How dire of a sin is masturbation?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not necessarily, because the term "lustfully" is used. It is at least theoretically possible to admire the aesthetic beauty of the female form without thinking "boy, I'd like to drill that six ways from sundown."

Not necessarily, but if we're being honest, 99% (and I may be low on that percentage) of the time the viewer is not merely admiring the aesthetic beauty when it comes to a real life sexual object and not merely sculpture.

If sexual thought enters into the equation, which it virtually always would in a babe thread, then yes the passage couldn't be more clear.

Yes, agreed.

Of course, hence the "supposed" caveat as well as my "[t]he only real question is whether one's personal belief is that the text actually matters" DanS. Any non-Christian, or any half-assed Christian who feels free to discard any straightforward and unambiguous injunctions that seem inconvenient, obviously couldn't care less.

As far as I'm concerned, if I live a good life and still get turned away from the pearly gates over some lousy pearl jam, I guess them's the breaks. But that doesn't mean I'd be intellectually honest to deny that the text bans image-induced masturbation in black and white.

I don't think that a non fundamentalist should be considered "half-assed Christian", as there are Christians who can recognize that the Bible was written by people, even though they may have been divinely inspired and therefore, some errors may have resulted in the transcription.

[MikeH]

currently 66.6% say not a sin. PROOF IT'S THE DEVIL'S WORK!

[Darius871]

Not necessarily, but if we're being honest, 99% (and I may be low on that percentage) of the time the viewer is not merely admiring the aesthetic beauty when it comes to a real life sexual object and not merely sculpture.

Of course, as I conceded.

I don't think that a non fundamentalist should be considered "half-assed Christian", as there are Christians who can recognize that the Bible was written by people, even though they may have been divinely inspired and therefore, some errors may have resulted in the transcription.

No dice. Anyone who takes the first leap of believing there is a god and the second leap of believing he'd actively communicate to us how we ought to live our lives can't escape the belief that he wouldn't allow said communications to be flat-out false. Thinking otherwise would defeat their very purpose and boil down to nothing more than a half-assed excuse for evading inconveniences.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Unless you think that the written word is simply people and people are fallable (original sin and all). I'm not sure how you can really say 'no dice' to that point of view because it makes a great deal of sense to me. Also somewhat consistant with the Protestant belief that people have an individual relationship with God.

[Wezil]

God and I go bowling Friday nights.

[Fve Crathva]

I have a dire penis.

SP

[Theben]

Does this include handjobs and/or mutual

[Darius871]

Unless you think that the written word is simply people and people are fallable (original sin and all). I'm not sure how you can really say 'no dice' to that point of view because it makes a great deal of sense to me. Also somewhat consistant with the Protestant belief that people have an individual relationship with God.

So if a voice in my head says "go ahead and murder anyone with red hair - that silly commandment has its exceptions" and I think it's God, the commandment doesn't matter? Silly protestants.

[Kuciwalker]

Valid polls

[Imran Siddiqui]

So if a voice in my head says "go ahead and murder anyone with red hair - that silly commandment has its exceptions" and I think it's God, the commandment doesn't matter? Silly protestants.

Hell, who knows what God really wants until Judgment Day anyways?

How can we speak for him/her?

[Tattila the Hun]

It's only not a sin if you are thinking of Jesus

I thought it'd be the other way around... I mean, what if you really, really love Jesus.... The guys been dead, well, technically, depends on who you ask, for 1970 or so years. What are your options, really?

[Jon Miller]

Masturbation is probably fine, as long as by masturbating you aren't denying your spouse (which is what onanism is, and I actually know people who are guilty of it).

Lust isn't fine.

JM

[Ben Kenobi]

Interesting, slinging a Catholic insult against a protestant is the high point of the thread.

The reasoning in Catholicism is that sex is intended to be both unitative and procreative. Masturbation is outside of it. "Looking at another woman lustfully", presumably it would be ok to imagine your spouse, which IMO misses it.

[Lorizael]

Interesting, slinging a Catholic insult against a protestant is the high point of the thread.

The reasoning in Catholicism is that sex is intended to be both unitative and procreative. Masturbation is outside of it. "Looking at another woman lustfully", presumably it would be ok to imagine your spouse, which IMO misses it.

So blowjobs are out?

[Imran Siddiqui]

As are handjobs... well I guess unless it is just intended as foreplay for vaginal intercourse.