Masturbation - A Christian's Perspective
By Elvis Yeboah-Asuamah
A personal search through the Bible for a single reading on my topic-masturbation; I must say was a bit disappointing since I found none to my surprise. To me, I think the Bible's silence on the topic is a bit odd since it goes a long way to speak plainly on other sexual matters such as fornication, adultery and even sex with animals. Christ, in one of His teachings went beyond 'fleshly adultery' and pointed out adultery of the heart. (Matt. 5:28). Many Christians of today in an attempt to justify masturbation as a sin go as far as comparing it to 'Onanism'; as seen in Gen. 38:9. In actual fact, most people prefer to call masturbation 'onanism'. But then, Onan's behavior was a clear act of malice and cheating on Tamar; moreover, his actions cannot be said as masturbating.
Masturbation refers to the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals with the intent of achieving orgasm. This stimulation is mainly performed manually, or by the use of bodily contact short of intercourse, through the use of objects or a combination of these. Main types include self masturbation, mutual masturbation and animal masturbation. It is closely related to sexual fantasies and they move hand in hand. Ethically, some people see it as a sin which far out ways fornication, adultery or even rape.
This is a universal issue which occurs in all circles of life. Nearly all adolescents masturbate and even married men and women practice it. James McCary, author of Human Sexuality has found that about 95% of men and between 50 and 90% of women masturbate. I must however; point out that it is very acute for Christian singles, who out of their Christian values and convictions have said NO TO SEX outside of marriage.
The question now remains- 'Is masturbation a morally accepted activity for a disciple of Christ or is it a gift from God to help avoid sexual promiscuity?' Most medical experts are of the view that the practice is safe and not harmful when done with restriction. It is viewed in many mental health circles as a means of relieving depression, stress and subsequently leads to a higher self-worth. It is also helpful in relationships where one partner wants more sex than the other; providing an alternative to sex and eventually leading to more stabilized relationships. In reproductive health, it may be viewed as a means of increasing fertility during intercourse. Female masturbation alters conditions in the vagina, uterus and cervix, in ways that can alter or increase chances of conception but this however, depends on the timing of the masturbation. In males, masturbation brings out old sperms with low motility from the genital tract making way for fresh sperms with higher chances of conception in the next ejaculate. Lastly, some couples find it as means to developing their full sexual potentials; identification of more sensitive parts of their bodies.
Some main concerns about masturbation is its close connection with sexual fantasies which in most instances lead to most sexual perversions; pornography, rape and the like. Also, is the issue of the 'singularity' of masturbation. It is true that it can bring some sort of satisfaction though; orgasm, but it should however be mentioned that this forms only a small part of the larger whole of sexual intercourse therefore making it a selfish act. This could lead to very serious consequences of obsession, guilt, self-hatred and idolatry in the long run.
The silence of the church on this issue is not helping Christians at all neither is its counsel of repression. Desperate as most Christians are, they try to suppress their sexual feelings and be free from all the guilt and disappointment that comes with it. The onus therefore lies on the church to explicitly discuss this topic and help its congregation to make the right choices. Masturbation is a real part of the human sexual life pattern and cannot be completely swept under the carpet or eliminated, but disciplined; with emphasis on the discipline. This is a very difficult problem for most people and I must emphasize that divine help from the Holy Spirit will do us a great deal of good in helping to control it entirely.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elvis_Yeboah-Asuamah
http://EzineArticles.com/?Masturbation---A-Christians-Perspective&id=2728920
