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NolSinkler on 10 January 2014
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S.T.A.G.E. said:
NolSinkler said:

Masturbation is never specifically declared a sin in the Bible. 'Sexual Immorality of all kinds' is to be abstained from by Christians - but to say that Masturbation is therefore a sin is begging the question.

Lust is always a sin.

So if you're masturbating without lusting you should be fine.

Source: I've read the whole Bible.

 

/edit: I forgot!  If you're a Catholic, Church tradition and not just Biblical interpretation is the key to understanding a moral issue.  Church teaching has always been that Masturbation is sinful.  Therefore, as a Catholic, masturbation is a sin, regardless of what you think the Bible has to say about it.  That's just the way that it is.  Furthermore, as a Catholic, masturbation is a Mortal sin - meaning that you must participate in a proper confession in order to have this sin absolved.  Mortal sins such as masturbation cannot be purged in purgatory - if you die in a state of Mortal sin you are destined for eternal damnation.

 

Source: I've read a fair amount of the Catechism and nearly joined the Catholic Church.  I didn't join though.


The new pope said theres no hell so I think we've have a get out of jail free card, eh!?

The new pope didn't say that. With a little research we see that no, there has not been a Third Vatican Council, no, the pope did not say that all religions are true, and no, the Pope did not say there is no Hell.  The article where you heard such information was a hoax - a believable hoax, but a hoax nonetheless.

To Pemalite:

"Even so, the bible says allot of things that *really* should not be taken literally anyway."

A close reading of the New Testament reveals that the Old Testament Law cannot be followed - it is impossible to do so.  Christians are no longer under the law - but are justified through faith in Jesus Christ.  That being said, there are certain actions which are incompatible with a faith in Jesus Christ - these are all outlined in the New Testament.  In short, Old Testament law has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ, through whom Christians are justified; through the Holy Spirit, then, Christians are slowly led to perfection.  Any of the sins outlined in the New Testament can be forgiven, a la 1 John 1:9:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 

Old Testament laws not mentioned in the New Testament are generally regarded as "ceremonial laws", meant to separate the Jewish people from the other nations, and not meant to delineate which actions are acceptable or unacceptable in God's eyes.  Now, Masturbation is never mentioned explicitely in the Bible.  Many people think that the crime of Onan was masturbation - no, the crime of Onan was refusing to obey God.

So the vast majority of Christians would agree with you that a lot of things in the Bible are no longer applicable to God's people.  Those Christians who strive to obey OT laws are generally ostracized by the Christian community and seen as trying to "earn" their salvation.

To Too_Tails:

Where did you get the idea that "every sperm was sacred"?  That's not Biblical.  That's not even the Catholic Church's position. Obviously not every sperm is sacred.  I think you're thinking about Christian opposition to Abortion.  In Christian thought, sperm is nothing special (unless you subscribe to a misunderstanding of Onan's crime).  However, Christians consider the Fetus to be a human being, because of some verses.


My recommendation: read the Bible and see what it says before you assume things (similarly, read the Catechism and see what the Catholic Church believes).

Last rant: the Pope hasn't changed any Church dogma. It's unreasonable to think that he ever will change Church dogma, since dogma has been lain out over thousands of years and assent to dogma is literally a requirement for being a part of the Catholic Church.