Is masterbation a sin if you believe in God?

Tj3

I would not necessarily agree, though that is no doubt often (or more likely most of the time) the problem. Lust is not wrong if the subject of that interest is your wife - that is the one exception. But I do agree that the majority of the problem with masturbation is that it does involve the sin of lust.

Masturbation is often called the sin of Onan because of this passage, which is often used to justify calling it a sin:

Gen 38:6-10
7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.
NKJV

Now this is not specifically masturbation. The sin here is that he was to raise up an heir and he sinned by not doing so.

s_cianci

It depends on how you interpret the scripture's admonitions against fornication and adultery. Since masturbation involves sexual "relations" with "someone" other than one's spouse, in all likelihood it's arguably sinful.

Tj3

Why do you assume that it is not the person's spouse that they are lusting over? I grant you, your assumption is probably true most of the time, but what about a case where the spouse is away on a trip, or in hospital, or unable to have sex for medical reasons. My point is that we ought to be careful about making a blanket statement.

Varoth

in any case we really don't truly know what the bible might have meant. simply because that it's been altered too many times.

Tj3

Really? Why do so many people make this claim, and yet no one brings forward any evidence of the so-called alterations.

Leidenschaftlich für Wahr

Okay, if you can manage to masturbate on feelings alone, then no, but if you need to create mental images of women, which most men do, then yes, it is lust.
The only thing the bible directly mentions is in leviticus, saying that it is shameful for a man to spill his seed on the ground...
So its not a sin, but i think that if you want to please God, which is our purpse, and as christians we have decided to embrace that purpose, then you will abstain...

Greg Quinn

It really doesn't matter anyways because you have tons of time to pray for forgiveness. I always clean my seed up with a towel. LOL

Tj3

Could you give a reference in Leviticus? The only reference that I have heard used before is the sin of Onan in Genesis 38, but as I piointed out earlier, the Genesis 38 passage does not apply to the specifics of what we are discussing.

Wondergirl

For Christians, the OT is a guidebook, not a lawbook. The Ten Commandments no longer condemn us, but lack of love does.

Leidenschaftlich für Wahr

Yeah i have to mention that wondergirl is right. The old testament laws were in the old covenant, the laws by which the jews must abide in order to seek atonement for their sins.
And the seed on the ground wasnt in leviticus, waht i was thinking of was

Lev. 15:16 And if any man has a discharge of semen, he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. 17And every garment and every skin on which the sperm comes shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening.


Either way, thats old law, not governing over us anymore.