Will I go to hell for masturbating?

[SuperDarkMan12]

If so why is it such a big deal? Everyone masturbates every once in a while. Why can’t it just be considered a venial sin so I people don’t have to worry about damning themselves to hell after not being able to restrain their natural hormones? Where does God say that I must refrain from masturbating?

 

[DeniseNY]

No, not everyone does. But a lot of people do struggle with it. The best thing you can do is talk to your pastor about it. And there are a lot of threads on it here if you use the search function.

 

[SuperDarkMan12]

How is masturbation and unnatural sexual act when animals do it within nature and that humanity has been doing since it’s creation. I also want to ask what is reasoning for the Church’s justification that masturbation is sinful?

 

[SuperDarkMan12]

Also is something like murder equivalent to masturbation in the eyes of the church?

 

[Roguish]

The thing that noone will point out to you (but I will), is that the severity of this sin depends entirely on the nature of your fantasies while masturbating. Most people when they masturbate entertain lustful fantasies or worse, perverse fantasies, akin to the deviant sexual behaviors you see in xxx vids. It is this indulgence in aberrant sexual feelings that is very harmful for your soul. If you fantasize only of natural intercourse with a committed spouse, free of all kinkiness and rapaciousness, the severity of this sin is greatly reduced. But you better not fool yourself about this: don’t go telling yourself that your fantasies are alright when in fact they are lustful or perverse.

 

[SuperDarkMan12]

So if you did not engage in lustful fantasies while masturbating can you be less culpable in your sin?

 

[Fauken]

animals do it

I don’t understand how that’s justification for it. Animals also kill and eat each other and yet we don’t try to justify murder and cannibalism using that logic. You’re not an animal. You were created in the image of God. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

humanity has been doing since it’s creation

Again, shall we justify murder by that logic then? Morality is not dependent on how many people are doing something or whether or not animals do it.

I also want to ask what is reasoning for the Church’s justification that masturbation is sinful?

There have probably been hundreds of threads on this subject you can search in the forum, but in brief, from the Catechism:

" [2352] 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.“139”

Also is something like murder equivalent to masturbation in the eyes of the church?

They’re both grave sins.

So if you did not engage in lustful fantasies while masturbating can you be less culpable in your sin?

No.

 

[Cruciferi]

Is Masturbation is a sin? Catholic Living

Please Read the Following 3 posts By @edward_george1

 

[Roguish]

So if you did not engage in lustful fantasies while masturbating can you be less culpable in your sin?

Yes. It remains sinful, but the severity of it will be greatly reduced.

 

[yankeesouth]

Also is something like murder equivalent to masturbation in the eyes of the church?

No but Jesus equates anger with murder so masturbation would be fornification.

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

 

[Fauken]

Yes. It remains sinful, but the severity of it will be greatly reduced.

Says who? The Catechism says it’s “the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure.” Not fantasizing has no part in it making it less severe.

 

[Neithan]

Animals also throw poo at each other and eat their babies. What is “natural” for monkeys is not what the church means by unnatural, which is a moral quality. Animals are amoral: they have no rational faculty to discern ethical questions about how to be virtuous and holy.

Masturbation is a nasty habit that will make your sexuality selfish and useless; you should curb it as early as you possibly can. Don’t obsess about it though; you need a healthy lifestyle and spiritual discipline. Rule No. 1 is to avoid pornography at all costs. That takes the edge off the temptation substantially. Discern your vocation. Find a good confessor and spiritual director. Pray and be happy.

 

[Fauken]

@SuperDarkMan12, please discuss all of this with your priest in confession.

 

[nightshade]

How is masturbation and unnatural sexual act when animals do it within nature and that humanity has been doing since it’s creation.

Please do not look to the animal kingdom for your moral compass. Animals also regularly engage in necrophilia, incest and eat their young. We are not animals.

 

[whichwaytogo47]

Where does God say that I must refrain from masturbating?

Genesis Chapter 38 Verses 6-11.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

 

[Vico]

If so why is it such a big deal? Everyone masturbates every once in a while. Why can’t it just be considered a venial sin so I people don’t have to worry about damning themselves to hell after not being able to restrain their natural hormones? Where does God say that I must refrain from masturbating?

You can’t remain free from grave sins alone, but by remaining in a state of sanctifying grace, then willfully resist the sin. It the behavior occurs even with best effort, it could be due to bad habit that must be broken over time. The will should always resist it, and it is though grace, with cooperation, that it is overcome.

Certainly wrong use of the sexual capability, which is in order for marital relations only.

Matthew 5

30 And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body go into hell.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Animals do many things that we as rational human beings, created in the image of God, would find repugnant.

God created the martial act for specific purposes. Taking it outside the design is dangerous.

Think of a fire in a fireplace, it is a good and helpful thing.

Take that fire out of the fireplace and put it in the middle of your sofa, it is a dangerous thing.

Sex is for marriage.

 

[TheLittleLady]

It is grave matter but for 99% of men it is probably venial if that.

This comes awfully close to saying “go ahead and do it, everyone else is and surely it will not be held against you”.

Sin is sin. Adding in knowledge and will, that sin can be mortal. It is up to our OP’s priest to advise him/her.