Severity of masturbation

[Soldier_Of_God]

Masturbation is sexual manipulation of one’s genitals for personal satisfaction. Masturbation is seen by many to be an innocuous and even ‘healthy’ activity that harms no one. However, as it pertains to Church* moral* teaching, willful masturbation constitutes a gravely disordered activity. Why would that be the case?

It is deficient of the full design of sexuality which should be directed towards procreation and a loving relationship with one’s spouse. It’s innately a selfish and hedonistic act that is intrinsically sterile, which is runs counter to the Church teachings of the purpose of sexual congress. It is often accompanied with pornography and other illicit fantasies, which are not morally appropriate.

Fully aware, mature adults are mortally culpable for masturbation they engage if they…

1. Willfully engage in masturbation
2. Commit the act with full consent
3. Are aware it is a gravely disordered act

Nevertheless, culpability may be partially or completely mitigated on circumstance. Children are generally not deemed to be morally at fault due to their age and maturity. Young adults with powerful hormonal urges and limited maturity are, in all probability, not fully culpable for their masturbation actions. Furthermore, an ongaing habit, a lack of moral awareness or those struggling with addiction may have the moral culpability of masturbation partially offset as well.

As for masturbation to be considered mere ‘expressions of human sexuality’, this does not constitute a moral justification for such behaviour and is simply euphemism to help advocate such acts. There are many forms of human ‘expression’ that cannot be and should not morally justified.

 

[sw85]

I’m not questioning masturbation as a sin, but as a mortal sin – that could potentially condemn one if he failed to confess it before death. Is it really a mortal sin? Furthermore, is the Church moot on this point (that masturbation is a mortal sin) or is it non-debatable?

In terms of seriousness and damage, in my opinion masturbation doesn’t stack up anywhere close to murder, adultery, rape, or even fornication.

It is a mortal sin, though the gravity of the sin can be mitigated by a number of factors, such as habituation or psychopathology. Since the prohibition derives from natural law, I do not believe it is negotiable.

Other sins are more serious, as you note. That fact does not diminish the gravity of onanism.

 

[Bezant]

A mortal sin is a mortal sin: they all remove one from a state of grace and, unrepented, land one’s soul in hell for all eternity.

Recall the warning by Our Lady of Fatima: “More souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason.” Sins of the flesh includes masturbation.

That’s quite an open statement, and quite different from saying souls go to hell for all or any sins of the flesh.

As Fr. Prummer noted, masturbation, along with bestiality and sodomy, are the most serious of the sins of the flesh because they are unnatural acts.

More serious than adultery or pedophilia? I would have to disagree.

 

[Bezant]

For an act to be a mortal sin, three conditions are required:

(1) It must be a grievously immoral act

(2) The sinner must be aware it is a grievous sin, and

(3) It must be deliberately willed

Note that the second condition does not require that the sinner agree that the sin is grave. While the full explanation is rather lengthy, being aware that the Church teaches that an act is a grave sin generally suffices to fulfill this condition.

Then give the full explanation. Thanks.

 

[Soldier_Of_God]

More serious than adultery or pedophilia? I would have to disagree.

These are grave sins as well and, therefore, are mortal if wilfully performed. There are no “degrees” of grave sin.

 

[jerry74383]

That’s quite an open statement, and quite different from saying souls go to hell for all or any sins of the flesh.

Of course not every sin of the flesh results in the soul going to hell. First, there is the possibility of repentance. Second, as other respondents have touched on, the level of culpability for any given act may be diminished.

What is significant is that the sins of the flesh have the potential to result in the loss of eternal life. We can rationalize how any given act may not have been mortal, but for what benefit? And at what potential cost?

If we commit a mortal sin and have the required disposition, it is very easily absolved by going to confession. Even if that particular act was not mortal, there is nothing lost and the graces from the sacrament will help us avoid the sin in the future.

On the other hand, if we erroneously convince ourselves the act wasn’t a mortal sin (which is very easy to do!) and don’t confess it, the consequences will be devastating.

Why take the chance?

Looking at it from another perspective, every grave sin hurts God tremendously. Jesus felt the pain of each and every one during His Passion. Perhaps we’d all sin less if we looked at sin from this perspective rather than trying to rationalize why what we are doing really isn’t wrong (or so bad).

More serious than adultery or pedophilia? I would have to disagree.

Why does it matter which grave sin is worse than another?

 

[jerry74383]

Then give the full explanation. Thanks.

The full explanation can require many pages, and even full chapters in textbooks. If you wish to research the topic further, I suggest Right and Reason: Ethics in Theory and Practice by Fr. Austin Fagothey, S.J. Be sure to get the 2nd edition reprint, not the later editions, which were taken over by another author and have, I understand, strayed considerably.

 

[Urbano_Macchi]

These are grave sins as well and, therefore, are mortal if wilfully performed. There are no “degrees” of grave sin.

The Catechism seems to state otherwise:

1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

However, any mortal sin will send you to hell. So, what are we to make of this? Perhaps one explanation is the level of hell to which one will be sent.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Or also that the more grave the mortal sin, the more one can expect to suffer in Purgatory should one repent (and thus one should do more to remit the temporal punishment while still alive).

 

[Jim_Roberts]

I’m not questioning masturbation as a sin, but as a mortal sin – that could potentially condemn one if he failed to confess it before death. Is it really a mortal sin? Furthermore, is the Church moot on this point (that masturbation is a mortal sin) or is it non-debatable?

In terms of seriousness and damage, in my opinion masturbation doesn’t stack up anywhere close to murder, adultery, rape, or even fornication.

 

[Jim_Roberts]

RE:

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 no doubt and have firmly maitained that masturbation is intrinsically and gravely disordered action. Thw deliberate use of the sexcual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to purpose.

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 or even extenuate moral culpability.

 

[Soldier_Of_God]

The Catechism seems to state otherwise:

Any grave sin that is unrepented and willingingly commited is a mortal sin. The eternal consequences are the same regardless, hence my comment of “degrees” of sin. I should have said mortal sin instead of grave sin. However, I would agree with you that some sins are worse than others and I will revise my position as it is not entirely accurate, as you’ve pointed out. It would be more accurate to say all grave sins willingly and knowingly commited that are unrepented result in mortal sin. Ergo, the gravity they carry in terms of salvation are all the same.

 

[Calliso]

Why must we all ignore the scientific world’s findings on this subject? We all may interpret the bible’s (or whichever religious writings you follow for that matter) in our own way and take what we wish from that.

Why, though, should we interpret these writings in such a way that we condemn what is proven to be a natural, normal part of sexual development and relationships in general?

For young children, it is a part of the exploration of their own growing bodies. For men and women, it is an expression of sexuality. In short, it’s a natural part of growing up. As for the guilt and shame mentioned earlier, that is caused by society’s secretiveness about the sexual organs of the human body, and this makes children especially believe that they are considered “bad”.

Masturbation can actually improve sexual relationships because this exploration of your own body will help your partner know what pleases you, and how to better your relationship in the bedroom.

This all comes from the innumerable doctors that have studied and researched masturbation’s effects on people of all ages.

(The thing we can all agree on is that addiction to this, or anything, is detrimental. That, however, would be a different discussion).

Agreed I mean I definately think masterbation can be sinful if one becomes addicted to it. Or for instance if one is married and is choosing to masterbate and refusing their spouse sex. But I donlt think it is so black and white that one could say that masturbation is wrong all the time no matter what.

 

[jerry74383]

Agreed I mean I definately think masterbation can be sinful if one becomes addicted to it. Or for instance if one is married and is choosing to masterbate and refusing their spouse sex. But I donlt think it is so black and white that one could say that masturbation is wrong all the time no matter what.

On what objective criteria do you base this opinion?

The teaching of the Church, which is the moral authority we are obliged to submit to, masturbation is always gravely sinful. Habituation will reduce the culpability for the act, perhaps even to the point of it not being a mortal sin; however, we must be careful not to use this as an excuse to avoid attempting to break the habit (i.e., “It’s a habit, so it’s not a mortal sin, so I don’t have to stop.”) as this increases the culpability.

While every act of masturbation may not be a mortal sin, depending on the specific circumstances, one can’t go wrong by assuming they are (referring to one’s own sins, not those of others). On the other hand, one can go horribly wrong assuming they aren’t.

 

[Urbano_Macchi]

Any grave sin that is unrepented and willingingly commited is a mortal sin. The eternal consequences are the same regardless, hence my comment of “degrees” of sin. I should have said mortal sin instead of grave sin. However, I would agree with you that some sins are worse than others and I will revise my position as it is not entirely accurate, as you’ve pointed out. It would be more accurate to say all grave sins willingly and knowingly commited that are unrepented result in mortal sin. Ergo, the gravity they carry in terms of salvation are all the same.

We are in complete agreement.

 

[Soldier_Of_God]

We are in complete agreement.

Glad to hear.

 

[beehumble]

Stop arguing and just go to confession already, will ya?!

And if you fall again, confess again. Over and over. Fight.

Great saints have fought battles against sins of impurity - St. Faustina mentions praying for purity in her diary. St. Augustine is practically the patron saint of playboys trying to reform.

God bless you.

 

[michelleds]

Stop arguing and just go to confession already, will ya?!

And if you fall again, confess again. Over and over. Fight.

Great saints have fought battles against sins of impurity - St. Faustina mentions praying for purity in her diary. St. Augustine is practically the patron saint of playboys trying to reform.

God bless you.

:clapping:

 

[Genocyber]

Dont worry brother everybody has fallen into that trap, and seeing as you ask about it means you are regretful of it… Who cares if its ‘‘venial’’ or ‘‘mortal’’ sin? Its still a sin, but give it to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness and He will… Never feel worthless or condemned by what people may say, There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ the bible says, believe those words and believe in Jesus! He loves you and understands you, and NO HE spoke easy for even children to understand, unlike what they do in the thread speaking riddles over and over again about dogmas… Jesus is God He decides and He said He loves you… So know this and offer everything up to Him…May God bless you

 

[jenniferpet88]

I’m not questioning masturbation as a sin, but as a mortal sin – that could potentially condemn one if he failed to confess it before death. Is it really a mortal sin? Furthermore, is the Church moot on this point (that masturbation is a mortal sin) or is it non-debatable?

In terms of seriousness and damage, in my opinion masturbation doesn’t stack up anywhere close to murder, adultery, rape, or even fornication.

your sin isn’t only masterbation but pride because you are trying to find a loop hole to justify something in order that you do not have to humiliate yourself by confessing such a sin to a priest…sry but sometimes gotta call it like it is

 

[Nate13]

haha if we look to the most recent science trends to determine what is right and wrong we are in big trouble. Has anyone heard about the movie “Hall Pass”? Who knows, maybe next week we will be hearing about how science has proven that adultery helps marriages