Why did religions tell young adults that masturbation caused blindness?

Originally posted by jlc163
I could go up to 10 Protestants right now, ask them if Masturbation is a sin, and I'd be suprised to hear 1 tell me it's ok because this is one of the "non-sins that is a sin" that's rather universal in the church denominations...

Well, I'm glad you can pre-conclude what your poll results would be, but I've got a feeling that by and large (as is typically the case when people start talking in generalized terms about religious beliefs on this board) - you're a lot less right in the conclusions you've jumped to than you think you are.

Alright, here's my understanding of what the Bible and God let us know.

Anything can be a sin; if you abuse something that isn't a sin, it is a sin for you. As Christ said to us, our sins will be made known to us. The new Covenant really shattered the worlds of the pharasees because it removed legalism from the mix. Only the 9 commandments need to be followed by everyone. However, if you masturbate a lot and allow that to detract you from God, it is a sin. If you do the Something About Mary thing, and use masturbation to get rid of your sex drive right before you go on a date, cool. God made our hands reach that far.

It's like food. You can eat an awesome steak dinner (hamster dinner for you vegitarians out there (Sorry, company is having sensitivity training on the 15th. Until then, I yam what I yam)) without being a glutton. However, if you stuff yourself to the point of pain constantly, you have a problem. Your sins will be made known to you.

My guess for how this came about. Someone in a place of power had a problem with masturbation. However, they also had a major problem with pride and couldn't understand that others may not have the same problems he had, so he made it unspoken (and spoken in some circles) law that it was a sin.

Again, God will make known to you your sins. That is a power the Holy Spirit has in us even before we are Christians.

*snort*
If I ask them that direct a question, and they will answer truthfully...and there happens to be more than one, as I said, I'd be suprised. That wasn't statistical reasioning, that was an estimation based on what I've seen by Protestants I live by and work with...no where NEAR a random group o fprotestants, and not worthy snything but local statisitcs. If you do a survey right, it wouldn't matter what your preconceived notions are...becuase when you are proved worng by the statistical evidence, then, well, you are proved worn. There's nothing wrong with being wrong occasionally...it reminds you that you are human.

You want to know why? Well, besides a misinterpretation of Genesis (never claimed I could spell), who had to clean up after their teenage boys? The old housewives, that's who! And who in their right mind would like cleaning that fluid up? Yuck!

I have a teenage boy, and let's just say he can be quite gross. His room stinks and why is that?...because he wears glasses!

I new this would make for a good discussion. I'm reminded of the Seinfeld episode where George is caught doing it by his mother.....what did she say to him?...something like "How digraceful, treating your body like a carnival ride"...whatever....

It's there, and we own it. It's a lot like picking your nose. And as far as the catholic church...don't even get me started. I live in Massacusetts, which seems to be the pedophile priest capitol of the world. Let's allow priests to marry and keep the perverts and closet homosexuals from becoming priests and taking their pent up sexual frustrations out on altar boys. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against gays and am not homophobic, but I have a problem with gay men that join the priesthood that try to hide from the truth of what they are...because many gay men are not happy to be gay....they think it's wrong and becoming priests will somehow cure them or cleanse them......NOT!!

But...back to the subject: masturabation (as long as one doesn't have to clean up after a teenage boy and as long as he doesn't get it on the couch!

[edit on 5-2-2005 by Zabilgy]

This no masturbation thing is completely ridiculous! A teenager isn't supposed to have sex, and isn't' to masturbate....what is a teen to do....it can and has caused physical pain and even problems...release is needed.

Originally posted by jlc163
I also tend to exclude from this list anyone who thinks Fornication is ok, and that being Gay is not a sin on Biblical terms (not that they have a specificic problem with the odd ones, lol)...because they show a severe lack of treating the scripture as, well....scripture. These types usually think Masturbation's ok because they think of the Bible as a guideline, not a living document. They often know nothing about whether Masturbation is in the bible.

Surprise again!!!

Both my grandfather and aunt were ministers in The United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant congregation in Canada. Having debated them both many times, I can assure you they knew the Bible. Masturbation is not considered a sin in this church.

As for the official United Church of Canada's stance on homosexuality:

So what does the Bible say about homosexuality? The short answer is, "nothing." The concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation was unknown in biblical times.

In reference to Levictus and masturbation, in particular:

Within the patriarchal culture when a man treated another man "like a woman" he degraded him, because women were considered non-persons. This was reflected in an ancient Near Eastern practice of anal raping of captured male foes as a sign of domination. In patriarchal societies, the worst and most degrading thing a man could do to another man is to use him as a woman might be used.

Secondly, the Hebrew understanding of procreation was that the sperm contained all of life. It entered the female body for incubation only. Thus, the spilling of sperm in coitus interruptus (Genesis 38:1-11), masturbation, or anal intercourse was like abortion or murder.

People who single out these verses to condemn lesbians and gays choose to ignore other prohibitions in the book of Leviticus such as being naked with next of kin (which was a crime); having sex during menstruation; breeding hybrid plants; wearing garments made of more than one type of fibre; eating rabbit, meat with blood or milk, shellfish, or shrimp; bearing tattoos; or males cutting the hair on their temples and trimming their beards.

Full text at www.united-church.ca...

Originally posted by jlc163

Originally posted by Croat56

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
In the Catholic Church, all sexual enjoyment unless used for procreation is/was forbidden.
[edit on 4-2-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]

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No its just you cant have sex until your married. It doesnt have to be for procreation.

In modern times, the church, overall, has dismissed this drivel.

Well, not exactly. Sex is still for couples committed to each other. It seems the primary purpose of sex is still procreation, although it may not always result.
Pope Paul says (this is not a direct quote, but a quote from the link):

--but he did say that unless this act is indulged and completed as a communion between two persons who are in principle committed to each other for life by their openness to the natural ends of the sex act itself, it devolves into a corruption; a corruption of the miraculous ends of creation. That the marriage contract is implied in this act is seen from the fact that any child begotten of this union is helpless and in need of the protection and care of the couple, male and female, that begot her or him for very many years.

www.tcrnews2.com...

Masturbation is still condemned by the RCC:

The traditional Catholic doctrine that masturbation constitutes a grave moral disorder is often called into doubt or expressly denied today. *SNIP*
This opinion is contradictory to the teaching and pastoral practice of the Catholic Church. Whatever the force of certain arguments of a biological and philosophical nature, which have sometimes been used by theologians, in fact both the Magisterium of the Church--in the course of a constant tradition-- and the moral sense of the faithful have declared without hesitation that masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act.

From the same link below is a quote from Ephesians 5:3-8:

"Among you there must not be even a mention of fornication or impurity in any of its forms, or promiscuity:...

www.timreg.com...

*DISCLAIMER: these are not the views of the poster *

[edit on 5-2-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]

But the Catholic church has a lot of their own made up laws....that did not come from the bible, but from church leaders for their own reasons.

yeah....and the Catholic Church, while preaching that masturbation is bad, has priests all over the place molesting and raping altar boys. Sorry, I don't believe or listen to a thing that Catholic church creates.....