Masturbation

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Is masturbation always a mortal sin?

-- anon (anon@anon.com), August 15, 2004

Answers

No. There is no specific act which is always necessarily a mortal sin. Mortal sin requires that all of three criteria be met - (1) objectively serious matter; (2) full knowledge of the seriousness of the act; and (3) full consent of the will. The Church teaches that "masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action" (CCC 2352). Therefore, such acts always satisfy the first requirement for mortal sin. However, the two subjective requirements must also be satisfied in order for the sin to be mortal. In this regard, the Church teaches "To form an equitable judgement about the subject's moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of the acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability" (CCC 2352). In other words, while the act is always objectively grave, any of the other factors listed may be sufficient to render the sin less than mortal for a particular individual in a particular set of circumstances.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 15, 2004.

what's the matter of a good deed when u only do it to get in heaven? what's the matter of stopping with masturbation just cos they tell u it's a sin,but by ur own jugdement u don't think so and u desire to do it?

-- nathan de winter (de_nathan_winter@msn.com), November 06, 2004.

The fundamental reason for everything we do on earth should be to get to heaven. That is the reason we are on earth in the first place. In the long run, nothing we do on earth will have any lasting value unless it moves us, or helps move others, closer to heaven.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), November 06, 2004.

no

if u do only good deeds to get to heaven instead out of ur heart,out of good will to do good to ur fellow man and not to harm anyone, u won't get there i assure u

imagine there is no heaven. imagine there is no hell. just this earth,just this life here and now. would u then still keep all the commands from the bible??

-- nathan de winter (de_nathan_winter@msn.com), November 06, 2004.


nathan said: imagine there is no heaven. imagine there is no hell. just this earth,just this life here and now. would u then still keep all the commands from the bible??

Yes, because God knows what's best for us. When we follow God's standards our lives will be happier and more fulfilling, and we will be a blessing to those around us. Living as God wants us to live (regardless of heaven or hell) is truly a joy and my desire in life. The way of sin is not fulfilling and only leads to unhappiness and more sin. It's just not worth it -- and God knows that, which is precisely why God teaches us His moral standards through the Bible and the Church.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), November 06, 2004.



then u can call urself a true believer emily:) i'm just trying to say that following the commands just to get urself to heaven isn't the point like u said, a lot of commands are just to make our own life here on earth better and happier and if ur not convinced in that way,following them is meaningless religion isn't something that u put in the center of ur life, it's just something to show u the way to real life

-- nathan de winter (de_nathan_winter@msn.com), November 06, 2004.

There is no way for any man to answer a question on morality or faith. In attempting to answer such a question we are making assumptions on the will of God, and is not it a sin of Pride to consider ourselves as wise as God. In the case of masturbation I believe it is important that each man or woman should ask themselves if they are content with their actions and are they willing to suffer the consequences of those actions if it is indeed a sin. The most important thing is that we not try to answer the question ourselves, from the view of humans, because when we do this we are putting ourselves on an equal seat with God. God is the Lord of all and it He who will ultimately decide if the actions of a man are a sin or not.

-- Timothy O'Loughlin (oloughlint1@gator.uhd.edu), November 18, 2004.

There is no way for any man to answer questions on morality or faith on his own - which is precisely why there is such widespread conflict and contradiction among the teachings of various churches which attempt to answer such questions on their own. And which is precisely why God Himself founded one Church for all mankind and promised that the Holy Spirit would guide that Church to all truth - so that men CAN know with certainty the correct answers to questions of faith and morals. As you said, God alone is the one who decides what is moral or immoral. And God has said to the leaders of His Church, "he who listens to you listens to me".

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), November 18, 2004.

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