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Old Aug 15, 2012, 02:10 AM
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I want to know Christian's opinions on masturbation... is it okay?
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 03:29 AM
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I'm not Christian or an expert, but as I understand it, Biblically, there are some issues because a man "spilled his seed upon the ground" instead of inside his wife, but I think some people disagree over whether this means masturbation is sinful or whether it was the fact that he was engaging with his wife and pulled out that was the problem. Nowadays, I don't think many modern Churches have a problem with it (I don't know about Catholicism though... it might depend how strict it is).

In days gone by, marriage between young people made this less of an issue- when you got sexually able, you got a wife/husband, not your hand. In today's society, it might be that of two 'evils', the Church might prefer a person to take time with themselves than to be promiscuous, adulterous, etc.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 07:24 AM
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I want to know Christian's opinions on masturbation... is it okay?
Which Christians?

There are all kinds. And every one of them who has written on the subject, or has an opinion, is a human being, and thus capable of error. I would say, the more so the more certain they claim to be.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 09:01 AM
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I'm not being specific, just Christians.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 12:26 PM
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I am a Christian and evangelical. I know there are diverse opinions among christians regarding masterbation, but as wise pastor once pointed out, there are major problems trying to base one's theology on some obscure passage about the seed of Onan which appears to be a reference to a man's unwillingness to fulfill his duties

You are God's creation and you are wonderfully made. That includes your sexuality as well. I am coming more and more that sex is God's gift to us and it is for us to enjoy as well as to reproduce. The problem seems to be when we corrupt God's gifts in destructive ways that harm us and other people

Personally I see nothing wrong with it. Most churches these days that I know these days do not seem to have a problem. (I cannot speak for all obviously) It is a way to fulfill a God given need without having to resort to risky and destructive behavior. Ultimately I am beginning to discover that in God's grand design it could actually be a way to help us appreciate the wonderful design that God has made when he created us male and female
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 12:43 PM
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I think there was a thread on this in one of the Christian social groups. I don't think we're supposed to speak about religion here. I was raised Catholic and it wasn't talked about. As long as it doesn't take away from a partner, there's nothing wrong with it IMO. Its your body.
There are also a few fringe groups from another religions, that have resorted to female mutilation of the genitals to prevent them from any enjoyment - this is an outrageous crime IMO.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 01:57 PM
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I'm not Christian or an expert, but as I understand it, Biblically, there are some issues because a man "spilled his seed upon the ground" instead of inside his wife, but I think some people disagree over whether this means masturbation is sinful or whether it was the fact that he was engaging with his wife and pulled out that was the problem. Nowadays, I don't think many modern Churches have a problem with it (I don't know about Catholicism though... it might depend how strict it is).

In days gone by, marriage between young people made this less of an issue- when you got sexually able, you got a wife/husband, not your hand. In today's society, it might be that of two 'evils', the Church might prefer a person to take time with themselves than to be promiscuous, adulterous, etc.
Ah, the "Sin of Onan."

As I remember the story, Onan's brother died without fathering a child with his wife. As per ancient Hebrew custom, Onan was to step up and father a child with his brother's widow to continue his line. However, Onan didn't (whether he was practicing withdrawl or masturbating is a matter of debate). Thus, God...did something. I don't quite remember his punishment. It wasn't pleasant.

Anywho, as I was taught, Onan was punished because he failed his duties to his brother and wife, not because he masturbated (potentially). Most (not all, though which do escape me) sects of Christianity don't label it a sin, and I'd personally tell you that you've nothing at all to be afraid of.

And yes, I agree Lynn. It's sick, and very sad. Did you know the brother of the founder of Kellogg's brand cereal ran a sanitarium that heavily advocated (and enforced) that type of crap? Honestly, even as far back in the past as it is, I haven't bought a Kellogg's bran of anything that I can help.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 03:33 PM
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I want to know Christian's opinions on masturbation... is it okay?
all the churches regardless of denomination, here where I live and work, take the attitude that the bible was wrote thousands and thousands of yrs ago.. the passages about sex, marriage and other controversial issues are vastly different today then when the bible was wrote, and as of yet there is no way to make "ammendments" to the bible to reflect todays standards of a world of the internet, porn, drugs, alcohol, lesbian, gays, same sex marriage and yes solo sex (masturbation) so its up to each church and their congregation to decide and the churches here bow to the laws of the city, state and country... here in america it is acceptable for people to be single and satisfy their own sexual needs. So the churches here follow suit in accepting a persons sexuality be it a man and a woman, same sex or solo. As long as it doesnt go against the city, state and national laws its acceptable.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 04:16 PM
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That's interesting Harley, because Kellogg himself supposedly created his cereals with the aim of dampening those kinds of desires. I wonder if it might not necessarily have been the views of the brothers themselves, but the society or family they were brought up with (heavily antisexual).
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 09:26 PM
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That's interesting Harley, because Kellogg himself supposedly created his cereals with the aim of dampening those kinds of desires. I wonder if it might not necessarily have been the views of the brothers themselves, but the society or family they were brought up with (heavily antisexual).

God I am SO happy to have figured out the quotes...

That is true. Kellogg's Corn Flakes were the first attempt in that experiment. When the brother who didn't run the sanitarium noticed they actually tasted pretty good...bam. Kellogg's brand Corn Flakes were born.

I don't know about the family, but I know the brother who ran the sanitarium, John Harvey Kellogg, was a sick, sick man. Granted, I understand masturbation was a heavy taboo during that time period (along with the scandalous showing of ankle or elbow -_-), but his views and advocacy of the measures proposed by him are very seriously near what I'd consider torture.

Sigh...I do confess a weakness for Frosted Flakes (Can you blame me? They're grrrrrreat! I didn't think of that particular caveat in my last post ) though, so my horse isn't quite so high. I just would rather like to introduce "Dr." Kellogg to the side of a baseball bat, is all.
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Last edited by Harley47; Aug 15, 2012 at 09:47 PM.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 09:49 PM
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That's an interesting bit of history Harley47 - wow its true we can learn something new everyday. Its sad this happened and don't think I can feel good about the Corn Flakes I have on the counter. When I'm crunching my morning cereal...now I'll be thinking of that lol. You cereal spoiler lol.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 09:52 PM
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rofl My apologies Lynn. But I suppose on the plus side there's now the wonderful world of General Mills to explore, no?
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 09:56 PM
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rofl My apologies Lynn. But I suppose on the plus side there's now the wonderful world of General Mills to explore, no?
Well you know I'm just kidding there Harley. In protest to Kellogg's I'll buy generic flakes from now on. Who would think masturbation and Corn Flakes would end up on the same thread...unless someone can do both at the same time rofl
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 10:03 PM
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It is fine. It is normal. You will not burn in hell. Of all the sins in the world I think you are safe...btw-don't think its a sin.
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Old Aug 15, 2012, 10:10 PM
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rofl I know you were.

And yes...rofl we took a hard left turn for the strange and bizarre, didn't we?
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  #16  
Old Aug 16, 2012, 06:14 PM
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I want to know Christian's opinions on masturbation... is it okay?
My therapist and I had this exact same conversation during my session a few weeks ago. Just a little background... I was raised a Pentacostal Christian, and still identify that way. My therapist is Christian too. I have always lived very conservatively. I've never smoked a cigarette, tried drugs, tasted alcoholic beverages, etc etc... But I have masturbated since I was like 6 or maybe younger. It's always been very pleasurable to me.

We concluded that it is a choice that each person should make for themselves whether or not it's wrong. Fact is that it is human nature. That verse in the Bible probably means that he pulled out. There are no other specific Scriptures that I know of that directly addresses masturbation. Masturbation is good for abstaining from sex before marriage. She said if you're in a marriage that you should NOT be withholding from your partner. If porn, or compulsion, or fantasy is involved then masturbation tends to be sinful in nature. But if you have a strong libido and need the sexual release through masturbation and only do it for pleasure then it's probably not a sin. For me, I struggle with guilt. She said for me to pray and seek out whether the guilt is coming from God or man. In my opinion, it's okay for me to do. Since my session a few weeks ago, I've been pleasuring myself without so much guilt around the matter. It's great to learn your own body in this kind of way. God made us and even the sexual part of us. As long as things stay in balance then it's ok. Good luck with this
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Old Aug 17, 2012, 12:44 AM
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I'm curious I don't think that masturbation is mentioned in the bible (and being agnostic I don't care) but it's pretty clear that what one is imagining or fantasizing about is important.

Matthew 5:27 and Matthew 5:28 are the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth verses of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. These verses begin the second antithesis: while since Matthew 5:21 the discussion has been on the commandment: "You shall not murder", it now moves to the commandment: "You shall not commit adultery".
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of
old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
27 "You have heard that it was said,
'You shall not commit adultery;'
28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a
woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart.


I'd assume that applies to both genders and all sexual orientations
I'm not sure why anyone would believe that because the bible was written thousands of years ago that they can change or reinterpret it to conform to modern day standards. Seems like it would be up to god to take care of that.
I think it's up to the individual to decide by his/her own moral code if masturbation is "wrong." If you masturbate and it's causing you distress then you may want to talk about that with a therapist and try to understand why.
If it's any consolation to you most Christians pick and choose what they want to believe and follow in the bible. I don't know a single Christian who follows the book of Leviticus. Some say it doesn't apply to Christians but nobody has ever been able to explain to me why it doesn't.
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Old Aug 17, 2012, 01:52 AM
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Originally Posted by George H. View Post
I'm curious I don't think that masturbation is mentioned in the bible (and being agnostic I don't care) but it's pretty clear that what one is imagining or fantasizing about is important.

Matthew 5:27 and Matthew 5:28 are the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth verses of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. These verses begin the second antithesis: while since Matthew 5:21 the discussion has been on the commandment: "You shall not murder", it now moves to the commandment: "You shall not commit adultery".
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of
old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
27 "You have heard that it was said,
'You shall not commit adultery;'
28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a
woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart.

I'd assume that applies to both genders and all sexual orientations
I'm not sure why anyone would believe that because the bible was written thousands of years ago that they can change or reinterpret it to conform to modern day standards. Seems like it would be up to god to take care of that.
I think it's up to the individual to decide by his/her own moral code if masturbation is "wrong." If you masturbate and it's causing you distress then you may want to talk about that with a therapist and try to understand why.
If it's any consolation to you most Christians pick and choose what they want to believe and follow in the bible. I don't know a single Christian who follows the book of Leviticus. Some say it doesn't apply to Christians but nobody has ever been able to explain to me why it doesn't.
leviticus was written for the preists, the Levites. I am not a preist, so I see no reason to follow that.
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Old Sep 05, 2012, 09:15 PM
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I am baptist and I can say that I have never heard a baptist preacher say that it is a sin. I masturbate all the time. I think it is a good way for younger people to save themselves for marriage(I wish I would have.) I have not heard the story that everyone keeps referring to but I don't think it is referring to masturbation. I think it may be saying he pulled out because the bible does say be fruitful and mutlpliy.
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Old Sep 05, 2012, 09:20 PM
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I'm so glad to see a unanimous opinion regarding this subject. It's perfectly OK - you will not burn in "Hell", you are not doing anything wrong. We as humans are sexual beings, and masturbation is our God-given right. Why else does the female clitoris exist? (other than its obvious evolutionary purpose - if women enjoy sex, they'll do it more often, thus furthering the species...et cetera et cetera)
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Old Sep 08, 2012, 09:19 AM
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As a teen, I was raised that masturbation was a sin. Now I belong to a progressive Catholic parish and the priests no longer consider masturbation a sin. It is now considered normal behavior. So, no worries.
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Old Sep 08, 2012, 12:50 PM
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As someone said, it depends on what Christian denomination you ask and what individual Christian. IMO it is certainly a better option than other ways of meeting one's sexual needs, if someone is single and the needs are strong. People are marrying much later these days than they did in the past, and sexual desires are natural. I have never seen anyone with really hairy hands caused by doing it or going blind as a result! I agree that it's best to avoid doing it with pornography, though.

As far as Dr. Kellogg, I agree that he was fanatical. However, I know for a fact that at least one male relative of his had sex, because I personally knew a Kellogg family who had descended from his heritage. They went to my church. I don't blame the current Kellogg's company for their origin and don't think they should be punished. So, if I like a certain cereal from them, I buy it!
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Old Sep 08, 2012, 03:14 PM
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lol Well, like I said, Frosted Flakes makes my whole discomfort with the history a little moot. I'll confess the knowledge of the product makes straight Kellogg's Corn Flakes a hard buy, but I don't like them anyway (the frosting makes ALL the difference. I'm very much a sugary cereal type of guy). Nothing lost. I owe way too many childhood breakfasts to Tony the Tiger to completely shut them off. Ultimately, yes, the events are so far in the past that it's irrelevant, and as a hungry college student, I'll basically eat anything that isn't home to disease or parasites, so....

If memory serves, his ideology wasn't anti-sex as much as it was anti-pleasure. Sex to him was a biological function equivalent to a sneeze. Anything beyond that was sinful. I don't particularly care what he thought about it, but some of the things he advocated (and thus were done) make me sick.
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Old Sep 08, 2012, 03:19 PM
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Just curious - has anyone read the book "Sybil Exposed" by Debbie Nathan? The beginning chapters describe the history of the Kellogg's Company and other companies that got their start by creating foods designed to lessen sexual desire. Like Morningstar Farms, and the guy who invented the Graham cracker. I found it very interesting.
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Old Sep 08, 2012, 04:21 PM
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No I hadn't, but thank you. I will pick it up when I can.
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