Christianity and Masturbation

[Dailybread]

Many say that it's good for one to masturbate in that you get to know your own body. What does the Bible have to say about masturbation? Scriptural references please.

[Suesumba]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

seetya:

The Onan Incident

"And Judah said unto Onan, 'Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.' And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also." (Gen 38:8-10)

"spilled it"--to wickedly destroy or ruin, to decimate by killing, to act as a man of destruction: a waster or a prodigal, to behave corruptly by putridity, to lay waste and destroy

the thing "which he did"--a thing--labored or worked on, made, produced, or fabricated by labor, manufactured, produced, or created, especially (when used of living creatures) a thing produced from onesself, as in 'to make milk' or 'to make fruit' or 'to grow fat,' to execute or complete an intended action

"displeased"--from two Heb. words: 1) to be evil, from the idea of raging, being tumultuous, of an evil disposition, noxious, hurtful, to do ill, to act wickedly, to break in pieces or kill & 2) to come before the eyes of any one

wherefore--for which reason, for that very reason

"And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore [for that very reason] he slew him also."

God says Onan's physical act was _itself_ evil, noxious, and destructive--and that when that physical act came before God's eyes, it was for that very physical act that Onan was slain. According to every recorded generation of Christian scholars prior to 1900, this is plain from the grammar.

[Diplomat]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Dailybread:
What does the Bible have to say about masturbation? Scriptural references please.

There are no Scriptural references that directly addresses the issue.

The reference in the post above has been incorrectly used regarding this subject. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. is the action that displeased the Lord. He did not er...um...make his deposit in his brother's wife as he was required to do, hence the resulting act of disobedience.

[Dailybread]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Was it the fact that he spilled it that displeased the Lord or was it because he went in to her? I always the second was true but I could stand corrected.

[Diplomat]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Dailybread: If you look at verse 8, you will see what he was instructed to do: "And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother." The fact that he did not do this is what was displeasing.

Interestingly, the text does say that "when he went in unto his brother's wife..." which does not imply masturbation.

[Dailybread]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] Dailybread: If you look at verse 8, you will see what he was instructed to do: "And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother." The fact that he did not do this is what was displeasing.

Interestingly, the text does say that "when he went in unto his brother's wife..." which does not imply masturbation. [/qb]

I agree and not to get off track I will not focus on Onan. What is the 'Christian' thought on masturbation?

[Diplomat]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Dailybread:

I agree and not to get off track I will not focus on Onan. What is the 'Christian' thought on masturbation?

It really depends on who you ask! I do not mean to sound trite, but there has been all kinds of opinions and I have read material in which some Pastors encourage the practice. There is a school of thought that suggests that because of the mental imagery required to carry out the act, i.e. most people engage someone else in their minds, that makes it 'wrong'. Some have argued mental imagery is not required, and in such instances, it is alright. Another school of thought is that if a person do not know themselves sexually, and what pleases them, how can they expect another person to know, or communicate those things to their spouse (within marriage, of course).

It cannot be denied however that we are sexual beings, and for some - single and married, male and female - the practice seem to have its place for multiple reasons. On issues where the scriptures are 'silent', what is the guiding principle? I do think this is where each person has to decide for themselves the path they will choose, while being aware that as with everything else, they are personally accountable for whatever decision they make. There are some who would/could never do it for one reason or another. In some instances, some who have tried it cannot handle the resulting guilt, or have found it lacking, and choose to stop, while others seem to not have a problem.

[Pepper]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] There is a school of thought that suggests that because of the mental imagery required to carry out the act, i.e. most people engage someone else in their minds, that makes it 'wrong'. Some have argued mental imagery is not required, and in such instances, it is alright. [/qb]

IMHO, this is the only valid argument that I have heard against this subject. One pastor I know believes that the act of masturbation is not sinful, but the thoughts one thinks while engaging will most probably be sinful.

So, my take is, if you can do while while keeping your mind focused on godly things, then it should be ok. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Markiss]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

lololol

[Diplomat]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Pepper:
... my take is, if you can do while keeping your mind focused on godly things, then it should be ok. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] I think you stand to make a lot of money if you can figure out how to do that, no pun intended, and write a book about it [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Markiss]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

I wasn't trying to be disrespectful in this stately (harumph!) forum, but that post just conjured up images that made me laugh...

[Diplomat]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Markiss:
...I wasn't trying to be disrespectful in this stately (harumph!) forum, but that post just conjured up images that made me laugh...

I don't even want to know what those images are [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] .

[Suesumba]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Dailybread:
[qb] Was it the fact that he spilled it that displeased the Lord or was it because he went in to her? I always the second was true but I could stand corrected. [/qb]

disobedience das wah cauze god fi kill he. not di act in and of itself

[Guest]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

Originally posted by Pepper:
[qb]

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] There is a school of thought that suggests that because of the mental imagery required to carry out the act, i.e. most people engage someone else in their minds, that makes it 'wrong'. Some have argued mental imagery is not required, and in such instances, it is alright. [/qb]

IMHO, this is the only valid argument that I have heard against this subject. One pastor I know believes that the act of masturbation is not sinful, but the thoughts one thinks while engaging will most probably be sinful.

So, my take is, if you can do while while keeping your mind focused on godly things, then it should be ok. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [/qb]

Pepper you slay me!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[britisha]

Re: Christianity and Masturbation

LOL at thisyah thread. I've certainly heard it all!