silver 2039
Deity
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Messages
- 16,208
I was looking through wikipedia and I came across this, its amusing to see the varying views about masterbation and sex, and I was wondering if some of the religous people could enlighten me on why they hold these particular views. It seems odd to me to not masterbate and fulfill ones sexual desires.
Religion
Religious attitudes towards masturbation are varied. In some, such as Catholicism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Judaism, some forms of conservative Protestantism and Islam, masturbation is regarded as an impure practice. In others such as Wicca and Vajrayana, it is encouraged as a healthy, normal practice that can lead to higher spirituality.
It has been reported by Rolling Stone [9] that a small Christian-right group in America is encouraging people to wear a masturband to indicate a commitment to abstinence from masturbation.
Buddhism
In the Buddhist tradition, under the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path, one should neither be attached to nor crave sensual pleasure.[10]. Fully ordained Buddhist monks may, depending on the tradition, be bound by hundreds of detailed rules or vows that may include a ban on sexual relations and masturbation. Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism, has no such ban, and instead teaches that such activity can be used to approach a higher spiritual level.
Judaism
In the Bible masturbation is not explicitly prohibited. The Talmud however forbids masturbation, as it leads to unnecessary spilling of semen, or the impure thoughts of another. This prohibition is derived from the Biblical narrative of Onan (Talmud Niddah 13a). The Talmud (ibid) likens the act to murder and idolatry. There are those that argue, however, that the wrath displayed by God toward Onan was invoked not through the act of spilling semen, but through disobedience to God's command for Onan to impregnate his brother's widow. There is disagreement between the poskim (decisors of Jewish law) whether masturbation is an acceptable way of procuring semen for artificial insemination or in vitro fertilisation. [11]
Catholicism
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists masturbation as one of the "Offenses Against Chastity" and calls it "an intrinsically and gravely disordered action" because "use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose."
Protestantism
In a law code for the Puritan colony of New Haven in the 17th century blasphemers, homosexuals and masturbators were eligible for the death penalty. [9] Protestant theologians only began revising previous teachings toward the middle of the 20th century with some today even taking pro-masturbation viewpoints. Masturbation, however, is still viewed by some denominations as an act of self-indulgence and a sin of the flesh, making it a continetious issue to this day.
Islam
Istimna (استمناءis the Arabic term for masturbation. Masturbation may only be done in fear of committing adultery, nor is it preferred (either getting married and fasting is suggested as alternatives from hadith). It is totally forbiden in the Shi'a sect, but the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence (known as mazaheb) have differing stances on the issue. Some consider it forbidden in all cases. Some see it forbidden in certain cases but obligatory in others. Another view is that it is Makruh but not expressly forbidden. Scholars of Islam do not approve of masturbation, except in extenuating circumstances. There is no explicit statement in the Quran, the main source of Islam, that forbids one from masturbation.
In Islam, sexual engagement outside of marriage is a major sin, which cause the doer to be punished in this life and the Qiyama. Yet if one's desire is so overwhelming one might perform a greater wrong by having sex outside marriage, masturbation becomes permissible as a necessity: "And those who are not married should try to live in chastity, until God enriches them with His Grace" (Qur'an, 24:33)
Masturbation, like any form of sex in which seminal or vaginal fluids have been released, breaks one's fast if performed during the daylight hours and requires a major ablution if any seminal or vaginal fluids were released.
According to Sheikh Hamed Al-Ali: "Masturbation during the daytime of Ramadan breaks the fast, based on the Hadith that a fasting Muslim gives up eating, drinking, and sexual desire for the sake of Allah. Since masturbation is a kind of sexual desire, a fasting Muslim must avoid it. Therefore, masturbation invalidates the fast as does food and as it is one of the sins that if someone does it he or she would be violating the sanctity of this month." [citation needed]
Hinduism
Masturbation is not specifically mentioned in any of the religious scriptures; however, many conservative Hindus see it as impure and addictive, while seeing it as a distraction from prayer and the pursuit of a sattvic and pure lifestyle. Many also see it as overindulgence, which is not permitted by brahmacharyas who are in the pursuit of God and live morally and physically pure lifestyles.
However other schools of thought such as, the Tantric practices of Hinduism, the Hindu Religion native to India, teach that enlightenment can be approached through divine sex. Divine sex is one way that one can approach Nirvana, a oneness with a higher spiritual level. As such, the Tantric practices, through writings such as the Kama Sutra seek not to repress sexuality, but to perfect it. By perfecting the act of divine sex, including masturbation, one clears the mind of earthly desires, leaving the soul on a higher level devoid of such worries, filled with bliss, and relaxed. The Hindu Tantric practices crossed geographical boundaries, and merged with the practices of Buddhism, and gave rise to Tantric Bhuddism, Vajrayana, which has a similar approach to sexuality, in general, viewing it as normal, natural and essential for obtaining enlightenment.
I'm kinda glad they revised that one.....
. I apologize if that was sacreligious.
