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Old 08-18-2007, 05:04 PM   #86 (permalink)
Jetée
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Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition
I believe the most prevalent historical figure that condemned self-indulgence, at least in my experience, was St. Thomas Aquinas (13th Century). To paraphrase a quote taught by Aquinas, he stated that 'masturbation is even a more heinous sin than consumation with one's own mother, for at least the spilling of the seed will result in a spawn from such a reprehensible act'.

from Masturbation Throughout History:
Quote:
Sexuality began to suffer a stigma with the growing influence of the Christian Church. Such figures as the apostle Paul (of the first century Current Era), Augustine (354-430 CE), and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) contributed to increasingly negative attitudes toward the human body and all forms of pleasure in general. Paul fostered misogyny, or anti-female sentiments, starting a trend of condemning all forms of sexuality other than heterosexual intercourse for the purpose of reproduction. This continued an existing philosophical trend of separating the physical and the spiritual, considering them as conflicting opposites. Augustine institutionalized the religious distaste for sexual union itself, while Aquinas particularly vilified homosexuality. An early medieval manual of punishments to be bestowed by priests prescribed severe penalties for men over 20 who engaged in mutual masturbation. Men under that age were punished less severely, and boys under 14 engaging in solo masturbation were punished the least. Other writers on JackinWorld have dealt with the fact that the Bible itself never mentions masturbation specifically: the "sin" of Onan was clearly coitus interruptus, or early withdrawal to prevent conception. Still, this misconception persists.
Though it is not only Judaism, Muslim, or Christian teachings that seek to condemn the behavior.
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