According to Jewish exegesis, sexuality is a gift. God gave humanity a command to reproduce. They consider it a tragedy if a man never marries and never has children.
On and on. Sexuality is a gift from God to be enjoyed.
True, Judaism does indeed tell us that sexuality is a gift from God. It also tells us, as does Catholicism, that sex is a powerful unifying force between two people. This is a major tenant of Catholicism. At
2345 the catechism states
“Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort…”
Catholic exegesis that minimizes stuff like this …
Catholic exegesis does not “minimise stuff like this”. In fact, Catholic theology reinforces what Judaism says. The Cattechism tells us that Chastity is a prime moral virtue and that sex should be for marriage, just as Judaism does. Both religions indicate that human sexuality is a powerful force and with it comes great responsibility.
If X was a mortal sin, plain and simple, then why does the Catechism not say that X is a mortal sin. In fact, the quoted section of the Catechism in a previous post says that a person’s culpability for masturbation may be “minimal.” So, I think it is unfair to burden people by judging their actions and pronouncing judgment on them.
The Catechism does indeed state that a persons moral culpability may be “minimal”. Let’s quote exactly what the catechism says, at 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 lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.” Note how it does not tell us to not judge. We may indeed judge someone who is addicted to masturbation, but our judgement must be an “equitable judgement” based on the relevant factors outlined in the quoted passage… Notwithstanding, in an earlier passage the Catechism tells us unequivocally at 2342 "Self-mastery is a long and exacting work…The effort required can be more intense in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during childhood and adolescence*…"* **and at
2343 *“Chastity has laws of growth…”
*Obviously, controlling the human sexual impulses, masturbation included, is a work in self mastery.That powerful human force can be destructive if not harnessed and used properly, that is, within a proper context.
Elizabeth502 outlined beautifully the consequences of an undisciplined and unrespected human sexuality. The fruits of an undisciplined human sexuality are now rather obvious throughout much of western society.
Let’s stay committed to the truth, by all means, at all times, but READ what the Catechism says – culpability - minimal. when I was in Catholic high school in the mid-1960’s, the subject came up and the priest said that it was a venial sin, and COULD BECOME a mortal sin under some conditions.
Practice what you preach and read the Catechism not only carefully, but in context. It tells us that moral culpability
may be minimal. It also tells us that masturbation, of itself, is a grave disorder. Obviously, if the gravity of that disorder is not accepted, and no attempt is made at self mastery, then moral culpability must increase. It follows that It doesn’t need to be spelt out to a thinking person that a deliberate and wilful acceptance of the abuse of human sexuality is a mortal sin.
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So, come on. Let’s be consistent. People who want the hell-and-brimstone message about masturbation, based on equivocal and unreflective interpretations of the old covenant, are Judaizers, as the translations of the NT call them.
The hell and brimstone message about masturbation applies according to the level of moral culpability the moral agent has, which, as explained, derives from the wilfullness of the moral agent. To simply say that the hell and brimstone message applies to old covenanters is to missrepresent both Judaism and Catholicism. That’s not honest.
We get squeemish about the subject of masturbation, admit it. It’s one of our favorite and most misrepresented venial sins, especially in this forum. Who wants to defend it? Well, nobody does, really.
Most people recognise that there is a continual battle to self master our most basic human desires and that any of them may takeover a persons entire life if self discipline is not practiced. Masturbation is one aspect of a very powerful human drive and self mastery of it is needed if the individual, and even society itself, is not to slip into an uncontrolled hedonism. Some might argue we are on the way already!
What about gossiping or stealing? Mortal or venial sins? The Catechism says that stealing from somebody who can afford the loss is NOT A SIN. John Paul II said that one of the greatest temptations in our age is relativism. but, the catechism, itself is very relativistic. The culpability for the sin of masturbation is a BIG maybe. READ IT. I don’t think anybody should bully around in these forums with questions like this.
Your argument went to hell in a hand cart with this paragraph. Please show us where we can steal from the rich? As for stating that the catechism is itself relativistic, well, that’s just plain errant nonsense. The Catholic Catechism, if you bothered to read all of it, is built and predicated on Natural Law morality. It is an objective moral code and the antithesis of moral relativism. You need to learn the difference.
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