“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called God’s people to a new standard of holiness.”
Which is why we at Catholic answers only take on the most serious of questions… like touching oneself incorrectly. We will leave the not so serious questions like bombing school children to the masses.
This argument against masturbation falls into two piles: (i) masturbation is sinful by way of lust (one must bring to mind another person to do it) and (ii) it is sinful on its own terms (masturbation is self-centered- it precludes unity). Which is it? Is masturbation wrong because it precludes others or because it includes others? If masturbation is inherently sinful, its sin should be argued on its own grounds apart from other sinful acts like lust.
But in reading the article, I’m reminded of why it was labeled as sinful…
Wow. A topic I’ve not heard since my days at Catholic schools…
“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called God’s people to a new standard of holiness.”
Which is why we at Catholic answers only take on the most serious of questions… like touching oneself incorrectly. We will leave the not so serious questions like bombing school children to the masses.
This argument against masturbation falls into two piles: (i) masturbation is sinful by way of lust (one must bring to mind another person to do it) and (ii) it is sinful on its own terms (masturbation is self-centered- it precludes unity). Which is it? Is masturbation wrong because it precludes others or because it includes others? If masturbation is inherently sinful, its sin should be argued on its own grounds apart from other sinful acts like lust.
It is disordered both because it precludes the right union with others and because it necessarily embraces the wrong use of others. So, yes, both.
I would argue that in many cases it is also idolatry