GospelOfMatthew
New member
As some or perhaps most of you may know, I have had struggles with pornography and masturbation since I was 12YO and I am now 20YO and actively fighting both as well as offering help and advice for others struggling.
I have been reflecting today on the CCC definitions of masturbation and pornography and I went and read some prior discussions of these on CAF but haven’t found an exact answer that makes sense. Both of these refer to ‘pleasure’ as part of the sin, let me list the two CCC definitions:
_ “Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.”_ - CCC 2354
”By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action."138 “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.” - CCC 2352
I understand why these are sinful and I understand both can be mortal sins. What I do not understand is, when I have fallen to both of these in the past, I was never tempted because of the pleasure I’d get from them, frankly I get no physical pleasure from them. I’ve read there is a chemical release of endorphins and that is why people enjoy it/are tempted to it. I have not ever experienced this feeling of enjoyment. For me, it has always been an compulsive and habitual thing that I start to obsess about, never about the pleasure and I don’t even get any pleasure from it. Is this because I have desensitized myself because I did these acts for 8 years? I don’t think I ever found physical pleasure from them, like I said it’s compulsion that tempts me not the pleasure/enjoyment because there is none. I wonder then if these are not mortal sins for me because they are strictly habitual but either way I confess them when needed.
Not sure why I don’t get physical pleasure from the acts (I don’t want any because that will only be another tempt) but I wonder if I have some bodily issue that I should speak to a doctor about? I’m having trouble understanding this pleasure aspect when helping others when I myself haven’t experienced pleasure
I have been reflecting today on the CCC definitions of masturbation and pornography and I went and read some prior discussions of these on CAF but haven’t found an exact answer that makes sense. Both of these refer to ‘pleasure’ as part of the sin, let me list the two CCC definitions:
_ “Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.”_ - CCC 2354
”By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action."138 “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.” - CCC 2352
I understand why these are sinful and I understand both can be mortal sins. What I do not understand is, when I have fallen to both of these in the past, I was never tempted because of the pleasure I’d get from them, frankly I get no physical pleasure from them. I’ve read there is a chemical release of endorphins and that is why people enjoy it/are tempted to it. I have not ever experienced this feeling of enjoyment. For me, it has always been an compulsive and habitual thing that I start to obsess about, never about the pleasure and I don’t even get any pleasure from it. Is this because I have desensitized myself because I did these acts for 8 years? I don’t think I ever found physical pleasure from them, like I said it’s compulsion that tempts me not the pleasure/enjoyment because there is none. I wonder then if these are not mortal sins for me because they are strictly habitual but either way I confess them when needed.
Not sure why I don’t get physical pleasure from the acts (I don’t want any because that will only be another tempt) but I wonder if I have some bodily issue that I should speak to a doctor about? I’m having trouble understanding this pleasure aspect when helping others when I myself haven’t experienced pleasure
Last edited: