Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - If you are into your religion, is it a sin to masturbate?

parable · 08-18-2007, 03:21 PM

My user name is Parable because I like the idea of a parable, i.e. as a story that relates a truth more profound than the story per se suggest superficially. I view my own life as such a story.

As for any agenda I may have, on a forum such as this it is to speak the truth in love with gentleness and respect. I am Christian, but my purpose here is not to convert anyone to anything. That is between each person and their creator. My hope is that people will know me by how my actions match my words.

If I may, I'd like to respond to a statement by alicat. I'm not attempting to prosethelytize, just articulate my understanding of theology.

The truth of the good news is simple, as alicat said "hearts were opened to a new understanding", where people have been "set free" to "sin no more". But, its not because that's what their hearts told them to do, or that the law told them, but rather because they were given the righteousness of Christ when they accepted what He did on their behalf, in full completion of the law's requirements. He did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it and more. By this I mean, while the greatest commandments were "to love God" and "to love others as yourself", Jesus went one further when He issued the New Commandment, "to love each other as I have loved you".

How does this relate to masturbation? Its kinda hard to fantasize about someone if you are loving them as God does. So, if masturbation does not involve lust for another person, the bible says nothing about solitary sex. That is, there is nothing inherently sinful about inducing yourself to orgasm so long as you're not USING another person in a selfish way in your mind or heart when you do it.

The deeper issue is dehumanization of others. This is unhealthy because those who would use others for selfish reasons must distinguish themselves from the rest of humanity in order to justify taking advantage of them. That is, if you're a guy and you fantasize about a woman, your sort of ignore the fact she is someone's daughter, sister, mother or wife. And if you would not wish for your sister, daughter, mother or wife to be used like this by someone else, then perhaps that should inform your own conduct.

08-18-2007, 03:21 PM	#84 (permalink)
parable Upright	the deeper issue My user name is Parable because I like the idea of a parable, i.e. as a story that relates a truth more profound than the story per se suggest superficially. I view my own life as such a story. As for any agenda I may have, on a forum such as this it is to speak the truth in love with gentleness and respect. I am Christian, but my purpose here is not to convert anyone to anything. That is between each person and their creator. My hope is that people will know me by how my actions match my words. If I may, I'd like to respond to a statement by alicat. I'm not attempting to prosethelytize, just articulate my understanding of theology. The truth of the good news is simple, as alicat said "hearts were opened to a new understanding", where people have been "set free" to "sin no more". But, its not because that's what their hearts told them to do, or that the law told them, but rather because they were given the righteousness of Christ when they accepted what He did on their behalf, in full completion of the law's requirements. He did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it and more. By this I mean, while the greatest commandments were "to love God" and "to love others as yourself", Jesus went one further when He issued the New Commandment, "to love each other as I have loved you". How does this relate to masturbation? Its kinda hard to fantasize about someone if you are loving them as God does. So, if masturbation does not involve lust for another person, the bible says nothing about solitary sex. That is, there is nothing inherently sinful about inducing yourself to orgasm so long as you're not USING another person in a selfish way in your mind or heart when you do it. The deeper issue is dehumanization of others. This is unhealthy because those who would use others for selfish reasons must distinguish themselves from the rest of humanity in order to justify taking advantage of them. That is, if you're a guy and you fantasize about a woman, your sort of ignore the fact she is someone's daughter, sister, mother or wife. And if you would not wish for your sister, daughter, mother or wife to be used like this by someone else, then perhaps that should inform your own conduct.