Intro
My video saying masturbation itself is not a sin had the highest click rate, but at the same time, the debate was the most intense. The video received the most comments. Masturbating is viewed as a sin by most comments.
As a result, I made a video explaining why masturbation itself is not a sin. This video is based on a book written by a Korean theology professor.
In the coming days, I will examine masturbation in many ways based on the professor’s book. There will be a long journey ahead. Currently, you may not be able to find the answer you are looking for. However, I hope you will be patient.
It is hard for me to define masturbation as a sin conclusively. As a Christian, I spent quite a bit of time studying divorce and remarriage. Theologians, however, hold different opinions. Theoretically, there are three main theories.
In the first place, one can argue that Christians should never divorce and remarry. Second, Christians are unconditionally allowed to divorce and remarry. Thirdly, there is also the argument that divorce and remarriage of Christians is limited. All of them are based on the Bible, but their arguments differ.
Christians masturbate similarly. However, I do not consider masturbation of Christians a sin. Finally, it is not important to argue that masturbation is not a sin. It’s like I’m pointing my finger at the sun, and you’re only looking at my fingers instead of the sun.
I’ll start talking now, and I’d appreciate your patience as I tell my story.
In most cases, Christians who consider masturbation a sin do so because of guilt. Masturbation and guilt have been most analytically explored by Sigmund Freud.
In the Oedipus complex, he finds the cause of guilt associated with masturbation. One of the symptoms of neurosis is extreme guilt caused by masturbation, which is caused by the inability to overcome or control the complex. According to Freud, a patient with neurosis was studied in order to explain the results of the study.
The underlying fantasy Oedipus Complex, although unconscious, is associated with this guilt, not adolescent masturbation.
Criticism of the Freudian theory
There are four ways to explain Freud’s argument.
To begin with, masturbation and guilt in childhood are the causes of guilt during puberty and subsequent masturbation.
A second reason is that masturbation during Phallic stage is a reflection of Oedipus Complex, and children fulfill their sexual desires through masturbation because they cannot fulfill their sexual desires for their mothers.
Moreover, the child’s guilt resulting from masturbation was not a consequence of the act itself, but rather of his sexual imagination.
In addition, the Oedepus Complex is a sexual and psychological phenomenon that is a common desire for humanity.
As you can see, Freud’s theory has many objections.
The first problem with his theory of human development is that it is too sexual. During the development of children, Freud overestimated the role of sex. It is difficult to apply Freud’s research to all children since it is limited to middle-class neuroses at the time of suppressing sex.
The true nature of Oedipus Complex is acknowledged by many modern psychoanalysts and psychologists, but the cause is nonsexual. Oedipus Complex is acknowledged by some scholars, but its cause is attributed to a child’s personalization.
Let me explain why I do not believe Freudian theory.
First of all, humans are sexual beings by nature. Unlike excretion, masturbation is not the result of a complex, but a natural behavior. As a child discovers himself or herself, he or she touches his or her genitals out of curiosity, not because of a strong sexual reason.
Secondly, a child discovers who he or she is through sex by contacting the object closest to them. However, Freud put too much significance on such a relationship for it to be meaningful.
Thirdly, the Oedipus Complex theory creates unnecessary guilt. Incest and homosexuality are inherent in everyone. But Freud overapplied such a light problem and made him feel guilty when he didn’t need to. A Korean like me, for example, has experience with public baths. Before entering elementary school, my mother and I went to public baths. It must have been possible for a woman of my age to bathe in a public bathhouse with her father when she was a child.
Source of guilt
When it comes to guilt caused by masturbation, where would we find it if it wasn’t Freudian theory or incest? Here are some causes we can discuss.
Masturbation is made guilty by a socio-cultural atmosphere and ideas about sex. Masturbation can make someone feel guilty who only views sex as a birthright or human instinct. You also feel disgusted and unpleasant when you release secretions during masturbation. Sexual education or sex is usually the cause of this guilt.
Secondly, because the Christian subculture implicitly condemns masturbation, because the church does not openly emphasize an ascetic attitude toward sex, but since the subject of sex hasn’t been addressed in an active and constructive way, the mindset that makes sex taboo is deeply rooted in the Christian faith.
Christians who present Bible passages without a clear biblical foundation wield the sword of judgment by claiming that it is a sinful habit.
What is it about masturbation that makes us feel so guilty?
As a first step, one must feel guilty about the extreme intension of masturbation. In order to perform a sex act, one must close their minds and bodies mentally and physically. Secretly, I feel guilty about masturbating.
Secondly, you feel guilty after masturbating.
Thirdly, masturbation is mostly done with sexual imagination. It is hard for Christians to cope with the problem of sexual imagination since God knows even our thoughts.
As a fourth tip, masturbation should be done while watching erotic videos or reading erotic magazines. Apart from masturbation, this creates additional guilt.
Lastly, I repent for this reason, but if I masturbate again after a while, my guilt increases.
Sin and guilt
There is a difference between sin and guilt here, however. In the case of sin, guilt is a subjective function. It is possible for someone to feel guilty even if they are not guilty. Consequently, guilt cannot determine which actions are guilty; the ethics of which actions depend on their subjective nature.
Hence, determining whether masturbation is a crime or not requires a biblical assessment of various psychological and situational factors, not guilt before and after masturbation.
In conclusion
When considering whether masturbation is guilty or not, we addressed the most frequent issue of guilt. The first thing I said was that Freud’s theory lacks foundation. It is possible to attribute such guilt to the social-cultural atmosphere of sex, the attitude of the religious community, and individual psychological and situational factors. Masturbation itself is not a sin, even though guilt is caused by these causes, because sin is different from guilt.
Masturbation does not end here. From now on, I will explain masturbation in the Bible. Set an alarm if you don’t want to miss the next story. I like the subscription button if you found this video helpful.
I totally agree with you.