Is masturbation this grievous sin my church makes it out to be? Is porn really so evil (as long as the actors have previously consented to the acts). Is sex outside of marriage really wrong? I've been a christian all my life but coming to college and being in this new environment has got me thinking about things, with very few sound answers. I'd love to hear your thoughts! -Rachel------------
Well, this should give the ol' views counter a kick in the pants, eh? Thanks for writing in, Rachel!
We've talked a bit about sex before on this blog, largely because when it comes to sex, or things sexually related, the church hasn't got the greatest track record. Sometimes it's because sex is a great distractor, and so if you can get people focused on it then they aren't looking at other, more important things. Sex sells, as it were, and that is true even if you are opposing it. It motivates us, touches us deeply (and not all in a nice way.)
I can't believe I just made that pun. Let's move on. So, let's take a look at your questions one at a time.
Masturbation is NEVER directly mentioned in the Bible. Not once. It's hard to make the argument that it is a sin at all, let alone a grievous one. I think the reason it so often gets thrown into the sin camp is because; "Well, feels good, gotta be a sin, right?" That, and the fact that it often gets tied up into your next question.
If we start off by assuming that all the actors in porn are consenting (something which maybe gets assumed a little too often) then the primary problem with porn, Biblically speaking, is that it exists solely for the purpose of titillation, taking a human being and turning them solely into an object of sexual desire, rather than the living, breathing, image of God that they are. It's often forgotten how important the imago dei is in Christian theology, but it is. There is a core level of respect that people who follow the Bible are expected to maintain for all human beings, regardless of their station in life.
That, I think, is what makes porn problematic, and potentially evil. It's not that it makes us feel funny in our bathing suit areas, but that it encourages us to treat human beings as something less. Even if they consented to it, that doesn't make it okay. And that is where masturbation gets caught up in it... because despite the fact that masturbation isn't prohibited by the scriptures, if we use the fact that it feels good to help us rationalize dehumanizing others, then we have a problem.
I've discussed extra-marital sex in greater detail here. As before, I feel that the reason the Church's rocky history with sexuality is problematic is that, while it does make a great theological smoke screen, the vulnerability that comes with sex does lead to a greater potential to really hurt someone else. It's no accidents that some of the most shocking punishments ever administered in the Bible were for rape.
So while I don't think that sexual activity is the great evil of this (or any) age, I do think that it should be approached with greater care and respect than it sometimes is. Consent does not rule out the possibility of abuse, as anyone who has counseled abused people can tell you.
Good luck feeling out where you fall on these issues.
Oh God, I did it again.
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