Masturbation question

[tjm190]

That’s why I was careful to point out that the act of masturbation is objectively sinful. The urge is not license to perform the act, as we are humans and have an intellect and will.

But if one is weak in withstanding these urges, that’s where a priest can tell someone that their sin may not be serious. But the priest should counsel the person on how to gradually build up fortitude to avoid falling.

But your rationale for it’s sinfulness was the assertion that it was just for pleasure- which it isn’t- and that it’s selfish, while it’s no more selfish than eating or scratching an itch.

 

[surritter]

But your rationale for it’s sinfulness was the assertion that it was just for pleasure- which it isn’t- and that it’s selfish, while it’s no more selfish than eating or scratching an itch.

It’s objectively sinful because God gave us the faculty to perform this act for the purpose of engaging in intercourse with someone of the opposite sex. The urge to scratch an itch on your elbow is not an urge designed into the human person for a specific reason.

So the issue is what God’s design is intended for.

A good analogy is the eating disorder of bulimia. Food also has two inseparable aspects: the pleasure of enjoying the taste, and also the nutritional value to the body. Isn’t it wrong for a young lady to eat a wonderful meal but then throw it up? Most people see the problem with that – she has intentionally circumvented one aspect of God’s design for what a meal should be.

So it is with sex. This is why Catholics see masturbation, homosexual acts, and artificial contraception as sinful. Not because we’re prudes, but because they divorce the practical aspect from the pleasurable aspect, or in the case of masturbation, deny BOTH aspects of the design.

 

[renepape]

But your rationale for it’s sinfulness was the assertion that it was just for pleasure- which it isn’t- and that it’s selfish, while it’s no more selfish than eating or scratching an itch.

If you were standing in Church and had a strong urge to curse someone out who was annoying (let’s say a baby crying, or something), would that mean it is okay to fulfill that urge? If you didn’t like the way someone was treating you, and you had a strong urge just to give him a right to the jaw, would that mean it is okay to fulfill that urge? Just because we have a strong urge to do something doesn’t mean it is okay to do it. The sexual drive itself is a good thing, because it keeps our race alive and gives us the opportunity to really share our life with someone, but this urge becomes perverted when we fall into the temptation of self-gratification. In the society in which we live today, it is very easy to see why masturbation may be difficult for people especially today, because we are always told things can be our way, that we can get anything we want here and now, and we don’t have to wait for anything. This is another reason why the Church has said that other factors, including social factors, may mitigate culpability of the individual, so it is not the case that the Church does not understand the modern world, or anything like that at all.

 

[Seatuck]

Father Harvey’s take on the subject.

couragerc.net/PIPMasturbation.html

 

[Seatuck]

Father Jim Lloy’ds take on it.

geocities.com/frjimlloyd/masturbation.htm

 

[NoWhereMan]

Remember Jacylyn Elders, the Surgeon General who thought that masturbation was a good solution to all this sex among young people etc, well she was all but lynched, for saying something very truthful

 

[CFI]

Traditionally Catholic moral theology says that masturbation is always a sin. Today many Catholics think that it is impossible give a general rule. It is different if a child, or an adolescent, or an adult are masturbating. It can be also very different according the different life situations.

 

[ditch]

There are 2,745 views of this thread - so many people are interested, I would guess because we are all doing it!

Here is where the catholic church is wrong on this. Sooooooo many people are dying in africa because of aids. Millions of these people are catholic, most lives could be saved if the church gave the ok to use a condom if you simply cannot go without sex. Before you judge, put yourself in their shoes for a moment, we are talking about people with nothing, including education! Sex is probably the only pleasure they get out of life -so to deny it, obviously isn’t working.

Instead, the church refuses to budge on that … so millions of people are dying. It seem the church doesn’t care much about their suffering. Which is the worse sin here? You could be saving lives and educating at the same time, but, they rather “be right” and watch them die.

 

[renepape]

There are 2,745 views of this thread - so many people are interested, I would guess because we are all doing it!

Here is where the catholic church is wrong on this. Sooooooo many people are dying in africa because of aids. Millions of these people are catholic, most lives could be saved if the church gave the ok to use a condom if you simply cannot go without sex. Before you judge, put yourself in their shoes for a moment, we are talking about people with nothing, including education! Sex is probably the only pleasure they get out of life -so to deny it, obviously isn’t working.

Instead, the church refuses to budge on that … so millions of people are dying. It seem the church doesn’t care much about their suffering. Which is the worse sin here? You could be saving lives and educating at the same time, but, they rather “be right” and watch them die.

Umm–condoms actually accentuate the problem. It’s not just the Church that says this, you know.

 

[johankrava]

There are 2,745 views of this thread - so many people are interested, I would guess because we are all doing it!

Exactly!

We need sex. Either with our partner or without. Everybody.

 

[Prodigal_Son]

Sooooooo many people are dying in africa because of aids. Millions of these people are catholic, most lives could be saved if the church gave the ok to use a condom if you simply cannot go without sex. Before you judge, put yourself in their shoes for a moment, we are talking about people with nothing, including education! Sex is probably the only pleasure they get out of life -so to deny it, obviously isn’t working.

Sex is the only pleasure they get out of life? Isn’t that just a bit presumptuous? Do you know any people in these African countries? Africans, however poor, are generally delightful people with a good amount of common sense. They aren’t disillusioned Westerners who need an orgasm to enjoy life.

 

[ditch]

You can have your celibacy, it certainly isn’t working for most people with a pulse, just those of you who don’t have healthy testosterone levels and a tallywacker that doesn’t work.

 

[Prodigal_Son]

You can have your celibacy…

I’ll take my marriage, thank you very much.

 

[surritter]

Responses on this thread show that many folks are MISSING THE POINT. We are talking about the OBJECTIVE nature of the act, not each person’s personal guilt. Masturbation is always sinful, objectively speaking. So those Catholics who think that it’s impossible to give a general rule are, well, wrong.

However, it is true that certain circumstances such as maturity, stress, habit, etc. can lessen the personal guilt. But masturbation itself is never “OK.”

The former Surgeon General Elders said that masturbation would reduce problems in society. Does that make it right? How about fixing society by ceasing the constant focus on sex in the media that teens watch? How about promoting virtues such as self-control and self-respect? (Recall that this is the same woman who said that research funds should be diverted from heart disease to AIDS because AIDS strikes down those who are in the prime of their lives. Makes you feel good if you’re elderly, huh?)

Ditch’s response is representative of our society’s lack of knowledge about the objective nature of an act. Something that is objectively wrong can never be done, even if millions of lives can be spared. That may rile a lot of feathers, but it’s the teaching of Our Lord Himself. So the Church is not wrong about condoms in Africa.

 

[dagg1234]

Very true onan had nothing to do with masturbation.

 

[antunesaa]

I didn’t know it was wrong until 16 or 17!

Instead of condemning it and scorning those, I think we need to focus more on educating younger kids before or during puberty so it becomes less of an acquired habit and further issue for them later in life.

The same with me, and then went on for years out of habit until eventually it stopped. Initially I didn’t feel any guilt, but the whole thing didn’t feel right either: it just seemed a little too gratuitous, too easy. Then it became banal and I was sure it was not right at all. Finally, to my shock, I learnt it was a grave sin and the struggle began until eventually I felt peace again. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had died when I was already aware of the sinfulness of the act but unable to stop it. The Divine Providence gives us the means to save ourselves; ultimately, I guess, no one goes to hell by chance but as a consequence of one’s willful acts.

 

[JacktheCatholic]

What are your views on if masturbation is a sin or not?
Heard this debate being preached on a radio station this morning.

Please,its a question not a reason to hang me because at some time we have done it or have thought about it! remember those teenage years, yeah, I thought so! LOL!

For a Catholic there is no debate, it is a sin.

Unless a sexual act is open to life and in a sacramental union between husband and wife then it is a sin. No debate what so ever.

 

[Timbothefiveth]

if the church gave the ok to use a condom

The church should never give the OK to sin. If you’re commiting a mortal sin don’t you want someone to tell you? I think the much better option would be for the church to say to people they should stay abstinent.

To add to that, what about erotic dreams that you simply have no way of controlling? The Church says that is not even a venial sin since you can’t control what happens in your sleep.

I just thought though, going by that same argument isn’t it still lust? Just because we bury it in our subconscious during the day and it comes out at night doesn’t mean it’s not lust. Following the same argument as Masturbation = mortal sin, I’d say lustful dreams controlled or not are sinful as well. Human libido = mortal sin?

You can control masturbation, you can’t control dreams, that’s the difference.

 

[lome]

What are your views on if masturbation is a sin or not?
Heard this debate being preached on a radio station this morning.

Please,its a question not a reason to hang me because at some time we have done it or have thought about it! remember those teenage years, yeah, I thought so! LOL!

There was an old saying. “Drink from your own well my son.”
Why do you think why men, don’t lust after their wife?
The higher calling of the church or that of the bible shouldn’t be confused
With our human nature. They are at war with one another.
Just say “Yay” or “Nay” says the Lord. Anything in between is from the devil.
It is only persons so steep in sins that would continually justify and change the word of God to mean something else, to their liking.

God instituted the Sacraments of confession to a legally ordained priest for the benefit of those who are really seeking him and desiring to lead a Godly life! Regardless of how many times you fall, God’s Divine Mercy will always welcome you back.
Believing that you are forgiven so the devil can’t trap you.
God reads your heart and able to know if the desire to please him is first in your heart.
And don’t forget, God is not mocked!
Confession makes you right again with God, in receiving him in the Holy Eucharist.

The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist will make your spirit strong over your flesh!
Christ body is food indeed …of the Spirit.

Right now, you are probably too permissive with your flesh for you believed a lie!
That practice, like the rest of our worldly thoughts is nothing but undisciplined habits that you haven’t discarded or outgrown. You won’t die not doing it, instead you only made it worse by not guarding your though processes. Christ said that by simply looking hard lusting after a woman, you are already committing adultery!

The Devils are the one telling us that we need it, so he popularized pornography.
So please if you are guilty of these lustful thoughts go ahead and confess it, let go of the devil’s foothold then start from there. Don’t worry about failures. It is the devil who accuses, judges you. The Holy Ghost is the one that tells you to humble yourself to God and encourages. This is a spiritual warfare.
There is no middle ground, and this is a fight to the finish. Be a Christ’s church militants.
Follow the religion of the Cross!
I will include you in my prayers.

 

[WarriorofJesus]

Well, it depends what kinds of thoughts are rushing through your mind while you’re in the process of masturbation. If the thoughts are impure and dirty, than yes, the masturbation you are having is not healthy and commiting sins in your mind.

The problem with mastubation is that people that are weak spiritually, can easily become addicted to it and tend to have a problems with it. They relie on it in order to feel a moment of relaxation or well-being. Other than that, just try to aviod it and keep away from things that will tempt you to try and masturbate.