{"id":9458,"date":"2023-09-15T09:21:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T14:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/?p=9458"},"modified":"2023-09-15T09:21:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T14:21:19","slug":"sex-pleasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/15\/sex-pleasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Sex pleasure"},"content":{"rendered":"\nHistory of Views on Masturbation in Christianity and Judaism\n\n\n\nThe 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 \u201cmortal sins\u201d for Christians by the community at large at the time.\n\n\n\nGoing 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 \u201csubversion of what is natural\u201d (the \u201cnatural\u201d here being that ejaculation primarily is designed for the impregnating of a woman), and therefore such subversion being \u201cevil\u201d or \u201copposed to God\u2019s design\u201d.\n\n\n\nSimilar views can also be traced back as far as some early Christian writers, such as the 2nd century writer&nbsp;Clement of Alexandria, who said:\n\n\n\n\n\u201cBecause of its divine institution for the propagation of man,&nbsp;the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor i<span class=\"maquina-leer-mas\">[...x]<\/span><div id=\"premium-content-gate\" style=\"display:none;\" class=\"contenido-premium\">s it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted<\/mark>. To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature\u201d.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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 \u201conly\u201d purpose for marriage was to propagate the human race:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201cIf we marry, it is&nbsp;<mark>only so that we may bring up children<\/mark>.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Justin Martyr<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><br>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 \u201cdesert fathers\u201d), who abstained from many physical pleasures, including sex and marriage, in a manner similar to that of Buddhist monks,&nbsp;<strong>Origen<\/strong>&nbsp;of the 3d century even going as far to have said to have castrated himself to remove his sexual desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201cThey (certain Egyptian heretics)&nbsp;<mark>exercise genital acts, yet prevent the conceiving of children<\/mark>. Not in order to produce offspring, but&nbsp;<mark>to satisfy lust, are they eager for corruption<\/mark>.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Epiphanius of Salamis (375 A.D)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cBut 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.&nbsp;<mark>Does he imagine that we approve of any sexual intercourse except for the procreation of children<\/mark>? He who is&nbsp;<mark>too ardent a lover of his own wife is an adulterer<\/mark>\u201c.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Jerome (393 A.D)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cAnd then, fearing because of your law against child-bearing\u2026&nbsp;<mark>they copulate in a shameful union only to satisfy lust for their wives<\/mark>. They are unwilling to have children, on whose account alone marriages are made. When this is taken away,&nbsp;<mark>husbands are shameful lovers, wives are harlots, bridal chambers are brothels, fathers-in-law pimps<\/mark>\u201d<\/em>. \u2013&nbsp;<strong>Augustine of Hippo, (400 A.D)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cFor necessary sexual intercourse&nbsp;<mark>for begetting (children) is alone worthy of marriage<\/mark>. But that which goes&nbsp;<mark>beyond this necessity no longer follows reason but lust<\/mark>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Augustine of Hippo (401 A.D)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><br>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 \u201ccreated evil forces\u201d, quite literally claiming that a man\u2019s ejaculated seed (even involuntary emissions) was the \u201corigin of demons\u201d in the world (because some attached the idea that a man\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201c<mark>It is prohibited to spill seed needlessly&nbsp;<\/mark>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&nbsp;<mark>he should not marry a girl who is unable to have children<\/mark>\u201c.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer 23<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cSince a man\u2019s 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),&nbsp;<mark>provided that he does not expend semen to no purpose<\/mark>\u201c<\/em>. \u2013&nbsp;<strong>Mishnah Torah Issurei Biah 21:9<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cWith regard to any hand that is diligent to examine bodily emissions to ascertain ritual impurity, among women such a hand is praiseworthy.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>But<mark>&nbsp;among men such a hand should be severed<\/mark><strong>,<\/strong>&nbsp;as this action is apt&nbsp;<mark>to lead to a seminal emission for naught<\/mark>\u201c<\/em>. \u2013&nbsp;<strong>Mishna<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Niddah 13a<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cIt was taught at the school of Rabbi Ishmael, \u2018Thou shall not commit adultery\u2019 implies,&nbsp;<mark>Thou shall not practice masturbation either with hand or with foot<\/mark>.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Talmud, Niddah 13b<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<em>Around the crown of the penis ten sets of evil angels move about,&nbsp;<mark>urging forth wasted seed<\/mark>, and when the wasted seed is ejaculated, they come and wrap themselves in it, and thus&nbsp;<mark>create with it one Demon<\/mark>\u201c.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Taamei Mitzvot, 40<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>For&nbsp;<mark>ejaculating in vain causes damage to the Sign and Secret of His Name<\/mark>, ya v\u2019ya, for this Sign causes and continuously establishes the Worlds. And the secret of His Name ya v\u2019ya is the foundation-essence of the World, for&nbsp;<mark>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<\/mark><mark>\u201c<\/mark>.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Moshe de Leon, Mishkan Ha-Edut<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cSemen constitutes the strength of the body, its life, and the light of the eyes.<mark>\u00a0Its emission to excess causes physical decay, debility, and diminished vitality<\/mark>. Thus Solomon, in his wisdom, says: \u2018Do not give your strength to women\u2019.\u00a0<mark>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<\/mark>; and besides these, he becomes\u00a0<mark>subject to numerous other diseases<\/mark>. Medical authorities have stated that for each one who dies of other maladies, a thousand are the\u00a0<mark>victims of sexual excess<\/mark>\u201c. \u2013<\/em>\u00a0<strong>Maimonides<\/strong>\u00a0(<strong>1100s A.D<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scriptural Examination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Is Sexual Pleasure a Sin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We should first ask, \u201cis sex for the sake of pleasure a sin\u201d according to scripture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 \u201csate each other\u2019s sexual desires\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201cHowever, [I say,]&nbsp;<mark>because of all the immorality<\/mark>, each man should be&nbsp;<mark>allowed to have his own wife and each woman her own husband<\/mark>. Then every man should&nbsp;<mark>give his wife what she\u2019s due, and every woman should do the same for her husband<\/mark>. Wives don\u2019t have authority over their own bodies, their husbands do, and men don\u2019t have authority over their own bodies, their wives do.&nbsp;<mark>So you shouldn\u2019t deprive each other<\/mark>, except for set periods that you may agree on to devote time to prayer. Then you may come together again. No \u2013 don\u2019t 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\u2019m telling unmarried people and widows that it\u2019s best for them to be like me. But&nbsp;<mark>if they don\u2019t have self-control, let them marry, because it\u2019s better to marry than to burn with passion<\/mark>\u201c<\/em>. \u2013&nbsp;<strong>1 Corinthians 7:2-9<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a direct encouragement for the enjoyment of sex outside the notion of having children, and it\u2019s recomended by Paul as a \u201csolution\u201d for sating ones intense sexual lusts. Whilst he says it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201c<em><mark>Pretty are both your breasts<\/mark>, O my sister and bride.They\u2019re better than the finest of wines,And the scent of your clothes exceeds all perfumes.&nbsp;<mark>Your lips are like honey as it drips from the comb<\/mark>\u2026&nbsp;<mark>Honey and milk are under your tongue<\/mark>, and like frankincense, is the smell of your clothes.<\/em>\u2026 To which the Shulamite Girl replies;&nbsp;<strong>\u2018<\/strong><em>May the man whom I love&nbsp;<mark>enter his garden, and may he eat the fruit from its trees<\/mark>!&nbsp;<\/em>\u2026<em>\u2018I\u2019ve removed all of my underclothes\u2026 So now, must I put them back on? I\u2019ve also washed off my feet\u2026 Must I run and get them dirty again?\u2019<\/em><strong>\u2019&nbsp;<\/strong><em>Then my dearly-loved man<mark>&nbsp;<\/mark>stuck his hand through [my door], and&nbsp;<mark>he was aroused [by the touch of my skin]<\/mark>. So I got up and opened to him, as my hands were dripping with myrrh\u2026 My fingers dripped with myrrh on the lock\u2026&nbsp;<mark>Your navel is like a finely-shaped bowl<\/mark>, not lacking a mixture of wines. Your belly is like a mound of best grain, that\u2019s wrapped within fields of lilies. \u2018<mark>Your breasts are as [charming as] two young fawns<\/mark>\u2026 A pair of twins of the doe. Your neck is [like] a tower of ivory<\/em><strong>\u2026&nbsp;<\/strong><em>In greatness,&nbsp;<mark>you\u2019re much like a palm tree<\/mark>, and&nbsp;<mark>your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes<\/mark>. So I said that&nbsp;<mark>I\u2019d climb up that \u2018palm tree, and to its top, I\u2019d cling<\/mark>. For your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes on the vine; The scent from your breath is [sweet] like apples; and&nbsp;<mark>[the taste] of your [mouth] is like the finest wine<\/mark>\u2026 And the Shulamite Girl says: \u2018O man whom I love,<mark>&nbsp;whom I\u2019d grant to nurse at my mother\u2019s breasts<\/mark>; If I found you outside, I\u2019d kiss you, and let none ever be disrespectful. Yes, I\u2019d come there and take you\u2026I\u2019d bring you to the house of my mother, and into the room where I was conceived, where&nbsp;<mark>I\u2019d allow you to drink the spiced wine that comes from my pomegranate nectar<\/mark><\/em><strong>\u201c.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Song of Solomon 4:10-11, 5:1-5<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>7:2-3, 7-9<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>8:1-2<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201c<mark>Let your fountain be blessed<\/mark>, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.&nbsp;<mark>Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight<\/mark>; be intoxicated always in her love\u201d.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Proverbs 5:18-19 (Hebrew Version)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><br>We see clearly, that the pleasure from sex, and sex for the sake pleasure with one\u2019s wife or husband, was not at all considered a sin. So the argument from the position that \u201csex for pleasure\u201d is a reason to be against the notion of masturbation isn\u2019t supported at all, and one may even say \u201canti-biblical\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 &#8230; <a title=\"Sex pleasure\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/15\/sex-pleasure\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Sex pleasure\">Leer m\u00e1s<\/a><\/p>\n\n        <p class=\"social-share\">\n            <strong><span>Sharing is caring<\/span><\/strong> <!--<i class=\"fa fa-share-alt\"><\/i>&nbsp;&nbsp;-->\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fabudinen.com%2Fblog%2F2023%2F09%2F15%2Fsex-pleasure%2F\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"facebook\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook\"><\/i> <span>Share<\/span><\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabudinen.com%2Fblog%2F2023%2F09%2F15%2Fsex-pleasure%2F\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"gplus\"><i class=\"fab fa-google-plus\"><\/i> <span>+1<\/span><\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Sex%20pleasure&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fabudinen.com%2Fblog%2F2023%2F09%2F15%2Fsex-pleasure%2F&amp;via=YOUR_TWITTER_HANDLE_HERE\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"twitter\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\"><\/i> <span>Tweet<\/span><\/a>\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=Sex%20pleasure\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"linkedin\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i> <span>Share<\/span><\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/?text=Sex%20pleasure https%3A%2F%2Fabudinen.com%2Fblog%2F2023%2F09%2F15%2Fsex-pleasure%2F\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"whatsapp\"><i class=\"fab fa-whatsapp\"><\/i> <span>Share<\/span><\/a>\n            <w>2222 words 133 views<\/w>\n        <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sin-categoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9458"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9460,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9458\/revisions\/9460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abudinen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}