Since ancient times, masturbation or masturbation has been perceived as a sinful and condemned occupation. However, modern statistics claim that 99% of men and more than 80% of women masturbate at least once in their lives. Doctors unanimously say that such relaxation is useful for the physiology of the body and for the psyche. The Church most often bypasses such topics, and in the scriptures there is very little information on this issue.
Masturbation in the bible
The term "masturbation" comes from the name of the hero of the Old Testament myth Onan. The Lord commanded his elder brother Ira to marry Tamar, but he soon died without giving birth. The wife was inherited by Onan. The young man had to continue the family of his brother. That is, the first male child born of Onan was to be considered the son of the deceased Ira. Onan was not impressed by this prospect, and on his wedding night he "poured out the seed on the earth" to prevent conception. However, most likely, this is not about masturbation, but about interrupted intercourse.
Probably, in those days, masturbation and methods of preventing unwanted pregnancy were identical concepts, because did not bring the desired result - children. The Lord was very angry, because he promised that it was from this line that the Messiah should come. As punishment, he struck the unfortunate one with lightning. Nowhere else, neither in the Old nor in the New Testament, is anything said about this occupation. From which we can conclude that in the entire history of mankind, only one masturbator was punished and only because his seed did not go where God needed.
Masturbation in the Middle Ages
The Christian church, raised on the foundations of the Old Testament, honored the myths of the Jewish people and adopted many of their customs regarding worship and righteous living. For a long time no one touched the masturbators, no one cared about them. But the relatively tolerant early Christianity was replaced by medieval clergy, who in all respects suffered from maximalism. Masturbation, petting, oral sex, contraception, and even spontaneous emission were considered sinful pursuits, and those who engaged in them were to be punished. They dealt with the "mummies", most often on the denunciation of ill-wishers, God-fearing relatives, friends and even parents.
The adolescents who were caught masturbating for the first time were beaten on the hands with a stick, punished and released. However, if this did not help, and the young people continued to satisfy themselves, responsible relatives, with the help of priests, moved with all zeal to more radical measures. In historical memoirs about medieval life, cases are described when the head of the penis was cut off for boys for masturbation, and the girls were cauterized with a hot iron or the clitoris were pulled out with forceps. Of course, these actions were accompanied by the reading of psalms and prayers for such delicate occasions. Not a word is said about the fate of these crippled children, but it can be assumed that masturbation no longer interested them.
Masturbation in the modern religious world
The common misconception that masturbation is a crime against nature is very often used by retrogrades and religious fanatics. And yet, masturbation is a very common phenomenon in the animal kingdom, which allows us to say that it is inherent in living beings by nature itself.
The Orthodox Church condemns sex life before marriage, as well as acts of self-gratification and mental lust. Catholic and Protestant priests, for the most part, look at this occupation condescendingly, if we are not talking about obsessive masturbation. In addition, the majority of Orthodox and Catholic priests do not condemn mutual spousal masturbation as an act of prelude before intercourse, preferring not to interfere in this area of the flock's personal life if it does not run counter to spiritual and universal moral norms.
In the Eastern teachings, they approach masturbation philosophically. Certain branches of Buddhism even recommend masturbation to achieve spiritual enlightenment. For centuries, many Eastern cultures have elevated foreplay and sex into a cult, and here mutual masturbation, as well as self-gratification, played a very important role.
In the 21st century, there is no consensus on masturbation, there is only the personal attitude of individual clergy to it. Some consider lustful thoughts and masturbation as sinful, equating the latter with sexual perversion, others rely on the absence of direct instructions in the Holy Scriptures and commandments, argue that masturbation is not considered a sin.
