Sex pleasure - cristianos

History of Views on Masturbation in Christianity and Judaism The view of masturbation being something to be avoided can be traced to several periods in both Christian and Jewish history. The most recent being the 1800s Victorian Morality period, where masturbation was said to be a damnable act, and the cause of many terrible diseases and health conditions, mental and physical, such as pox, crippling diasability and madness (all of which since have been debunked). This was part of a much larger overall social and political movement, where many other things were being prohibited, such as the showing of an ankle, any kind of sexual position between a married couple but missionary, and the consumption of any amount of alcohol. All of which, were also portrayed to be “mortal sins” for Christians by the community at large at the time. Going back further in time, throughout the history of the Catholic Church, masturbation has been frowned upon and even viewed as a mortal sin since the 4th century, as it is seen as a “subversion of what is natural” (the “natural” here being that ejaculation primarily is designed for the impregnating of a woman), and therefore such subversion being “evil” or “opposed to God’s design”. Similar views can also be traced back as far as some early Christian writers, such as the 2nd century writer Clement of Alexandria, who said: “Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor i[...x]

s it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted. To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature”.

During this period, there were also other Christian writers who believed even sex within a marriage for the sake of pleasure, without having children was unnatural, and that the “only” purpose for marriage was to propagate the human race:

“If we marry, it is only so that we may bring up children.” – Justin Martyr

The views against ejaculation outside of the context of sex and having children, began to become even more popular after the propagation of ascetic practices and monasticism (such as those of the “desert fathers”), who abstained from many physical pleasures, including sex and marriage, in a manner similar to that of Buddhist monks, Origen of the 3d century even going as far to have said to have castrated himself to remove his sexual desires.

Such a mindset became increasingly popular amongst the Christian populace, in the fight against the immorality that was so common in the day. Many of these practices are thought by some to have been inspired by or introduced into Christianity by some Manichean and Gnostic sects, both of which have either thematic, inferred, or direct connections to Eastern religions such as Buddhism.

We see by the 4th-5th centuries and onward, several other Christian writers increasingly being against the practice of masturbation and sex for the sake of enjoyment without wanting children, and had began to interpret certain passages of the Bible to support their views:

“They (certain Egyptian heretics) exercise genital acts, yet prevent the conceiving of children. Not in order to produce offspring, but to satisfy lust, are they eager for corruption.” – Epiphanius of Salamis (375 A.D)
“But I wonder why he (the heretic Jovianianus) set Judah and Tamar before us for an example, unless perchance even harlots give him pleasure; or Onan, who was slain because he grudged his brother seed. Does he imagine that we approve of any sexual intercourse except for the procreation of children? He who is too ardent a lover of his own wife is an adulterer“. – Jerome (393 A.D)
“And then, fearing because of your law against child-bearing… they copulate in a shameful union only to satisfy lust for their wives. They are unwilling to have children, on whose account alone marriages are made. When this is taken away, husbands are shameful lovers, wives are harlots, bridal chambers are brothels, fathers-in-law pimps”. – Augustine of Hippo, (400 A.D)
“For necessary sexual intercourse for begetting (children) is alone worthy of marriage. But that which goes beyond this necessity no longer follows reason but lust.” – Augustine of Hippo (401 A.D)

Likewise, in Jewish Rabbinical circles, some later writers, theologians, mystics and sages, especially by the Middle Ages, began to assert masturbation was evil and was worthy of such punishments such as limb amputation, not only for reasons akin to the above Christian writers, but also on the basis that it “created evil forces”, quite literally claiming that a man’s ejaculated seed (even involuntary emissions) was the “origin of demons” in the world (because some attached the idea that a man’s seed carried immoral souls within it when impregnating a woman, whilst others believed evil spirits entered into the wasted seed to procreate with it), whilst others simply did so on the basis that it had negative health impacts (akin to the Western Victorian mentality).

“It is prohibited to spill seed needlessly and this sin is more severe than all Torah transgressions. For this reason a man should not thresh inside and sprinkle [his semen] outside [of a woman], and he should not marry a girl who is unable to have children“. – Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer 23
“Since a man’s wife is permitted to him, he may act with her in any manner whatsoever. He may have intercourse with her whenever he so desires and kiss any organ of her body he wishes, and he may have intercourse with her naturally or unnaturally (vaginally or anally), provided that he does not expend semen to no purpose“. – Mishnah Torah Issurei Biah 21:9
“With regard to any hand that is diligent to examine bodily emissions to ascertain ritual impurity, among women such a hand is praiseworthy. But among men such a hand should be severed, as this action is apt to lead to a seminal emission for naught“. – Mishna, Niddah 13a
“It was taught at the school of Rabbi Ishmael, ‘Thou shall not commit adultery’ implies, Thou shall not practice masturbation either with hand or with foot.” – Talmud, Niddah 13b
“Around the crown of the penis ten sets of evil angels move about, urging forth wasted seed, and when the wasted seed is ejaculated, they come and wrap themselves in it, and thus create with it one Demon“. – Taamei Mitzvot, 40
For ejaculating in vain causes damage to the Sign and Secret of His Name, ya v’ya, for this Sign causes and continuously establishes the Worlds. And the secret of His Name ya v’ya is the foundation-essence of the World, for from there blossom out the higher souls and the Secret of the Hidden Waters through to the Secret that causes the Upper Souls, which is the Source of Life for the whole World“. – Moshe de Leon, Mishkan Ha-Edut
“Semen constitutes the strength of the body, its life, and the light of the eyes. Its emission to excess causes physical decay, debility, and diminished vitality. Thus Solomon, in his wisdom, says: ‘Do not give your strength to women’. Whoever indulges in sexual dissipation becomes prematurely aged; his strength fails; his eyes become dim; a foul odor proceeds from his mouth and armpits; the hair of his head, eyebrows, and eyelashes drop out; the hair of his beard, armpits, and legs grow abnormally; his teeth fall out; and besides these, he becomes subject to numerous other diseases. Medical authorities have stated that for each one who dies of other maladies, a thousand are the victims of sexual excess“. – Maimonides (1100s A.D)

Scriptural Examination

To begin with asking the question on whether masturbation is a sin, we should start with the scriptures themselves, as scripture is our ultimate authority, and is very detailed and explicit on how God Himself viewed many sexual actions.

Is Sexual Pleasure a Sin?

We should first ask, “is sex for the sake of pleasure a sin” according to scripture?

We’ve seen that this appears to be the view of some early Christians in the 2nd century, and predominantly since the 4th century and onward to the modern day.

However, this later view seems to be very much opposed to the previous views and advice given to the Christian Congregation. For example, Apostle Paul recommended that people who could not control themselves sexually should seek relief by means of marriage and for couples to “sate each other’s sexual desires”:

“However, [I say,] because of all the immorality, each man should be allowed to have his own wife and each woman her own husband. Then every man should give his wife what she’s due, and every woman should do the same for her husband. Wives don’t have authority over their own bodies, their husbands do, and men don’t have authority over their own bodies, their wives do. So you shouldn’t deprive each other, except for set periods that you may agree on to devote time to prayer. Then you may come together again. No – don’t allow the Opposer to tempt you by your lack of self control. However, this is just my opinion, not a command. I wish that all of you were just like me! However, everyone has his own gift from God, and each in a different way. So I’m telling unmarried people and widows that it’s best for them to be like me. But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry, because it’s better to marry than to burn with passion“. – 1 Corinthians 7:2-9

This is a direct encouragement for the enjoyment of sex outside the notion of having children, and it’s recomended by Paul as a “solution” for sating ones intense sexual lusts. Whilst he says it’s a better gift to be above such things, he never states these desires to be sinful, but only in the manner they are expressed and satisfied.

Going even further back in time, in the Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament) speaks very positively of sex for the sake of pleasure, and even hints at some sexual acts which are not conductive to pregnancy at all:

“Pretty are both your breasts, O my sister and bride.They’re better than the finest of wines,And the scent of your clothes exceeds all perfumes. Your lips are like honey as it drips from the comb… Honey and milk are under your tongue, and like frankincense, is the smell of your clothes.… To which the Shulamite Girl replies; ‘May the man whom I love enter his garden, and may he eat the fruit from its trees! …‘I’ve removed all of my underclothes… So now, must I put them back on? I’ve also washed off my feet… Must I run and get them dirty again?’’ Then my dearly-loved man stuck his hand through [my door], and he was aroused [by the touch of my skin]. So I got up and opened to him, as my hands were dripping with myrrh… My fingers dripped with myrrh on the lock… Your navel is like a finely-shaped bowl, not lacking a mixture of wines. Your belly is like a mound of best grain, that’s wrapped within fields of lilies. ‘Your breasts are as [charming as] two young fawns… A pair of twins of the doe. Your neck is [like] a tower of ivory… In greatness, you’re much like a palm tree, and your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes. So I said that I’d climb up that ‘palm tree, and to its top, I’d cling. For your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes on the vine; The scent from your breath is [sweet] like apples; and [the taste] of your [mouth] is like the finest wine… And the Shulamite Girl says: ‘O man whom I love, whom I’d grant to nurse at my mother’s breasts; If I found you outside, I’d kiss you, and let none ever be disrespectful. Yes, I’d come there and take you…I’d bring you to the house of my mother, and into the room where I was conceived, where I’d allow you to drink the spiced wine that comes from my pomegranate nectar“. – Song of Solomon 4:10-11, 5:1-5, 7:2-3, 7-9, 8:1-2
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love”. – Proverbs 5:18-19 (Hebrew Version)

We see clearly, that the pleasure from sex, and sex for the sake pleasure with one’s wife or husband, was not at all considered a sin. So the argument from the position that “sex for pleasure” is a reason to be against the notion of masturbation isn’t supported at all, and one may even say “anti-biblical”.