Ok, back to the topic, the reason I believe masturbation is not some grave sin unto death as portrayed by many here…
The word “grave” here can have many different meanings here, and it’s a bit hard to know which you mean. “Grave” can be synonymous with “serious,” in layman’s terms. But it can mean, specifically, grave matter (sufficient to potentially damn one to hell), and also “grave sin” as opposed to “grave matter” in some church documents in the sense, that is definitely morally damning. Perhaps you can clarify since the ambiguity handicaps me.
the act in itself does not hurt anyone if its done in the privacy of ones home.
I mentioned to you earlier about the anecdotes of grieved wives and girlfriends about which you can find on the internet. Did you want to ignore them, disbelieve them, or restrict our conversation to those masturbators who do not have either? I also mentioned the enormous sexual slave trade which is fundamentally driven by pornography, and seems fair game to lay also at the doorstep of masturbation. In reply to another poster, not you, I also mentioned associated intrinsic risks like chaffing, being unable to perform sexually within marriage, and unknown risks of cancer and brain chemical imbalances. For many people, masturbation and pronography leads to greater depravaties. For a beginning masturbator, how does he know which kind he will turn out to be?
Fighting what appears to be a natural form of sexual release
You can cite to animals or aboriginals that might self-stimulate, I can point out that “natural” stimulation seems to be oriented to procreation and bonding. Given that the latter cases are perhaps millions of times more common, and the reason we exist (propagation of the species), I’m not convinced that relying on a “natural law” argument is in your best interest. But I’ll let you decide.
engaging in this act as a natural release could indeed keep one from committing a notable sin, or even a crime.
Robbing a bank with a fake gun that couldn’t possibly hurt someone is noble of the criminal, but still to be rejected as sinful. Yes, if someone is so enslaved to their lusts, that they feel they have no other alternative to rape or sexual assault than to masturbate, I would certainly appreciate their first steps to mitigate the damages, but the nature of their chosen act remains immoral. I think that American society is even wise here not to prosecute the act of masturbation as criminal, even if it would be possible to pass a law forbidding the immoral practice. It is a serious act, but the effects are moderate and more remote compared to other more reprehensible criminal activity.
Say the crime of rape, I believe this issue is fully entangled with the very controversial celibacy issues the church must constantly deal with, if some one feels condemned no matter what they do it brings on a sense of helplessness and hopelessness…
The Church didn’t make masturbation a sin (malum prohibitum). It is a sin by its nature (malum in se), the church is just trying to help the masturbator to understand this. It seems like you take the Church to be a bunch of out-of-touch clergy and their groupies doling out nonsensical “thou-shalt-nots.” This is not the primary function of the Church. The Church is a church of the “yes.” It proclaims the good news that you do not have to be a slave to your passions, that you can have freedom. It teaches Love, whether abstract or personalized in a Trinitarian God, and asks all people, for their own sake, to turn away from inward activities (like masturbation, but also worse or even more neutral activities) and do loving acts and think loving prayers of our neighbors. It wants us all to conform ourselves to this perfect Love, dying to ourselves and our passions. Properly understood, if you love as the Church teaches, you would have no time or interest in masturbation; it wouldn’t even cross your mind once you become advanced enough. Sure, the Church declares certain activities to be sins since people aren’t fully ready for that message yet and would otherwise chase such futilities, but it would rather teach Jesus’s message of love. St. Augustine says, “Love and do what you will.” The Church tries, but we are not perfect people. Jesus says that his grace is sufficient for you, he will not give you a burden (such as addiction to masturbation) that is too heavy. Learning to cooperate with his grace takes time and wisdom and effort, but keep your eyes focused on Him, and you will do it. Catholics have the grace of confession to help them in this battle. Feel free to return to this sacrament.
As you are probably aware, the Church hates the sin, but loves the sinner. I honestly feel for you. If I think you’re a sinner, don’t worry, I think of myself a bigger one, despite and especially because of God’s many graces. The chains of this life (especially in the sexual arena) are very great, and no one (well perhaps almost no one) is completely free from them in this lifetime. Masturbation is a great evil, but the Church understands that it’s so hard to break a habit once formed. Instead of condemning, it teaches that you are, more likely than not, not giving your full consent of the will, and that therefore your sin is likely not a mortal one. Confess it, please, since the original time may have been mortal, and even now it might be (it is doubtful but not certain). But no one, least of all me, is condemning you, even if my earlier words were brusque.
Your comments above associated masturbation with rape within the Church. I’m not planning to respond further on that connection unless you explain yourself further.
I hope you find this post better. God bless.
