Christian Theology, Biblical Theology

"You are no longer under law but grace; therefore, sin shall not have dominion over you" "The grace of God has appeared teaching men to say no to sin"

What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation

What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation
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What does the bible say about masturbation? On our banner the top sin that we list which is most common to college students is masturbation. We are often met with two comments from the students in defense of this act. They will ask us where the bible says it is a sin and they will often tell us that masturbation is good because it prevents prostate cancer. Students don't like to be told there is a right and wrong, watch the crowd go nuts over my preaching about masturbation.

The Bible Says That Masturbation is a Sin  and is Considered Sodomy


First of all masturbation is sensuality that Paul often speaks of as sin in the bible because sex was intended to be between a married man and woman, not with one's self. Sodomy is defined as 'any sexual act outside of intercourse between a husband and wife'; and the bible clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:9: "Be not deceived for the fornicators, liars, sodomites...will not inherit the kingdom of heaven". Sodomy would include: masturbation, oral sex (even between married couples), and homosexual sex. Go online and see that Mirriam Webster's Dictionary says that sodomy is anal or oral copulation with a member of the same sex or other sex. Webster's Fourth Edition says "Sodomy is carnal copulation with  a member of the same sex, animal, or unnatural copulation with a member of the opposite sex". Having sex with yourself is most definitely unnatural copulation.

Secondly Jesus said “Any man that lusts in his heart over a woman has already committed adultery”. Obviously those who masturbate are committing adultery in their hearts and are committing sinful acts of sensuality and sodomy. God gave us pleasure in sex to encourage the reproduction of our species and to have enjoyable relations between a husband and his wife.

The argument of masturbation being a healthy act to prevent prostate cancer is an example of the ends justifying the means. Masturbation is not necessary for prostate health; men should take care of their bodies by exercise and a healthy diet. The fact is that reducing red meat in one’s diet is the best way to reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. Men can always get married to engage in sexual relations with their wives as well. The red herring in their argument is that young men in their 20's and 30's are not at risk for prostate cancer; hence, masturbation is not a necessary (even if it were a true) preventative measure against prostate cancer. Masturbating in your 20's will not prevent prostate cancer that only effects men in their 50's and older. Paul said it is better to marry than burn with passion.

The issue of the ends justifying the means is quite tenuous, for we can use this argument for a number of cases in history. We can say for example that it is better or healthier for a society to kill its physically and mentally ill. This is the argument the Nazis used to kill the lame, mentally ill, and Jews. But because a benefit may accrue to a society such as reduced health care costs and stronger citizens; would anyone find this argument as a justification for the atrocities that the Nazis perpetrated? 

This same reasoning of "redefining" what a person is was used by the slave owners in the South as an excuse to treat Blacks as property, by the Nazis to kill the Jews, and by the United States to kill children. This society has redefined an unborn child as a "fetus" in order to make it easier to kill someone and use a loophole in the law. Strange and ironic how the the majority of the Jewish community in the U.S. is very liberal and pro-choice, willing to use the same reasoning of the Nazis to justify killing the unborn. Legalized abortion in the U.S. has killed nearly 53 million children, an entire generation. Maybe this is why there are fewer workers than retirees?

What if a society decided to kill the “c” and “d” students in order to have a better and more competitive race to compete with other nations and to have a strong vibrant economy?

These two examples don’t hold anymore water than the student’s argument that the sinful act of masturbation can be justified because of the health benefits that (may) accrue to an individual. On a similar note, for those of you who believe in evolution and natural selection, doesn't natural selection tell you that homosexuals shall not survive since they have no means of propagation? Isn't your support of the gay lifestyle going against your science?

Unfortunately many churches today teach that masturbation isn't sinful; yet this doesn't surprise me because Evangelicals have a complete misunderstanding of the grace of God and living a victorious Christian life. Many Christians today are more interested in justifying their sins than they are in defending righteousness and God's will. I would ask a student who is curious about this issue to consult his conscience before he were to seek the advice of his pastor. Or if you can't control your sex drive: Get married.
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5 comments:

  1. I have to admit your article is intriguing, however, there are many portions that I disagree with. In the beginning of the article, you mention the disagreeing students as if you loved their reaction to your statement and completely disreguard any of their statments. You also used an overly simplified argument -- the straw man fallacy -- as their defence of the idea. There are many more ideas to the pro masturbation than you listed. Directly after that you tried to compare masturbation to the Holocaust, another fallacy of reasoning. Masturbation, an act that harms nobody, is nothing near taking the loves of millions. This is an example of the false analogy fallacy. You took an assumption -- the idea that the end justifies the means -- and applied it to means that had nothing to do with your original topic, masturbaton. You do the same thing when mentioning abortion and the treatment of the black slaves. Again, these have absolutely nothing to do with masturbation, and you're attacking the american prochoice people as well as the Jews. As far as your homosexual comment, why do you care about the lifestyle of someone. Its neither your concern or your jurisdiction how these people chose to live their lives. No person would ever choose to deal with the stigma that comes with the label of homosexuality. As far as the procreation aspect of homosexuality, why do you care if they can have children or not? There are homosexuals in all walks of life, regardless of race, or even species; there are gay animals as well. And then in your ending paragraph, you attack the other churches in a holier than thou manner to make yourself sound supreme. Your article is full of propaganda and has too many fallicies of reasoning to actually be considered enlightening.

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    1. Very well put. One thing I caught was; "you can always get married to have sex." That is not the way it works. Just because you are married does not mean you are going to get much sex. If you get married just so you can get Bible legal sex, forget about getting married. Sex is really just a small part of marriage in a lot of cases.

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  2. Thanks for your input; I may have not made it clear in the article but I never compared masturbating to the Holocaust or slavery but said the argument of "the ends justifying the means" was the same reasoning employed by the Nazis as with one who argues for masturbation being healthy for your prostate. I think I am free to use any example I wish to describe their use of an argument where the ends justify the means; without fallacy. I decided to use these graphic examples because we will see them more and more being used as our society goes from one governed by morality to a utilitarian society. We have already redefined an unborn baby and call it a fetus because it is easier to kill. Students are no longer taught about "laws of gravity" or any laws because they imply a law giver such as God. Students are now taught that the laws of nature are "principles" . Soon there will be a redefining of elderly people in order to make it easier to justify declining healthcare to them. So again the arguments the students use to defend masturbation are similar to the ones used by propagandists throughout time. Finally it is wrong if for no other reason because sex was designed for an act between a married male and female, anything else is a sin. Masturbation violates natural law and God's law, it damages marriages of which society ultimately bears the cost. Though I am not a utilitarian - this is just to show you that there are not victim-less sins. Masturbation is also deleterious the one masturbating in that he or she often gets their sexual expectations to a point of "kinkyness" that no natural marriage can fulfill their sexual desires. But Since you seem to be a concerned Christian suffice it to say "Masturbation is sodomy and is a sin; and not sinner shall enter the kingdom of God."

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  3. "The Bible Says That Masturbation is a Sin and is Considered Sodomy

    First of all masturbation is sensuality that Paul often speaks of as sin in the bible because sex was intended to be between a married man and woman, not with one's self. Sodomy is defined as 'any sexual act outside of intercourse between a husband and wife'; and the bible clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:9: "Be not deceived for the fornicators, liars, sodomites...will not inherit the kingdom of heaven". Sodomy would include: masturbation, oral sex (even between married couples), and homosexual sex. Go online and see that Miriam Webster's Dictionary says that sodomy is anal or oral copulation with a member of the same sex or other sex. Webster's Fourth Addition says "Sodomy is carnal copulation with a member of the same sex, animal, or unnatural copulation with a member of the opposite sex'. Having sex with yourself is most definitely unnatural copulation."
    That's "Merriam-Webster," NOT "Miriam Webster."
    That's "Webster's Fourth Edition," NOT "Webster's Fourth Addition."
    No need to treat this as a post. Just correct your text.
    Misspellings and grammatical errors detract (and distract) from your message, WHICH NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT IN THE CHURCHES. Pastors are too fearful of offending their flocks. That is, OFFENDING THE MASTURBATORS, MASTURBATRESSES, FORNICATORS, FORNICATRESSES, SODOMITES, ADULTERERS, ADULTERESSES, secret HOMOSEXUALS (not only CATAMITES (male homosexuals) but "LESBIANS."
    What are these FALSE PASTORS (see Jeremiah) AFRAID OF? So many MASTURBATORS and MASTURBATRESSES were taught NOTHING about this Onanistic sin. The public fools (schools) have been teaching the children to MASTURBATE, FORNICATE with condoms (used to be an OBSCENE word), the girls to go on the ABORTIFACIENT (abortion-inducing) "BIRTH CONTROL" PILL and "practice SAFESEX."
    Some years ago the SODOMITE president Clinton was compelled to sack his pervert Surgeon-General, Joycelyn Elders, because of the public uproar over her urging the public fools to teach the girls to SUCK PENISES and to SWALLOW the semen (Oral "Sex"). Well, parents, the public fools in many places were ALREADY teaching the students to do Oral "Sex," the girls to TAKE PENISES INTO THEIR MOUTHS AND SUCK THE SEMEN INTO THEIR THROATS, and the boys to LICK AND SUCK CLITORISES AND VULVAS ("vaginas"). "Just use a condom, girlies, and use a dental dam, boys and you can get orgasms by "SafeSex."

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  4. Masturbation is a form of self-sodomy and specifically condemned in the NKJV translation of First Corinthians 6:9-10.
    It is a form of sexual dissipation relating to Proverbs chapter 5, causes increasing Erectile Dysfunction as to penile rigidity duration and semen output, and is frequently related to gazing lustfully at nude-female pornography which Jesus condemned with offending-eyes/hands-amputated warning.
    As a side note, heterosexual marital penis-licking/sucking fellatio is not considered sodomy if ejaculation does not occur into the female's mouth.

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