Why is masturbation considered to be a "grave sin"?

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Well, I wasn't really worrying about why Onan was screwing her in the first place; I just said his crime could be "considered" masturbation. It's more of a linguistics thing (why did the English language use his name for this?) and not some question of Christianity.

It's not unfortunate to be brought up in a religion that's anti-contraceptives. Most of the world was like that until the Anglicans held the Lambeth Conference of 1930 and decided to go with the flow of societal pressure. What's unfortunate is the fact that "birth control" is a lame euphemism for "birth prevention."

Catholicism is the opposite of Protestantism. For starters--Catholicism is monolithic. There are different rites but we all believe the same thing. Protestant denominations are separate churches and hold, in many cases, separate doctrines. Unitarians are vocal supporters of homosexuals and Southern Baptists are not. Catholics don't believe in "Rapture." We don't have a problem with vaccinating our kids, which is good, because some of us have big families and probably could re-start the Black Plague or some nasty mess if we weren't careful. Protestants often believe all religions are the same, that fasting is harmful, that beating your wife approaches the level of a sacrament. Catholics--well, we think we're the one true faith, we fast with varying degrees of severity and do OK, and we think domestic violence is domestic violence, not some Bible-based hogwash.

There have been too many fights throughout the centuries for anyone to think the Protestants and the Catholics were the same. Irish unpleasantness between the White and the Orange is known the world over.

Wrong Planet isn't really a great place to look for religion trivia, though, and I'm sorry to say that I couldn't guarantee the local parish church to be a good place to look either. It's easy to get discouraged.

Oh, and Twi--I've seen where you mentioned your one kid several times. You sound like you did a good job as a mother. Mothering on the spectrum is probably tougher than for the rest of everybody, so more power to you.

Now I got to go to bed. I am up way too late, as usual.

Mistranslated Myths Of Nomadic Desert Shepherd Tribe Taken At Face Value

https://local.theonion.com/mistranslate ... 1819565596

On the show Moral Orel there was a rhythm to remember it by

Sexually frustrated people are easier for the Church to control and manipulate.

Don't want to get involved in this thread but would like to say that the verb in hebrew for masturbation is le-onen. It is forbidden for religious jews also.

Jesus' own words on adultery...

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'.  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." -- Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)

In men, at least, some masturbation occurs with the visual stimulation of pornography featuring naked women in provocative poses and/or engaged in sexual activity.  The subsequent lust and auto-erotic activity (e.g., "masturbation") are thus adulterous.

This is in addition to previous laws given by G-D, including:

"You shall not commit adultery." -- Deuteronomy 5:18 (NIV)

"You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." -- Deuteronomy 5:21 (NIV)

Committing adultery and desiring someone who belongs to someone else are both sins.

Finally, James (the mortal half-brother of Jesus) wrote these words:

"Whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." -- James 2:10 (NIV)

Thus, one self-induced ejaculation or orgasm is as much of a sin as robbing a bank and/or shooting someone dead.

Don't see how you can compare it to murder. It doesn't generally involve harming anyone.

The actual crime committed by Onan seems to have been withdrawing during intercourse with the lady, and not masturbation. God punished Onan. So he paid a substantial penalty for early withdrawal!

God wanted him to knock up his deceased brother's wife. But he poured his "baby batter" onto the ground instead of putting it into the oven.

It always amazes me how clueless my mom is when it comes to how male sexuality works because she's been indoctrinated by the church. She thinks masturbation involves punching myself.