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AFerri48
Guest
Even back then, God didn’t kill everybody who sinned, so what maybe Onan such a special case? Why did this specific case warrant immediate death?
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Abu
Guest
As an example to mankind of the gravity of thwarting His moral law – “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." [Genesis 1:28]
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“In the fourth century St. Augustine wrote, “Relations with one’s wife when conception is deliberately prevented are as unlawful and impure as the conduct of Onan who was slain.”** St. Thomas Aquinas, in the thirteenth century, taught clearly the constant doctrine of the Christian religion that birth-control is a grave sin. He writes, “Next to murder, by which an actually existent human being is destroyed, we rank this sin by which the generation of a human being is prevented.” [Contra Gent., Bk. III., c. 122]. It is not a new law by any means.”
radioreplies.info/radio-r…ol-1.php?t=111
rtforum.org/lt/lt67.html
“That Onan’s unnatural act as such is condemned as sinful in Gen. 38: 9-10 was an interpretation held by the Fathers and Doctors of the Catholic Church, by the Protestant Reformers, and by nearly all celibate and married theologians of all Christian denominations until the early years of this century, when some exegetes began to approach the text with preconceptions deriving from the sexual decadence of modern Western culture and its exaggerated concern for ‘over-population.’ ” [Pope Pius XI, *Encyclical on Christian Marriage, Casti Connubii (31 December 1930)].
The revered Fr John A Hardon, S.J. in Modern Catholic Dictionary:
CONTRACEPTION. Deliberate interference with marital intercourse in order to prevent conception. It is the performance of the marriage act with the positive frustration of conception. Also called conjugal onanism, from the sin of Onan, referred to in the Bible (Genesis 38:8-10);
therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl
[My emphases].
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“In the fourth century St. Augustine wrote, “Relations with one’s wife when conception is deliberately prevented are as unlawful and impure as the conduct of Onan who was slain.”** St. Thomas Aquinas, in the thirteenth century, taught clearly the constant doctrine of the Christian religion that birth-control is a grave sin. He writes, “Next to murder, by which an actually existent human being is destroyed, we rank this sin by which the generation of a human being is prevented.” [Contra Gent., Bk. III., c. 122]. It is not a new law by any means.”
radioreplies.info/radio-r…ol-1.php?t=111
rtforum.org/lt/lt67.html
“That Onan’s unnatural act as such is condemned as sinful in Gen. 38: 9-10 was an interpretation held by the Fathers and Doctors of the Catholic Church, by the Protestant Reformers, and by nearly all celibate and married theologians of all Christian denominations until the early years of this century, when some exegetes began to approach the text with preconceptions deriving from the sexual decadence of modern Western culture and its exaggerated concern for ‘over-population.’ ” [Pope Pius XI, *Encyclical on Christian Marriage, Casti Connubii (31 December 1930)].
The revered Fr John A Hardon, S.J. in Modern Catholic Dictionary:
CONTRACEPTION. Deliberate interference with marital intercourse in order to prevent conception. It is the performance of the marriage act with the positive frustration of conception. Also called conjugal onanism, from the sin of Onan, referred to in the Bible (Genesis 38:8-10);
therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl
[My emphases].
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peter26
Guest
On a simpler level, god told him to do something. He didn’t, and tried to avoid God’s plan.
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Richca
Guest
Well, Holy Scripture doesn’t say except that what Onan did was displeasing [or wicked] in the sight of the Lord for which the Lord slew him as the Lord slew Onan’s elder brother, Er, for his wickedness, for the wicked shall perish from the earth. The Scripture does not actually say that Onan died immediately, however, nor exactly how Onan died. From the text of Scripture though if Onan did not die immediately after what is written in Gen. 38: 9, I think we can reasonably gather that he probably died not long after. Again, exactly how Onan died, Scripture does not give us this detail. However, the Scripture is clear that God caused his death in whatever way he died because what Onan did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord.
The duty of a younger brother to marry the widow of his elder brother was written into Israelite law, cf. Deut. 25:5-10. It had the effect of keeping the property of the clan or family under the family as well as perpetuating the elder brother’s lineage. This law was called the Levirate law or Levirate marriage. According to the times, this law or custom was probably a way of keeping order within society. It was apparently still in effect in Jesus’ time, cf. Matt. 22: 23-32. According to Deut. 25: 5-10, the Levirate marriage applied “If brothers live together” and it does not appear to be punishable by death if a younger brother didn’t comply to the law. However, the incident under question here occurred before Moses and Deuteronomy but even at this earlier time it appears that the duty, law, or ‘devout’ custom of a younger brother who is presumably not married marrying the wife of his deceased elder brother was in effect or practiced.
The text of Scripture simply says that what Onan did was displeasing or offensive in the sight of the Lord. The comment in the New Jerusalem Bible concerning Onan here says “Yahwah condemns Onan for failing to put his duty to the family and nation before his own self interests.” The ancient Israelites apparently considered brother-in-law or levirate marriage as a very important duty and law and apparently God saw this as something of importance too.
Interestingly, the RSV-CE and the Douay-Rheims versions of the Bible appear to have Onan going in to his brother’s wife as like a one-time event from which follows the slewing of Onan. The NAB and the New Jerusalem Bible have “whenever he had relations with his brother’s widow” he would spill his seed on the ground. This gives us to believe, according to these versions, that Onan was not killed immediately after the first time he had relations with his brother’s wife, but after some time in which every time he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his seed on the ground. According to this, we might say that God gave Onan time to fulfill his duty, but Onan never complied.
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rcwitness
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I had a conversation with an evangelical Christian who believed that this did not condemn contraception, but simply referred to the fact that Onan did not fulfill his obligation to his brother.
I don’t completely deny this view, accept for the fact that Onan DID sleep with her! Why did he have sex with her, if he didn’t intend to be open to pro-creation? I think deliberate contraception is very relevant.
I don’t completely deny this view, accept for the fact that Onan DID sleep with her! Why did he have sex with her, if he didn’t intend to be open to pro-creation? I think deliberate contraception is very relevant.
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AFerri48
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Let’s not start a contraception debate.
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AngelBerp
Guest
I think that you are right and that we should deny that view. Deliberate contraception was the issue. I think we are explicitly told what the punishment is for not fulfilling his obligation. It is public humiliation like getting spat in the face and a sandal removed (?) (have to look into that a little more
) . But it wasn’t death. So Onan’s death must’ve been because he had relations with her in a contraceptive manner.We can read about the public humiliation punishment in Deuteronomy 25:5-10.
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AngelBerp
Guest
Taking off of the sandal may have been regarded as a “loss of dignity” or “symbol of shame” according to an interesting article. Here’s the link:
jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/351/351_shoe2.pdf
jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/351/351_shoe2.pdf
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PJM
Guest
Allow me to share the Bible account for those who may be unaware of it.
Exo. 38: 6-10
“[6] And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar. [7] And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him. [8] Juda, therefore said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother’ s wife [have intercourse with her] and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother. [9] He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother’ s wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’ s name. [10] And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing”
That this account comes to us in the book of Genesis “birth”] is highly significant; as is the FACT that God is, & God demands to be the AUTHOR of both Life and Death; physical & Spiritual.
Ecclesiasticus 15:18
Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him
Genesis 4:1 The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of Yahweh,’ she said.
Birth is Controlled by God
John.1 Verses 12 to 14: “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;** who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. “**
This is the only reference to BIRTH-CONTROL that I am aware of in the bible.
**YET it is such a SIGNIFICANT Teaching that God; the Just and Fair Judge was so offended by this decision by Onan who thought that HE knew better; knew MORE than God himself and suffered the consequences of his freely chosen action: BOTH Spiritual & physical death at the judgment of GOD. **
God and God ALONE is the author of life & death; and it is to be no other way: period!
Contraception today is SADLY
the norm; BUT GOD will have his say about it! It is a recent man-made innovation and now a multi-BILLION $$$$$$ market.Do not think that "because “everyone does i”’ that God is OK with it. He’s NOT!
PRAY about it
God Bless you,
Patrick
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