Masturbation and the Bible Masturbation And The Bibleby Lambert Dolphin  Medical textbooks prior to the 18th Century seldom mentionedmasturbation at all. In 1758 a Swiss physician named Tissot publisheda treatise claiming that masturbation* was the principal causeof mental illness---a terrible sin to be avoided like the plague.In spite of many rebuttals and critiques by contemporaries, Tissot'sviews became a standard reference found in most all medicaltextbooks published until the early part of our century.In 1834 Dr. Sylvester Graham wrote that the loss of semen duringsex was injurious to health (a popular idea at the time); men,Graham believed, should not have intercourse more than twelvetimes a year. Masturbation was especially pernicious, he said.To reduce sexual cravings, Graham advised mild foods to decreasesexual appetites. The graham cracker was the result! In 1884,this curious connection between food and sex appeared in anotherguise. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg created cornflakes to curtail children'sinclinations toward masturbation. Kellogg, who was quite a healtheccentric, wrote: "The use of the reproductive function is perhaps the highest physical act of which man is capable; its abuse is certainly one of the most grievous outrages against nature which it is possible for him to perpetrate."See PornFlakes: Kellogg, Graham and the Crusade for Moral Fiber. (Disclaimer:I do NOT agree with Dr. Kellogg and his school of thought. Thislink is for information purposes only.)William Acton, a late 19th century prominent physician, wrote:"There is now in Pennsylvania---it seems unnecessary to namethe place---a man thirty-five years old, with the infirmitiesof 'three score and ten.' Yet his premature old age, his bendingand tottering form, wrinkled face, and hoary head, might be tracedto solitary and social licentiousness." Many doctors of thattime taught that masturbation led to insanity, dark rings underthe eyes, and other terrible maladies. Guilt and fear were instilledin young people from an early age.Between 1856 and 1919 the U.S. Patent Office granted patentsfor forty-nine antimasturbation devices. Thirty-five were forhorses and fourteen for humans. The human devices, made for boys,consisted of either sharp points turned inward to jab the penisshould he get an erection during the night, or an electrical systemto deliver shocks. How many of these devices were actually used,or what effect they had on the children no one knows. Masturbationby girls was even more shocking, shameful, and unmentionable!The pendulum of sexual mores has now most certainly swung to theopposite extreme in the last half-century.Secular medical authorities nowadays universally proclaim thatmasturbation is physiologically harmless and that it may evenbe a normal, natural form of release. Physiologically there seemsto be no harm in masturbating, though most psychology text bookwriters admit that associated guilt and shame afflict millions,especially during adolescence. This guilt is usually blamed onstrict and legalistic religious upbringing and Victorian prudishnessabout sex. Textbooks on human sexuality seem to all go to greatlength to explain away the guilt that results from illicit sex,and thus many of these secular writers end of writing polemicsagainst the Bible and openly endorsing hedonistic living thatis in reality pagan.Because the Bible says nothing specific on the subject, Christiancounseling books vary in their approach in dealing with masturbation.Few Christian youth pastors or psychologists are willing to endorsemasturbation as normal and natural, however a minority are willingto suggest that self stimulation can provide a release from excessivetension when one is single. "Better masturbation than excessiveobsession with sex," they say, "and better masturbatingthan risking a fall into more serious sexual immorality involvinganother person." The Bible does not suggest such a rationalization,however---in 1 Cor. 7:9 the Apostle Paul cites marriage as God'salternative to "burning with passion."Since scripture does not specifically name masturbation asa sin, some claim masturbation is evidently not critically importantas compared, say, to fornication. This argument is not conclusivesince the word "fornication" (porneia) is a broadword in the New Testament, actually encompassing all forms ofsexual immorality. Youth pastors also know from counseling experiencethat masturbation is often a huge source of guilt and anxietyfor many Christian young men. Therefore they feel the problemis best dealt with by reassurance of God's grace and forgivenessand by focusing on spiritual growth to the end that the individualmoves on to spiritual and emotional maturity, leaving masturbationbehind as a symptom of spiritual immaturity.Counselors who work with adolescents also sympathetically recognizethat masturbation can be a tenacious habit not easily overcome---ahabit only made worse by prohibitions, stern warnings or a critical,judgmental attitude. Vows to quit masturbating seem always tofail and cold-showers are sometimes to no avail. Masturbationcan become obsessive to some, producing endless guilt and self-consciousness in young sufferers who find they can not overcomethe habit by their own self-effort. Some young people may evenfeel they are committing the unpardonable sin.Masturbation often goes unresolved for many years, perhapsas a "secret sin," until the desperate sufferer getsup the courage to share with a fellow-Christian or a pastor. Manymarried men admit to masturbating surprisingly often, even whenthey also claim to be enjoying a happy marriage and normal sexlife with their partners.Sharing the secrets of one's defeats in masturbation with atrusted Christian brother, mentor, or accountability group usuallybrings a real sense of relief and helps the person to be moreobjective about himself and his place in the world. All of usare sinners and we are only sinners who have been justified byGod and made---by grace---worthy members of the kingdom of God.False guilt and self-condemnation (especially in "shame-based"individuals) surely is more serious source of defeat for somepeople than their true moral guilt before God who is graciousand full of mercy. "As a Father pities his children, so theLord pities those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembersthat we are dust." (Ps. 103:13, 14)Although the Old Testament records the sexual failures of anumber of men and women there are non-sexual sins that are moreserious in the eyes of God, though they usually get less attentionthan sexual failures (see for example Proverbs 6:16-19). For instance,Jesus was merciful and compassionate towards a woman caught inthe act of adultery, but he was scathing in his devastating rebukesof the arrogant self-righteousness of the Pharisees. Circumcision in Ancient Egypt (6th Dynasty). This ancient ceremony, instituted between God and Abraham as a sign of their covenant, symbolizes the consecration of one's sexuality and one's life to God. (Genesis 17). In the New Testament, circumcision is accomplished in the inner man, "by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ," according to Colossians 2). The health benefits of male circumcision are debated today but this issue is not a relevant Biblical issue any longer under the terms of the New Covenant. Most Christian writers on Biblical mores and ethics point tothe words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:27-20)where the Lord teaches that it is possible for a person to commitsexually immoral acts in one's fantasy life. The thoughts andintentions of the heart can be very important and as implicatingas outward acts. Although deliberately feeding on lustful thoughtsand acting them out in one's mind is "already adultery"in the heart, according to Jesus, temptation which is not actedupon does not constitute sin. As an old Proverb says, "Onecan not prevent the birds from flying over one's head, but onecan keep them from building a nest in one's hair." When thefactor of fantasies is added into the equation of masturbationthere is no doubt we are now referring to fornication and sexualuncleanness. One can no longer claim that masturbation is a "grayarea."In actual fact, masturbation is virtually always closely connectedwith lustful thought life. Pornography is everywhere in today'ssociety, suggestive TV programs and films laced liberally withsexual promiscuity and implicit sex can only be avoided with difficulty.Advertisements and a spirit of sensuality barrage the mind constantlyin today's sexually permissive society severely aggravating theproblem of gaining and maintaining purity and personal holinessas a Christian. Many individuals who masturbate will admit thatthey use pornography, photographs or sexually suggestive storiesto heighten the pleasure and vicarious enjoyment of sex. All ofthese are, in reality, forms of idolatry involving the worshipof another person, the worship of sex itself, or the worship ofan "image,"--rather than God. An individual whose lifeis centered around fantasies is not likely to do well when attemptingto relate with a real flesh-and-blood marriage partner and thedemands of adult life and godliness. "Jesus was condemning...those fantasies in which we see ourselves possessing that which we are not allowed to have. He is condemning those fantasies in which we manipulate people in our minds in ways that will appeal to and satisfy the lust of our imagination. Whether it be a forbidden partner or a forbidden sexual practice, we must be aware of the fact that the mind is capable of endless perversions" (Ref. 1, page 119).In those cases where masturbating is used occasionally to relievewhat seem to be unbearable sexual pressures, then eliminatingfantasies is certainly one step in the right direction. Many Christianyoung people can not imagine Jesus Christ loving them deeply enoughto help them overcome the shame of their masturbation. Thus masturbationis not an area of one's life where Jesus is welcome---it is usuallyprivate and secret. Excluding Jesus from any area of our livesis of course risky since we are then left in darkness and in bondageto sin in one form or another. This is because "Anythingnot based on faith is sin." Nothing we do, even in private,is hidden from God. The Psalmist says, "Thou hast set ouriniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance."(Psalm 90:8)To be more objective, the Bible is clear that sexual activityis always wrong outside of marriage. Yet today's society promotes,encourages, and teaches young people to explore their sexualityand to become active in early adolescence. Biblical values havebeen overwhelmed and cast aside in most all schools today withthe result that a whole generation has becoming openly pagan andpromiscuous. This tragic, terrible state of affairs is associatedwith a breakdown in family ties and widespread divorce. It istherefore very difficult for Christian men and women who are notyet married to stay clear of sexual experimentation, pornography,and peer pressure to get involved.Claims that all forms of sexual expression are normal, healthy,natural, and desirable may be fraudulent and false, but they arewidely accepted today. In this environment modesty, chastity,purity and celibacy are virtually never discussed---yet they areparamount values in a Biblical view of godliness and spirituality.The fact that masturbation is "encouraged" as normaland healthy by a majority of educators and secular leaders todaydefinitely does not mean that the majority viewpoint is the correctone---the opposite is more likely to be true. In overcoming theexcessively inhibited sexual mores of an early generation, thesexual revolution has obviously gone completely over board inthe direction of total moral looseness, unrestrained hedonismand unbelievable promiscuity. Billy Graham's wife, Ruth Bell Graham,has well said, "If God doesn't judge America for her immorality,he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."The fall of man in the Garden of Eden was a fall into self-centeredness.Our fallen natures are today often infected with lust and covetousnessand envy. Our minds are easily programmed by TV, movies, and evenschool textbooks---all of which now bombard us with sensual imagesand antichristian values from the cradle to the grave.It is plain to see that masturbation is usually narcissistic.Narcissus was the Greek youth who, upon seeing his reflectionin a pool, fell in love with himself, then fell into the pooland drowned. In other generations masturbation was called self-abuse,solo-sex, self-love, or self-gratification. The emphasis is on"self," not on one's relationship with God or one'sfamily. We can surely say the "solo-sex" is not partof God's original design for man which is for sexual expressionin the context of love and commitment in a marriage. Masturbationcan never be fulfilling and satisfying since it is inherentlyan incomplete act to which there is no response or appropriateanswer-back from a complementary partner. Masturbation also tendsto turn one's focus inward upon oneself, leading to shame, sometimesexcessive introversion, often low self-esteem, self- consciousnessand detachment from normal social roles.God did not design sex to be a solitary experience. It is supposedto be shared with another, and only in marriage. Sexuality isintended to be part of the complementary interaction of self-givinglove between a man and a woman who are committed to one anotherfor life. (See 1 Cor. 7:4 where the Bible states that husbandand wife are to give up the right to their own bodies to one anotherin marriage). Within marriage the dynamic interplay between oppositescan bring healing and wholeness for both the man and his wife.Sexual expression in any other context is destructive to wholeness.The Bible certainly shows that God is not against pleasure, Hewants us to say "no" to things that hurt us.Because sexual activity results in pleasure, sexual habitssuch as masturbation are become conditioned responses that arereinforced with repetition. In a society where instant gratificationis the goal of many, few of our contemporaries think in termsof self-control or long term fulfillment. Unlike hunger or otherpurely physical desires, human sexual response encompasses body,soul, and spirit. Without food and water man can not live, butliving without sexual expression does no harm and can often beof great benefit because it allows libidinal energy to be refocusedinto socially redeeming activities. Abstinence and celibacy havealways been prized by the church as healthy and desirable beforemarriage, and normative for singles. In the personal experienceof countless pastors and counselors in the church of Jesus Christ,men and women are always far better off if they remained sexuallyinactive until marriage, and faithful to one's spouse thereafter.Countless married couples regret their premarital affairs andsexual expression prior to marriage because the effects show uplater on in making marriage less than it ought to be.Sexual selfishness is more difficult to cure than a tendencyto eat too much apple pie or roast beef and potatoes. Even ifone were to decide that masturbation is not a specific sin namedin the Bible that does not mean it is a neutral issue. In reallife not all choices are between right and wrong, but often betweendegrees of good and better. We can surely say that overcomingmasturbation is the better course to seek after.Unfortunately, once sexual desires are aroused it become difficultto reverse course and return to a celibate, virgin status. Regainingpurity is, however, a requirement for Christian growth. In theSong of Solomon, the Shulamite maiden encourages the Daughtersof Jerusalem to "stir not nor awaken love until it please,"(i.e., until the proper time and place).Admittedly, sexual desires are most intense biologically speakingwhen we are young and not yet able to marry. The spiritual victoryto be gained (with the help of the Lord Jesus) is one of self-control(1 Thess. 4:1-8) and an inner purity that constantly vitalizesone's intimate personal relationship with Jesus the Bridegroomof the church. The Song of Solomon gives us a good picture notonly of marriage but also of our individual relationship withJesus Christ seen as a discipleship of love (Ref 2). God is workingin us to produce wholeness and well-roundedness, a self-givinglife style not a self-centered one. Previous generations of Christianleaders taught that instinctual energies could be sublimated andrechanneled into productive and creative actions in the world.This concept has largely disappeared in our time when the focusis on self, self-realization, and self-fulfillment. Christ--the Only Complete Realist No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German Army by fighting it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of the wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yield to temptation, is the only man who knows to the full what temptation means-the only complete realist (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity). Abstinence from sexual activity is not harmful to the body.In the male, semen may be occasionally released spontaneouslyin nocturnal emissions (wet dreams), or will be slowly absorbedinto the blood stream. One can not survive without food and water,but many men and women live healthy, fulfilled, single lives inChrist without expressing themselves sexually.Taking all these things together it is difficult to build acase for masturbation as something which is innocuous, thoughit may be less serious a struggle for some as compared to others.Christian life is neither easy nor free from temptation and evenstumbling, falling, failing and starting over. The aim of ourlives should be to please God, and to do that we must deny theflesh, put to death our selfish desires, starve the appetitesof our inner sensualities and lusts, and feed upon the Word ofGod. We need to develop close friends we can share secrets withand who will keep us accountable in our spiritual walk.A number of passages in the New Testament are applicable togrowing out of and overcoming masturbation as we seek single sightedness,with purity of heart and motive in following Jesus the Lord. "Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness." (Rom. 6:13) "...make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Heb.12:13,14) "But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints...Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience...Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light." (Eph. 5:3-13) "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming." (Col. 3:1-6)Masturbation is usually not the crucial issue of anyone's Christianwalk, though self-consciousness probably makes it seem so to some.God's loyal-love (hesed) is patiently committed to seeing to itthat we become whole and fulfilled no matter how much extra gracewe may think we need. Assuming that masturbation is indeed a sinfor Christians, one would expect to find consequences, for "whatevera man sows that he shall also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Somesuggested consequences include (a) increased self-consciousness,(b) lowered self-esteem, (c) depression, (d) reduced psychologicaland creative energy, (e) lessened interest in interpersonal relationships,and of course (f) guilt, shame, with fear of being found out.Preoccupation with sexual fantasies tends to substituted imaginedrelationships with real-life experiences with real persons. Theprogressively addictive power of pornography is well known. C.S.Lewis once wrote in one his letters, "I know about the despair of overcoming chronic temptation. It is not serious, provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience, etc. don't get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us; it is the very sign of his presence." Notes and References1. In earlier generations some felt that Onan's sin,for which God ended his life, was masturbation (see Genesis 38).Onan disobeyed God's Word and failed to honor his obligation tohis family as is clear from the context. Most all Bible scholarstoday do not fault his coitus interruptus as the root ofhis sin.Journal Notes on Temptation byBruce (PDF) | Some Comments by LarryHoppis2. The Book of Leviticus provides many illustrationsof the defilements that we all inherited from Adam. Leviticus15:16-18 refers specifically to uncleanness resulting from anemission of semen: "And if a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water, and be unclean until the evening. And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening. If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening."Ray C. Stedman comments on this passage as follows: "It would be a great mistake to judge from this passage that the Bible suggests in any way that sex in marriage is immoral or wrong. This is simply God's reminder of the pollution of nature, of the fact that the nature of humanity is fallen and that man cannot solve his problems himself. He desperately needs a Savior. And he passes on to his children the same fallen, twisted nature and propensities which he himself is born with... "Life is continually confirming this great fundamental fact which the Scriptures set before us---that there is something wrong with nature. So all that God is doing here when he says that the act of sex results in an uncleanness until evening is simply reminding us that man is a fallen creature and that he must deal with that problem realistically. He can't avoid it. There is no way that he can eliminate it himself. God must handle it, and God has handled it. There is only one way it can be handled---the redemptive intervention of God---and if it isn't handled that way there is no escape from the defilement and the destruction of humanity which will follow. So God reminds us that even in the act of sex which results in conception there is a fallen nature involved." (Ray C. Stedman, The Trouble with Nature, from Commentary on Leviticus).In the Bible Knowledge Commentary (Victor Books,1985) F. Duane Lindsey comments on the above passage from Leviticusas follows: "The second case pertaining to males was the periodic discharge of an emission of semen, whether possibly a nocturnal emission or one during intercourse. For this case no sacrifice [for sin] was required and the uncleanness was resolved by a simple wash-and-wait (till evening). It is noteworthy that while the normal sexual process between husband and wife made both partners ceremonially unclean---no guilt was involved and so no sacrifice was required." (Commentary on Leviticus, p. 195).It would seem that all forms of sexual activity, even in amarriage where sexual expression carries God's endorsement andapproval, carry the taint of original sin. Portions of Leviticusare designed to protect against sexually-transmitted diseases,and much of Leviticus contains the "holiness codes"for sexual conduct which were imparted to mankind as part of theLaw of Moses.3. A thorough discussion of masturbation and other topics ofsexual morality is found in the book Sexual Chaosby John Vertefeuille, published by Crossway Books in 1988.The author is college pastor of Faith Chapel in La Mesa, California.4. Dr. John White's book Eros Redeemed(Intervarsity Press,1993)--is excellent.John White writes as follows (pp124-125), "In Eros Defiled I wrote about masturbation with compassion. I still have compassion for the victims of masturbation, but the time has now come for me to challenge the views that prevail and to call on Christians to face reality. Masturbation is sin. It is not grave sin, not nearly as serious as pride, or cruelty, or even unkindness. But still it is sin. Let me state my reasons for calling it sin at all. It is sin because sexuality was not given us for that purpose. In masturbating we use our bodily parts for a purpose God never intended for them. To say that the release of sexual tension justifies it is what my grandmother would have called "all my eye and Peggy Martin"---or what logicians might call specious reasoning. My first argument, then, for calling masturbation sin is what could be called the argument of design. My body is mine only in the sense that I am responsible for its proper use. I am its steward. For what was my body designed? The Westminster Confession asks a similar if not identical question. "What is the chief end of man?" The answer the authors give is, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Paul expresses the same end for our bodies. He concludes, "So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:20 RSV). The argument I have been using from chapter three onward concerns the offering of our bodies to God as an act of worship. In the NIV version of Romans 6, Paul even mentions the parts of our bodies, saying, "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness . . . offer the parts of your body to him [God] as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master" (Rom 6:13- 14) My body was not designed to masturbate. My body was designed to be used exclusively to glorify God. To use it in any other way is to rob God of something that is his by right, for there are no morally neutral actions. You say: So everything becomes black and white. Are there no shades of gray? Yes, plenty of them. But even the whitest shade of gray has some black in it. So if you should go on to say, "Well, it really doesn't matter that much, does it?" then I must insist that sin always matters. Our sin brought about the death of Christ. Just as speech was given to us in order that we might communicate truths rather than lies or gossip, so the sexual parts of our bodies were designed to copulate. Remember, copulation is far more than orgasmic experiences. It was to be a sharing, a sort of gateway to deeper sharing, a never-ending mutual revelation of the depths of our souls. Yet copulation can be entirely selfish, a mere using of somebody's body to gratify myself, which is little different from masturbation. My second argument for calling masturbation sin---closely related to the first argument---is that masturbation is a form of idolatry. Our bodies are to be offered to God. Masturbation is to make a god of my bodily sensations, of relief from the tension that I feel. Again, I know that married lovemaking can itself be a selfish pursuit of bodily sensation. But I repeat: it was not designed to be. At that point it becomes lust. Yet I know how some men and women struggle. How bitter some people feel in their vain struggle against it! Younger people, young marrieds away from their spouses, have a particularly difficult time. I know a man whose problem began with marriage. Like all sin, masturbation must be dealt with compassionately and in love. I may be in my sixties, but I remember very clearly what it used to be like. Those were dark days when I hated myself. (I do not excuse my past actions, even though, looking back, I can explain them. Nor did my release from the habit occur gradually, dying out as the need for it diminished. It came by the Spirit's revelation.) Let us be compassionate with those who struggle."As a footnote (Chapter 5) in his very latest (and excellent)book, The Path of Holiness: A Guide for Sinners,(IV Press, Downers Grove, Illinois 1996) Dr. John Whitesays this, I am fully aware that few Christians nowadays regard masturbation as sinful. If some sins are worse than others, as I believe from Scripture, then sexual sin in general, and masturbation in particular, would be relatively unimportant. Masturbation never used to be talked about. Pastors rarely mention it. But during the last forty years or so, during which time psychology, psychiatry and various forms of Christian counseling have got into the act of giving "expert" opinions on the subject, it has become an understandable and relatively respectable activity, especially for young people. My opinion is at present a minority opinion. Yet majorities are frequently wrong, and I refuse to follow this one. Masturbation is not merely a habit of young people but continues throughout active sexual life. Some people continue it into their eighties. Significantly many people, in spite of assurances as to its innocence, are deeply ashamed of it, more ashamed than they would be of confessing illicit sexual relationships. Some men, virgin before they married, begin it after they have married. I believe It is sinful because our sexual parts were not designed for masturbation, but for coitus within marriage. We are using our bodies wrongly when we masturbate, and for purposes they were not designed for. While I lament the excessive guilt of past religious condemnation, I regret equally the present permissiveness. Continence would require only an openness between parents and children. God forgives absolutely. Our problem is coming to him again and again.5. Watchman Nee, Song of Songs, ChristianLiterature Crusade, 1965.6. Additional references of relevance are listed in the essayAberrant Sexuality. A short article,Sexual Sin in General compares brieflythe Old Testament and New Testament norms for sexual expression.The fact that man created in the image of God is represented bytwo complementary sexes, not one, is the subject of a discussionMade in the Image of God Several yearsago Leadership Magazine published two articles whichproved extremely popular and very helpful, TheWar Within: An Anatomy Of Lust. Self-centeredness is at theheart of what the Bible describes as man's fallen condition. Masturbationhas occasionally been symbolized since ancient times in variouscultures by the figure of a snake chasing its own tail, TheUroboros Symbol. The Uroboros is fitting symbol for man'sbasic self-centeredness in all areas of life. Highly recommendedis Sex: Should We Change the Rules?by Bishop John W. Howe This booklet on sexuality was preparedby the Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida and is now online onthese web pages. Helpful article: Masturbation:A Sin for Christians? by Dean and Laura VanDruff7. The Courage to be Chaste by Benedict J. Groeschel,Paulist Press, New York, 1985, is an exceptionally fine book whichI recommend highly. (2/1/00)8. Theology of the Body, Christopher West (Excellent Roman Catholic Resources)Related TopicsPracticing Holiness, by Alan Medinger Lionprayer (Christian Brotherhood) Grateful Heart: An Antidote to Lust, by Alan P. Medinger God is Patient, Be Patient with yourself, by Alan P. Medinger Hating Our Sins Does Not Come Naturally, by Alan Medinger Healing and the Holy Imagination, by Alan Medinger Whatever Happened to Holiness, by Billie J. Baldwin Jehoshaphat Defeats the Porn Kings Two of Me: The Struggle with Sin, by David Wilkerson Cold Turkey or the Gradual Way? by Alan Medinger 8. A Mormon view: Steps in OvercomingMasturbation, (Anonymous author but attributed to Mark E.Petersen), is interesting. I have added editorial comments tothis paper highlighting a number of theological errors in thisapproach. The article may nonetheless offer helpful pointers forsome.9. The Roman Catholic Position: Offenses against chastity: 2352. By _masturbation_ is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magesterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful, have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action." "The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved." To form an equitable judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability. (1992 Catechism).10. Outstanding Recent Book: The War Within: GainingVictory in the Battle for Sexual Purity, by Robert Daniels,Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1997. Practical, transparent,realistic, and relevant. Highly recommended11. The importance of dealing with the inner idolatrous rootsof our sexuality is the subject of Leanne Payne's book, TheHealing Presence: Curing the Soul Through Union with Christ,Baker Books, Grand Rapids 1995. I know of no book with deeperinsights in this area.12. Dr. Grant Martin's book When Good Things Become Addictions:Gaining Freedom from our Compulsions, Victor Books, Wheaton,Illinois,1990, is very good and will be helpful to many.13. Excellent book on sexuality, religion and culture: TheSanctity of Sex, by Charles Pickstone, St. Martin's Press,New York, 1996, ISBN 0-312-15516. WHERE RELIGION ONCE was ubiquitous,we now find sex. It appears in art, literature, music, film, television,and ads. It occupies a near-sacred spot in our regular activitiesand dominates our consciousness. In this fascinating new inquiryinto contemporary culture, Charles Pickstone, a priest, arguesthat the pervasiveness of sex in our society mirrors religion'sformer glory. Indeed, according to Pickstone, sex has usurpedreligion's position on the spiritual pedestal. In this time ofincreasing secularization, our traditional views of sex have fallenby the wayside. The religious right bemoans our so-called hedonismas a retreat from religion and values. Yet Pickstone challengesthe belief that we have lost our spirituality and have becomea world of lost souls damned for eternity. His book provides asober and lucid response to our concerns about where our societyis headed. As he cogently argues, people today have not lost theirreligious passions and convictions. Pickstone cites one exampleafter another of how we instead find religious ecstasy in sexualintercourse. These powerful examples are clearly linked in anargument that is hard to refute. Pickstone's brilliance lies inhis ability to examine what we take for granted and expose itsspiritual significance. Whereas one used to pray to ease one'ssuffering, sex today provides the most commonly used relief fromstress. Pickstone clearly demonstrates how we often describe sexin metaphors of natural, and even supernatural phenomena: Theearth moves, oceans swell, and storms rage. Moreover, Pickstoneargues, we find in both sexual and religious passion the sametranscendence of self that constitutes a spiritual experience.Barriers break down as we are transported to another reality ofecstasy and heightened experience. Using diverse and accessibleexamples, Pickstone charts the seismic shifts in consciousnessthat have taken place over the last century and a half in a bookthat may challenge and change the way we think about the worldand ourselves. CHARLES PICKSTONE is an Anglican priest who hasled congregations in San Rafael, California, and England, wherehe now lives.14. Excellent Book: Whole and Holy Sexuality,"by Kraft, William F., PhD., Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene,OR 1998. "Masturbation is a common form of genital gratification.By age twenty-one, most men have masturbated. Women masturbateless; however, the percentage gap between male and female masturbationis narrowing. Increasingly more people feel little or no compunctionabout masturbating. This was not always the case.In the "old days" (not very long ago), many peoplewere taught that masturbation is one of the worst sins. It wassuggested that masturbation was a cause of mental and physicalillness, even that surgical intervention could be a treatmentfor masturbation. It seems masturbation evoked more guilt thandishonesty or injustice. In those days it was common to overemphasizesexual sins. Masturbation--even the mere thought of it--guaranteeda one-way ticket to hell. Sexuality was treated as an "enemy"or as exclusively a means for procreation rather than a gift andopportunity from God for spiritual and psychological growth.Because of the negative assessment of sexuality, the approachto sexual feelings was to ignore or repress them. As we have seen,however, denial increases tension rather than purges it, resultingin frustration, anxiety, and guilt. Individuals, acting sincerely,tried to silence the potentially redemptive message of their uncomfortablefeelings. Consequently, they escaped self-confrontation by overindulgence(eating, drinking, working), irritable behavior (toward authorities,peers, or subjects), or acting out (with others and/or self infantasy and/or reality). When masturbation (acting out) was thecoping mechanism for repressed or non-integrated sexuality, a circularand frustrating pattern would emerge: masturbation to relievetension, followed by guilt, followed by tension, which led againto masturbation and so on and on.The "new ways" are expression and guiltlessness.Many health specialists consider masturbation a sensible sourceof pleasure, a convenient tension reducer, a productive way torealize body awareness and potential-in general, a healthy practice.Satisfying "my own" needs, insisting that "my bodyis mine," and having "good" feelings are conventionaljustifications. Since discomfort is assumed to indicate somethingwrong, the practices of suppression, mortification, and sublimationare judged masochistic, old-fashioned, or simply naive and dumb.From a wholistic perspective, I personally support neitherthe new nor the old position. I contend that masturbation is seldomunhealthy in and of itself. Unlike many professionals, however,I do not believe masturbation should be recommended. Psychologically,masturbation is neither a one-way ticket to hell or to heaven.Masturbation is an earthly matter, neither unhealthy nor healthy.It is a conventional way of reducing tension, evoking pleasure,and acquiring a degree of normal maintenance.Sociologically, masturbation is "normal" in thatmost people at some time in their lives practice it more or less.It falls within the parameters of "normal" and oftenexpected behavior. Psychologically, masturbation can be considered"normal" because it can temporarily reduce tension thatmay make life easier immediately (though not better) and helpone to cope in the short run. Nevertheless, although masturbationcan be considered "normal" in this sense, I contendit is not healthy because it impedes spiritual growthTo understand the dynamics of masturbation, it is importantto look at the life of one who masturbates. The act should beseen in light of a total process. One element of this contextis age. For example, adolescents usually feel more strongly thanchildren and adults the urgency and confusion of new genital desires.Also, they experience peer and cultural pressure to satisfy them.An adult who has repressed his or her genital feelings may masturbatefor reasons like those of an adolescent: urgency, novelty, pleasure,curiosity, environmental pressure.Frequency and intensity are also important factors. Masturbatingonce a month differs from doing it once a day in terms of psychosocialand spiritual impact. Compulsive masturbation involves a significantpart of one's life. In contrast, some people generally abstainfrom masturbation but periodically "act-out" for a relativelyshort time. Others follow a cyclic pattern: they allow tensionto build up periodically relieve it and wait for is to increaseagainHere's one adolescent's reflection on masturbation: "I'mnot real guilty about it, but I'm not proud of it either. Mostof the guys do it at some time or another. There are some guyswho don't masturbate so I guess it can be done. I masturbate whenI'm especially horny, or when I'm bored and have a lot of time.It relieves the tension, but I have to admit that the tensionalways returns Masturbating doesn't seem to get you where.Intensity of involvement is significant also. The amount oftime, as well as quantity and quality of self-investment, determinethe impact masturbation has on one's life. Someone who masturbatesdaily for an hour with intense fantasy as the primary source ofintimacy will differ significantly from a person who masturbatesinfrequently and has healthy experiences of intimacy.Masturbation is particularly seductive because it is an easyand accessible way to reduce tension and to explore genital feelingsand fantasies without interpersonal vulnerability, responsibility,and accountability. It seems we have a license to masturbate almostwhenever we feel like it. We need not worry about other peopleor social consequences; it can be kept to oneselfPart of masturbation's lure is the safe secrecy lure; one doesnot have to risk rejection, embarrassment, or failure; it givesthe illusion of being open, and perfect. Instead of engaging inmature relationships, the individual can create a world of make-believepeople where anything is possible and there are no limits.A subtle attraction of masturbation is that the initial choiceoften emerges from non-genital experiences: boredom, anxiety andespecially loneliness may pressure us to masturbate. Masturbationcan numb the discomfort of emptiness and incompleteness and promisesome semblance of being one with self and other. But these rewardsare short-lived. The frustrating irony is that the escape fromloneliness actually impedes the attainment of the true goal: intimacy."(pp. 102-104)15. A Note of Explanation. This article was writtenmainly for Christians. It remains the most frequently accessedarticle on this web site. Most of the email is highly favorable.Non-Christians and moral relativists do write me less frequently.A typical email in the latter category is the following: "Youreally are making a fuss about nothing! I used to think that masturbatingwas a stupid, strange thing to do, so I stopped. Then I grew upand realized that there is nothing WRONG with doing this, nothingwrong at all. You enjoy your life. But I promise you, mine willfeel better!" I have no quarrel with this writer--but hedoes not state his basis for his beliefs nor cite the moral authorityby which he lives his life. To me the the fundamental issue forthe non-Christian is establishing a relationship with God. Apartfrom such a relationship a person can not please God in the firstplace. To the person who has established a personal relationshipwith the living God, everything matters, and "the unexaminedlife is not worth living."16. Excerpt from the book A Plea for Purity: The desecrationof love is one of the greatest tragedies of our time. Increasingly,love is understood as nothing more than selfish desire, and thesatisfaction of this desire is seen as fulfillment. People talkabout sexual liberation but remain trapped in bondage to theirsexual desires; they talk about true love but live in self-absorbedestrangement. Our age is a loveless age: relationships and heartsare broken everywhere, millions of human lives are discarded almostbefore they have begun, thousands of children are abused or abandoned,and fear and mistrust abound even in supposedly healthy marriages.Love has been reduced to base sex. Because of this, it is nothingmore than a delusion for many - short-lived intimacy followedby gnawing emptiness and anguish.How can we rediscover the real meaning of love? So many thingsin the world today take away our belief in lasting and unconditionallove. So much of what has to do with "love" these daysreally has to do with the excitement and passion of lust. We livein a sex-obsessed, sex-crazed society, and everything reeks ofit - advertising, literature, fashion, and entertainment. Marriagehas been the first casualty: its significance has become so distortedthat its true meaning has been lost.Of course, no honest person can lay the blame for all of thisat the door of the media or of some vague force in society. Certainly,the media has confused thousands of people and left them hardened.But it is we - each one of us -whose souls are burdened by thesin of our own lust, whose marriages have fallen apart, whosechildren have gone astray. We cannot ignore our own misdeeds;we must take responsibility for our own actions, for every instancewhere we have accepted the spirit of impurity and let evil intoour own hearts. We have mocked and twisted the image of God andseparated ourselves from our creator. We must learn to listenagain to the deepest cries of our hearts, and repent and turnback to God.Thirty years have passed since the beginning of the sexualrevolution, and its devastating aftermath should be obvious toanyone: widespread promiscuity; rising rates of teen pregnancyand suicide; tens of millions of abortions; the spread of sexuallytransmitted diseases; the erosion of the family and home life;and the rise of a violent new generation. "We have sown thewind, and reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7).Our time grossly overestimates the importance of sex. Whetheron book stands, in convenience stores, or at supermarket counters,its significance is exaggerated in a thoroughly unhealthy way.Love between man and woman is no longer regarded as sacred ornoble; it has become a commodity seen only in an animal sense,as an uncontrollable impulse that must be satisfied.As a tool of the sexual revolution, modern sex education morethan anything else is responsible for all this. Sex educationwas supposed to bring us freedom, enlightened attitudes, responsibility,and safety. Isn't it obvious by now that it has been a failure?Haven't we seen by now that knowledge is no safeguard, and thatsex education as taught in most schools has only increased sexualactivity?True education for the sexual life instills reverence.Most parents have very little, if any, idea of what their childrenare taught in sex education classes. Sex education has never beena simple presentation of biological facts. In many curricula studentsare graphically taught (sometimes by way of films) about varioussexual practices, including masturbation, and about "safe"sex. In others, sexual perversions are openly and explicitly discussedand presented as normal ways of finding sexual "fulfillment."in some school districts an appreciation and understanding forthe homosexual lifestyle is encouraged: it is, our children aretold, a perfectly acceptable alternative to heterosexual marriage.Some schools even have students pair off to discuss topics suchas foreplay and orgasm. Antibiotics and abortion are presentedas positive safety nets in case contraception and safe sex practicesfail. Abstinence, if not entirely ignored, is mentioned only inpassing. As William Bennett, former Secretary of Education, writes: "There is a coarseness, a callousness, a cynicism, a banality, and a vulgarity to our time. There are too many signs of a civilization gone rotten. And the worst of it has to do with our children: we live in a culture that at times seems almost dedicated to the corruption of the young, to ensuring the loss of their innocence before their time."Sex education is little more than "safe" sex training.Initially, it was instituted as an attempt to bank the fires ofteenage sexuality; instead, it has only fanned the flames. Mostpeople seem to take it for granted that teenagers will and shouldexpress themselves sexually. Our era is one of millions of abortions,of countless unwed mothers on public support, and of epidemicsexually transmitted diseases. Clearly, the idea that accurateknowledge fosters responsible behavior is nothing less than agrand myth.In general, much of what is taught today in the name of sexeducation is a horror, and as Christians we must protest againstit. It is often little more than the formalized training of irreverence,impurity, and rebellion against the plan of God.True education for the sexual life takes place best betweenparent and child in an environment of reverence and trust. Toeducate anyone about sex through anonymous images and impersonalinformation will only awaken the sexual impulse of a child prematurelyand, in his mind, separate sex from love and commitment.Obviously we should not be afraid to talk freely with our ownchildren about sexual matters, especially as they approach adolescence.Otherwise they will learn about these things first from theirpeers, and rarely in a reverent atmosphere. All the same, thereis a danger in giving a child too many biological facts aboutsex. Often, a factual approach to sex robs it of its divine mystery.To the Christian parent, sex education means guiding the sexualconscience of his or her children to sense their own dignity andthe dignity of others. It means helping them to understand thatselfish pleasure, whether it "hurts" anybody else ornot, is contrary to love (Gal. 5:13). It means teaching them that,separated from God, sexual intercourse or any other sexual activityburdens the conscience and undermines honest relationships. Itmeans opening their eyes to see the deep emptiness that leadspeople - and could lead them too - into sexual sin.A child can acquire a healthy attitude to his body and to sexquite naturally, simply by being taught that his body, as thetemple of the Spirit, is holy, and that any defilement of it issin. I will never forget the deep impression it made on me asa young teen when my father took me for a walk with him and toldme about the struggle for a pure life and the importance of keepingmyself pure for the woman I might find and marry some day. Hesaid to me, "if you are able to live a pure life now, itwill be easier for the rest of your life. But if you give in nowto personal impurity, it will become harder and harder to withstandtemptation, even once you marry.Parents who want to protect their children from impurity shouldremember that the discipline of work - whether through chores,exercise, or through other activities - is one of the best safeguards.Children who have been taught to stick to a task and see it throughwill be better equipped to deal with sexual temptations than childrenwho have been pampered and catered to.Any misuse of sex cuts us off from our true selves and fromeach other. Young people underestimate the power of the demonicforces they allow into their lives when they give in to impurity.Take masturbation, for example. As children grow into young menand women, their sexual desire increases, and often their mostimmediate urge is to seek sexual gratification through masturbation.Increasingly, parents, educators, and ministers of our day claimthat masturbation is healthy and natural; many see it as justanother form of stress release. And the sexual activity it oftenleads to, even among children who have barely reached puberty,is considered by some to be normal.Why are we parents and educators so afraid to speak the truth- to warn our children not only of the dangers of promiscuitybut also of masturbation? (Proverbs 5:1ff) Aren't both illnessesof the soul? Don't both desecrate and betray the image of God,and undermine the marriage bond? Masturbation can never bringtrue satisfaction. It is a solitary act. It is self-stimulation,self-gratification, self-abuse - it closes us within a dream worldand separates us from genuine relationships. When it becomes habitual(which it often does), it aggravates isolation and loneliness,and it intensifies feelings of futility and frustration. At itsworst, as a breach in the bond of unity and love for which sexis created, it is comparable to adultery. I have counseled manyyoung people who are enslaved by masturbation: they earnestlydesire to be freed from their habit, but they fall into it againand again.A person who struggles with masturbation is often too ashamedto talk about it with anyone. Yet it is important to realize thatbecause shameful acts work in secrecy, their power can only bebroken when they are brought to light. Certainly sharing one'sburdens and inner feelings with a mentor or pastor can be painful,but this is the only recourse for anyone who wants to become trulyfree.People may struggle with masturbation right to the end of theirlives. I have counseled men in their eighties who still have notfound freedom from it. The question arises whether there is anythingone can do to be rid of this curse. My advice to those enslavedto masturbation is to seek strength through prayer. You will notconquer your addiction by will power alone. Before you go to bedat night, turn your thoughts to God and read something of an inner,spiritual nature. Even then the temptation to masturbate can arise.When that happens, find something to take your mind off it - getout of bed and take a walk, or do some household chore. oftena simple activity provides the best means to overcome these strongtemptations.Frequently enslavement to masturbation is connected to anotherform of bondage: pornography. Very few people will admit an addictionto pornography, but the fact that it is a steadily growing billion-dollarindustry shows how widespread it is, also among "Christians."Many people claim that pornography should not be criminalizedbecause it is "victimless." Yet anything that encouragesimpurity, even in the form of solitary sexual arousal, is a crimebecause it degrades the human body, which was created in God'simage as a temple of the soul (1 Corinthians 6: 19). The so-calledlines typically drawn between pornography, masturbation, one-nightstands, and prostitution are actually an illusion. All of themare means used to attain sexual satisfaction without the "burden"of commitment. All reduce the mystery of sex to a technique forsatisfying lust. And all of them are shameful - the secrecy ofthose who indulge in them betrays that fact more clearly thananything else (Romans 13:12-13).Prayer and confession can free us from the burden of impurity.No one can free himself from impurity or any other sin in hisown strength. Freedom comes through the attitude of inner poverty,through continually turning to God. The struggle against temptationis in everyone and will always be there, but through prayer andconfession, sin can be overcome.Whenever we let down our guard in the struggle for purity -whenever we allow passion and lust to overcome us - we are indanger of throwing ourselves completely away. Then we will notbe able to drive away the evil spirits we have allowed to enter,and the intervention of Christ himself will be needed to bringfreedom. Without this, there will be only deepening hopelessnessand despair.In the most extreme instances the desperation brought on bya secret life of impurity ends in suicide. This can only be describedas a rebellion against God, a statement that says, "I'm beyondhope - my problems are too big - even for God to handle."Suicide denies that God's grace is greater than our weakness.If we find ourselves in the abyss of despair, the only answeris to seek God and ask for his compassion and mercy. Even whenwe find ourselves at the end of our rope, God wants to give usnew hope and courage, no matter how deeply we feel we have betrayedhim. God is always ready to forgive every sin (1 John 1:9); weonly need to be humble enough to ask him. When someone is temptedby thoughts of suicide, the most important thing we can do isto show him love - to remind him that each of us was created byand for God, and that each of us has a purpose to fulfill.To turn from sin and to realize that we are created for Godis always a revelation and a joy. If we faithfully face God inour lifetime here on earth, we will recognize the magnitude ofour wonderful task, the task of receiving his love and sharingit with others. There is no calling more wonderful. --Johann ChristophArnold, A Plea for Purity: Sex, Marriage and God, The PloughPublishing Company Farmington, PA 15437, 1998"Sabotage also happens when we give our strength away. Taking a bribe, letting yourself be bought off, accepting flattery in exchange for some sort of loyalty, is sabotage. Refusing to confront an issue because if you keep quiet you'll get a promotion or be made an elder or keep your job corrupts you down deep. Masturbation is sabotage. It is an inherently selfish act that tears you down. I've spoken with many men whose addiction to masturbation has eroded their sense of strength. So does sexual involvement with a woman you are not married to." --John Eldredge, Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul," Thos. Nelson, Nashville, 2001.17. Masturbation: The History of the Great Terror, by Jean Stengers and Anne Van Neck, Palgrave, NY, 2001 (a very good history of the subject written from a secular point of view). 18. Not Even a Hint, by Josh Harris Multnomah Press, 2003. "Lust isn't just a guy problem-it's a human problem. And unless we're willing to honestly confront it, lust will destroy our relationships and our lives. Joshua Harris, author of the runaway bestseller I Kissed Dating Goodbye, isn't afraid to tackle a subject many keep quiet. In Not Even a Hint, he calls a generation bombarded with pornography and images of sexual sin back to God's standards and the freedom and joy of holiness. Straightforward about sexual sin without being graphic, this 'PG-rated' book will speak to the person deeply entrenched in lust, as well as to those just flirting with temptation. Honestly sharing his own struggles, Harris exposes the tactics of lust in the heart and shows how to create a personal and practical plan for fighting back. Men and women will find hope in God's grace and learn the secrets to lasting change." (from the author's web site). 19.The Struggle, by Steve Gerali, (2003, NavPress, Colorado Springs) is a very good, thorough analysis of all aspects of masturbation. The author is an experienced youth minister and professor. Recommended. 20. A Christian View of Masturbation (Grantley Morris)21. A NOTE ABOUT SELF-STIMULANT SEX (MASTURBATION) from True Sexual Morality: Recovering Biblical Standards for a Culture in Crisis, by Daniel R. Heimbach, (Crossway Books, 2004).Readers may notice, in covering biblical prohibitions in the area of sex, that we have said nothing about any prohibition referring directly to masturbation, the practice by which a person brings himself or herself to orgasm without anyone else involved. This is because even though the Bible lists many prohibitions relating to sex, it says nothing about self-stimulated sex per se.In the past, some Christians have tied connecting masturbation with God's anger against Onan because "whenever he went into his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother" (Gen. 38:9). But Onan did not simulate himself. Rather, he had sex with a woman and withdrew on reaching orgasm, so the reason God got angry seems to have had more to do with getting enjoyment from sex with a woman without keeping promises owed :0 his brother than with how Onan went about avoiding his duties.Because the Bible says nothing directly about self-stimulated sex, many have decided the practice must be moral or should at least be treated as something morally neutral--neither right nor wrong but simply allowed when better forms of sex are not available. But I do not think this is correct, and I disagree mainly because the very nature of masturbation conflicts with biblical thinking on sexual morality in some very important ways.Of course, we should not make up demands that restrict sex beyond what God requires. Jesus was terribly critical of religious teachers who "tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger [they offer nothing helpful]" (Matt. 23:4). But, while we should respect this important warning, we must also be careful to stand and defend all that God requires. I believe that, even though there is no specific prohibition in the Bible against self-stimulated sex, we are not left to merely do as we please because God has a lot to say about resisting passions of the flesh, and all morally worthy sex has to conform with the seven positive principles addressed in chapter 7.For example, in scripture we are told to "make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Rom. 13:14); to "not be conformed to this world" but rather to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom. 12:2); and "to abstain from the passions of the flesh" because they "wage war against your soul" (1 Pet. 2:11). Furthermore, those who belong to Christ "have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24), and are urged to "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other" (vv. 16-17).Also, I believe it is quite clear that solitary, non-relational, shallow, self-focused, nonproductive, one-dimensional, single-gender, self-stimulated sex opposes every positive moral characteristic revealed to be essential in God's design for sex.God made sex to be relational, but solitary, self-stimulated sex is never relational. God made sex to be something exclusive, but while solitary self-stimulated sex is exclusive physically, it is not exclusive to another person and it encourages thoughts to wander in ways that are not exclusive at all. God made sex to be profound, but solitary self-stimulation is shallow. God made sex to be fruitful, but solitary self-stimulation treats sex like a commodity rather than a capacity for production. God made sex to be selflessly God-centered, but solitary self-stimulation is self-centered and self-satisfying. God made sex to be multidimensional, but solitary self-stimulation separates physical sex from everything else.Perhaps most seriously, God made sex to be a joining of complementary sexual differences, but solitary, self-stimulated sex never involves corresponding sexual union. Male passions are aroused by a male himself, and female passions are aroused by a female herself. Solitary, self-stimulated sex is not only non-relational, but is also by nature an act of same-sex arousal and same-sex fulfillment. You are always the same gender as yourself, and imagining a heterosexual relationship does not make the reality heterosexual. Of course, imagining a heterosexual relationship is better than imagining a homosexual relationship, but the reality only actually involves one gender.Self-stimulated sex may be less seriously outside God's design for sex than, say, physical adultery, or prostitution, or even sexual immodesty. But I believe we still must conclude that it is outside the biblical pattern and is therefore wrong. It is not a sort of behavior that merely falls short of the best but is nevertheless morally acceptable. It cannot be reconciled with God's order to "make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Rom. 13:14), and it truly conflicts with every moral essential in God's view of sex. So, even though there is nothing in the Bible directly prohibiting self-stimulated sex, I believe it is something we must avoid in order to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Rom. 12:1). A Relevant Quote By C. S. Lewis For me the real evil of masturbation would be that it takes an appetite which, in lawful use, leads the individual out of himself to complete (and correct) his own personality in that of another (and finally in children and even grandchildren) and turns it back; sends the man back into the prison of himself, there to keep a harem of imaginary brides. And this harem, once admitted, works against his ever getting out and really uniting with a real woman. For the harem is always accessible, always subservient, calls for no sacrifices or adjustments, and can be endowed with erotic and psychological attractions which no woman can rival. Among those shadowy brides he is always adored, always the perfect lover; no demand is made on his unselfishness, no mortification ever imposed on his vanity. In the end, they become merely the medium through which he increasingly adores himself. Do read Charles Williams' Descent into Hell and study the character of Mr. Wentworth. And it not only the faculty of love which is thus sterilized, forced back on itself, but also the faculty of imagination. The true exercise of imagination in my view, is (a) To help us understand other people, (b) To respond to, and, some of us, to produce art. But is has also a bad use: to provide for us, in shadowy form, a substitute for virtues, successes, distinctions, etc. which ought to be sought outside in the real world--e.g., picturing all I'd do if I were rich instead of earning and saving. Masturbation involves this abuse of imagination in erotic matters (which I think bad in itself) and thereby encourages a similar abuse of it in all spheres. After all, almost the main work of life is to come out of our selves, out of the little dark prison we are all born in. Masturbation is to be avoided as all things are to be avoided which retard this process. The danger is that of coming to love the prison. (From a letter to a Mr. Masson dated March 6, 1956 in the Wade Collection at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL) |
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