also, there are a lot of animals around, given their sexuality by God. What is your reason? I am curious, dont be ashamed, we are only human & weak. Also as far as I am concerned, most catholics want their cake & eat it

 

[Snerticus]

I am not an enemy of God, & If & when I do masturbate I will confess it , or I will not approach the altar to receive, like a lot of other people in Mortal sin do, & dont tell me that isnt true.& also, there are a lot of animals around, given their sexuality by God. What is your reason? I am curious, dont be ashamed, we are only human & weak. Also as far as I am concerned, most catholics want their cake & eat it

As far as confession goes, I assumed you didn’t go becuase you said it was as natural as breathing. Since you don’t go to confession for breathing, I assumed you didn’t for that either. So I apologize if I misinterpreted your posts. Maybe I was even mistaking you for someone else, and if that is the case, I doubly apologize. Actually, now that I went back and looked, I was misinterpeting your post by adding yours to someone else’s who said it was as natural as breathing. I think I was getting angry at all the “it’s not a sin” talk and I uncharitably put the brunt of my anger on you. I apologize a third time. But I hope the people who don’t think it’s a sin or perhaps just a venial sin read what I said. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be around that person - who claims it’s as natural as breathing - in public!

As far as my own reason for posting against sexual sins: I succombed to a certain type myself, and what I learned after ignoring the warnings - from the highest authority possible, I might add - is how much they destroy your soul and how much they hurt God. That’s probably why I got so upset when you said masturbation doesn’t hurt you - because it does.

 

[Methodi]

As far as confession goes, I assumed you didn’t go becuase you said it was as natural as breathing. Since you don’t go to confession for breathing, I assumed you didn’t for that either. So I apologize if I misinterpreted your posts. Maybe I was even mistaking you for someone else, and if that is the case, I doubly apologize. Actually, now that I went back and looked, I was misinterpeting your post by adding yours to someone else’s who said it was as natural as breathing. I think I was getting angry at all the “it’s not a sin” talk and I uncharitably put the brunt of my anger on you. I apologize a third time. But I hope the people who don’t think it’s a sin or perhaps just a venial sin read what I said. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be around that person - who claims it’s as natural as breathing - in public!

As far as my own reason for posting against sexual sins: I succombed to a certain type myself, and what I learned after ignoring the warnings - from the highest authority possible, I might add - is how much they destroy your soul and how much they hurt God. That’s probably why I got so upset when you said masturbation doesn’t hurt you - because it does.

A lot of catholics have some problems with the teachings of the church, but they abide by them Like Myself, It`s almost no different with societal laws, a lot of them we dont like , but we have to abide by them. Life is complex & not everyone sees things in the same light.I think You are a good person, & Keep up the good fight of faith, also U can offer a prayer for me & my backsliding. Thank You, God Bless!

 

[distracted]

Crumpy:
For one thing… i’ve read the Catechism and never found anything saying cheating is OK…

I’ll quote directly from the first edition of the 1990 Catechism:

paragraph 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 can lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.”

I’m not saying that masturbation is not a sin, but the catechism gives sufficient testimony that it is not necessarily a mortal sin, and, from other teaching for sure, that no one has the right to judge other’s actions.

masturbation IS a mortal sin… whether there are “mitigating circumstances” or not… just like having an abortion is AlWAYS wrong, tho circumstances may make it… well, i’m pressed for time & cna’t think of the right way to put it… but in any case, with abortion, there is alwyas a dead child and a “dead” woman (spiritually, emotionally…) That is true whether the woman really intended to “kill” or not (clinics are notorious for calling the child a glob of cells) … In any case, regardless, a murder has happend… and she will have to live with that for the rest of her life regardless of how “understandable” her decision was…

People should stay away from “self-gratification” like thye would avoid the plague… or AIDS… There are many adverse consequences… the greatest being that one has damaged his intimacy with God (hoepfully he had one?) and must then confess, pray a bzillion prayers and do other grace-inducing things to get that intimacy back…

Whatever the sin, when a person commits it, the devil walks in… that’s the nature of sin…

There’s enough of the devil in the world, thank you…

I agree a lot with Fr. Corapi, but he’s given talks where he bellows that masturbation is a mortal sin. He is wrong. The Catholic Church says otherwise.

he is not wrong… and it is NOT because he is a priest that i say this… It is becaues it is true… and i would say this even if i were NOT Catholic… The Catholic Church just says what is the truth… it doesn’t make up stuff… and ***the catechism does NOT say that those … listed considerations somehow make the act less wrong… … ***

 

[CWBetts]

masturbation IS a mortal sin

Not necessarily true. Remeber mortal sin has three components. Sreious matter, full knowledge, and full consent. If it has becapme habitual or addictive behavior, the full consent is brought into question. It is still sin, but not necessarily deadly, but still needs to be dealt with! We should say that masturbation is a serious sin, and in most cases is a mortal sin.

 

[Snerticus]

A lot of catholics have some problems with the teachings of the church, but they abide by them Like Myself, It`s almost no different with societal laws, a lot of them we dont like , but we have to abide by them. Life is complex & not everyone sees things in the same light.I think You are a good person, & Keep up the good fight of faith, also U can offer a prayer for me & my backsliding. Thank You, God Bless!

I will pray for you my friend, I usually pray for all I see that have problems in today’s world. And I could use yours as well…

God Bless,
Snert

 

[distracted]

Not necessarily true. Remeber mortal sin has three components. Sreious matter, full knowledge, and full consent. If it has becapme habitual or addictive behavior, the full consent is brought into question. It is still sin, but not necessarily deadly, but still needs to be dealt with! We should say that masturbation is a serious sin, and in most cases is a mortal sin.

well, i guess the problem is with words - semantics…

i agree with what you are saying

However, i think it is dangerous to … well, as it were, make excuses for this sin. If one is into this sin, he/she will likely not try hard to find a spouse… doesn’t “need” one (this attitude being one of its consequences)… and i believe God will not help that person find the right person because, well, God cares about that “right person” & doesn’t want him/her getting involved w/ someone who is selfish and… well, impure (not that this “right person” is perfect either, but anyway…) Then there are people who are not supposed to find a right person… priests, nuns, etc… This sin is likely worse for them becasue they know better… or should…(full knowledge)

(if no full knowlege… then maybe they were sleeping in their seminary classes… ? )…

the severity of the Adverse consequences probably … applies to a greater extent to the person who has “full knowledge and full consent.” But anyway… i guess my words were strong in the previous post because i think this is a more serious sin than most people take it for…understandable as it may be… For one thing, it is a waste of time if nothing else… and one should channel sexual feelings into spirituality… give them to God as best he can…

sometimes the wording used - even the wording of the catechism…I hate to say…- makes it seem like… well, like people have some kind of “out”… (an excuse)…

…

 

[CWBetts]

well, i guess the problem is with words - semantics…

i agree with what you are saying

However, i think it is dangerous to … well, as it were, make excuses for this sin. If one is into this sin, he/she will likely not try hard to find a spouse… doesn’t “need” one (this attitude being one of its consequences)… and i believe God will not help that person find the right person because, well, God cares about that “right person” & doesn’t want him/her getting involved w/ someone who is selfish and… well, impure (not that this “right person” is perfect either, but anyway…) Then there are people who are not supposed to find a right person… priests, nuns, etc… This sin is likely worse for them becasue they know better… or should…(full knowledge)

(if no full knowlege… then maybe they were sleeping in their seminary classes… ? )…

the severity of the Adverse consequences probably … applies to a greater extent to the person who has “full knowledge and full consent.” But anyway… i guess my words were strong in the previous post because i think this is a more serious sin than most people take it for…understandable as it may be… For one thing, it is a waste of time if nothing else… and one should channel sexual feelings into spirituality… give them to God as best he can…

sometimes the wording used - even the wording of the catechism…I hate to say…- makes it seem like… well, like people have some kind of “out”… (an excuse)…

…

I would agree that in most cases, it is mortal. All I’m saying is legitimate cases of compulsive/addictive behaviors the culpability is reduced. I am not trying to downplay the seriousnrss of this at all. I see masturbation as a form of fornication–a slefish expression of self satisfaction, sex without love. Even some who claim it to be an addiction are probably as you say just making excuses. I am simply saying that there are some cases where it truly is a literal addiction, and some form of counseling should be sought. I will say in almost all cases, I believe masturbation to be a mortal sin.

 

[CatholicKing08]

It is normal, healthy & necessary I think too. Its too powerful of a temptation, most people never get control of it no matter how hard they try. Meaning no disrespect toward God I think its alright to masturbate. My opinion

I don’t mean to attack you but this attitude just sucks. We are called to abstain from such vices. How does that song go, “we were meant to live for so much more?”

 

[Methodi]

I don’t mean to attack you but this attitude just sucks. We are called to abstain from such vices. How does that song go, “we were meant to live for so much more?”

WEll I think your attitude SUCKS too. You cannot tell me or the greater part of the world that masturbation is wrong, we come into the world doing it & even babies in the womb supposedly do it Its a natural sexual outlet which most of us need , God gave us our sexuallity. People struggle all their life & still masturbate up until the day they die. The Lord knows man is weak

 

[CatholicKing08]

WEll I think your attitude SUCKS too. You cannot tell me or the greater part of the world that masturbation is wrong, we come into the world doing it & even babies in the womb supposedly do it Its a natural sexual outlet which most of us need , God gave us our sexuallity. People struggle all their life & still masturbate up until the day they die. The Lord knows man is weak

My attitude? These are God’s laws, I did not make them. And as far as natural sexual outlets, have you ever heard of nocturnal emissions?

 

[dan1el]

Methodi, you are deceived. The first step in sinning is deception. You are deceived into thinking that your sin is “normal”, therefore, you have your conscience “seared, as with a hot iron”, but even this can be restored if you turn from your way to God. You don’t have to do the work; God will change you from the inside, He will give you “grace” to overcome; but YOU must say “this is wrong; this is not right”; this is called repentance. Once you repent, God will like the fact that you have honored His holiness; and He will give you His Holy Spirit, because you have believed in His word. The first step in sin is deception; the first step in holiness is receiving correction of my erroneous ways, then I reject the lie I once put my faith in, and I put my faith in the instruction of the holiness of God. “Perfecting holiness in FEAR…” God is good; admit that you are in sin, and God will lift you up from your humbled position.

 

[Methodi]

My attitude? These are God’s laws, I did not make them. And as far as natural sexual outlets, have you ever heard of nocturnal emissions?

I am not sure they are Gods laws, a lot of man made laws, To be truthful, I do Believe in God , But I am not sure what he really expects from us too many man made laws etc . We are human we are not walking around with halos , & yes, I have heard of nocturnal emissions, but masturbation is another thing, & Loads of people have a guilt for something that is normal

 

[Methodi]

Methodi, you are deceived. The first step in sinning is deception. You are deceived into thinking that your sin is “normal”, therefore, you have your conscience “seared, as with a hot iron”, but even this can be restored if you turn from your way to God. You don’t have to do the work; God will change you from the inside, He will give you “grace” to overcome; but YOU must say “this is wrong; this is not right”; this is called repentance. Once you repent, God will like the fact that you have honored His holiness; and He will give you His Holy Spirit, because you have believed in His word. The first step in sin is deception; the first step in holiness is receiving correction of my erroneous ways, then I reject the lie I once put my faith in, and I put my faith in the instruction of the holiness of God. “Perfecting holiness in FEAR…” God is good; admit that you are in sin, and God will lift you up from your humbled position.

YOu do not know what is between me & God, U have no clue & besides each persons relationship with God is different we are all on different levels of spirituality. If I sin I do go to confession or I refrain from communion, more than a lot of catholics do . God Knows me thru & thru, he knows I have problems with different things, But he Loves me just the same even tho maybe i am a bit mixed up, but I sure am not alone, we are all mixed up, too much information, thats why all ya`ll people are always on here challenging one another

 

[dan1el]

YOu do not know what is between me & God, U have no clue & besides each persons relationship with God is different we are all on different levels of spirituality. If I sin I do go to confession or I refrain from communion, more than a lot of catholics do . God Knows me thru & thru, he knows I have problems with different things, But he Loves me just the same even tho maybe i am a bit mixed up, but I sure am not alone, we are all mixed up, too much information, thats why all ya`ll people are always on here challenging one another

My brother, I was not attacking you, I hope you didn’t look at it that way. I am still a baby in Christ, and there are plenty of things I am confused about (I am currently seeking a Spiritual Director), but one thing I am NOT confused about is whether or not masturbation is a sin. If you are recognizing that it is a sin (and I think that you are) then it is a good thing, and God will give you the grace to overcome it if you TURN AWAY FROM IT.

Remember that you just said that you were confused or mixed up about some things; now remember this: “…for he who eats and doubts is damned, for whatsoever that is not of faith IS SIN.” So, if you are “at odds” with yourself over an action, say, masturbation, if you are not 100% convinced that it is a holy and clean action, then it IS a sin. The devil is very deceptive, my brother, but this is why Jesus told us to “wash one anothers’ feet”. I love you, brother, I hope you are set free by the truth of this post - unto God’s (and your own) joy.
Love,
Dan

 

[dan1el]

About nocturnal emissions: I have found that when you draw near to God, these do not even present themselves any longer; a person becomes clear from that desire completely, because God fulfills that person completely, and there is no “fire” of unexpressed desire waiting to be “put out”, because all your desire is Him. Amen. To the praise of God’s ability to work in you and me - by the power at work in us - even the hope of glory, Christ!

 

[CWBetts]

YOu do not know what is between me & God, U have no clue & besides each persons relationship with God is different we are all on different levels of spirituality. If I sin I do go to confession or I refrain from communion, more than a lot of catholics do . God Knows me thru & thru, he knows I have problems with different things, But he Loves me just the same even tho maybe i am a bit mixed up, but I sure am not alone, we are all mixed up, too much information, thats why all ya`ll people are always on here challenging one another

Your posts seem to be getting angrier and angrier. Maybe you should step away from the forums for a bit and collect yourself. I have had to do the same on multiple occasions in the past. You also seem to be getting pretty defensive. Compare waht you believe with what we believe, and compare both with the Catechism. And PRAY. You will grow in your spiritual life, but you must first accept the authority of the Church. This isn’t about me being right and you being wrong. This is about all of us growing in the Lord.