Masturbation and Sin

 

Last month a new Follower sent along a link to a blog called Frank Answers with a religious take on masturbation that I found interesting. The blog is written by a retired Lutheran Pastor. He once fielded questions via the church's website and now blogs. His blog entry HERE regarding jacking off is refreshing and I wish other religions would catch up.

"Question: Dear Pastor: I’m confused about masturbation. In health class we learned that it is a healthy release of tension. But in church I’m told that it is a sin and we should pray for the strength not to do it. I try praying to ask God to help me stop doing it, but I end up doing it anyway. Do you think it is a sin?"

His response (in part):

"I didn’t hear anything about masturbation in my Church, but an encyclopedia told me that the Catholic Church considered masturbation a sin because it is “disordered sex.” Sex is for procreation, not self-gratification. I wasn’t a Catholic, but I supposed that this was a general Christian position. So I felt I was doomed in this world and the next and I kept all this terror to myself.

"If we want to determine whether something is a sin we have to look in the Bible. A lot of people assume things are in the Bible that aren’t. If you look up the word “masturbation” in a Bible concordance (that’s an index of words in the Bible that tells you which verses use that word) you likely won’t find any references because the Bible never mentions it. Not even once. The Bible has a lot to say about sex, but it never mentions masturbation."

He goes on to mention the only passage that any religion ever mentions: The story of Onan. (If you aren't familiar with that worn out excuse, Google is your friend.)

Then he talks about porn.

"I should probably say that teen agers today learn about sex by watching pornography on the internet. Many boys masturbate while watching porn. You should realize that much of what you see on internet porn is acting and not the way sex usual is among ordinary people. But it does fill the mind with fantasies about what you would like to do. You should be aware that where you focus your attention is where your energy goes, including your sexual energy. If your attention is on the screen, your sexual energy will be directed to that. If your focus is on your own body, you will have a more powerful orgasm."

In other words, Mindful Masturbation can enhance your experience. 

As we make our way through Masturbation Month, focus on the sensations in your body and enjoy yourself to the fullest extent.