Sarah Mitchell
Masturbation is a topic that is often discussed in religious contexts, and different religions hold varying views on the matter. The Catholic Church, for instance, considers it a grave sin, or a mortal sin, as it goes against the Church's teachings on chastity and the purpose of human sexuality. The Church teaches that masturbation is a self-indulgent act that divorces the physical behavior from shaping one's self-identity and turns sexuality away from God and towards oneself. However, the Church also acknowledges that habits, such as masturbation, can reduce or eliminate one's responsibility for their actions. This raises questions about the moral responsibility of individuals struggling with such habits. While the Church emphasizes the importance of seeking help and guidance from a priest or medical practitioner aligned with Catholic values, it remains clear in its stance that masturbation contradicts its understanding of human sexuality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic teaching on masturbation | Masturbation is a grave sin, a mortal sin |
| Why it is considered a sin | It is a self-indulgent activity that uses the body as a means of personal gratification, instead of integrating one’s gift of sexuality—one’s powers of love and life—into a sincere self-gift to another |
| The Church's teaching | The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Declaration on Certain Problems of Sexual Ethics in 1975 |
| The Bible on masturbation | The biblical story of Onan (Genesis 38) is traditionally linked to referring to masturbation and condemnation thereof. Leviticus 15:16–18 states that any male who emits semen is considered ritually impure, whether through masturbation, nocturnal emission, or sex between married heterosexual partners |
| Other religious views | Masturbation is also considered a Drujih-i-Buji (evil associated with menstrual flow). In Zoroastrian hell, sinners are forced to defecate and masturbate continually |
| Medical views | Masturbation can cause a lowered energy level in men |
| Psychological views | Masturbation trains our sexuality in the habit of self-indulgence, not self-giving and divorces the pleasure of orgasm from union with the "other", your spouse |
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What You'll Learn
Masturbation is a grave sin
Masturbation is considered a grave sin in Catholic doctrine. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), "masturbation is to be understood as the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure". The CCC further states that masturbation is an "intrinsically and gravely disordered action", and that "the deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose".
The Catholic Church's teaching on masturbation is centred on the idea that masturbation is a self-indulgent act that uses the body as a means of personal gratification, rather than integrating one's sexuality into a sincere self-gift to another. It is believed that masturbation divorces the physical behaviour from shaping one's self-identity and fails to recognise that our bodies are essential to who we are and how we express ourselves.
The Church also teaches that sexual acts are meant to express the one-flesh love of committed married persons and that it is never morally good to seek sexual pleasure outside of the marital act. This is based on the belief that sexuality is meant by God to be shared between a man and a woman in marriage.
While some may argue that masturbation can be justified for medical reasons, the Church has not specifically taught on this question. It is recommended that individuals seek out medical practitioners who are skilled in treating the condition while also committed to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
It is important to note that Catholic morality acknowledges that habits, such as masturbation, can reduce or even eliminate responsibility for one's actions. However, individuals are still encouraged to seek help and strive to overcome these habits with the guidance of a priest or confessor.
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It denies the meaning of sex
The Catholic Church's teaching on masturbation is that it is a grave sin, a mortal sin, by which one rejects God's offer of life. The Church's position is that masturbation denies the meaning of sex, making one less than fully human. This is because it trains one's sexuality in the habit of self-indulgence, rather than self-giving, and divorces the pleasure of orgasm from union with one's spouse.
The Church's teaching on masturbation is centred on the virtue of chastity, which gives sexuality its proper place in our lives. The Church teaches that all deliberate use of the sexual faculties should be reserved for marital intercourse. Masturbation is therefore seen as contrary to the purpose of sexuality. This is reflected in the biblical story of Onan, which is traditionally linked to masturbation and its condemnation. In Leviticus 15:16-18, it is stated that any male who emits semen outside of marriage is considered ritually impure.
The Church acknowledges that psychological factors, such as adolescent immaturity, lack of psychological balance, and habit, can influence a person's behaviour and reduce or eliminate their moral responsibility. However, habits can also detach one from God, and so Catholics are encouraged to seek help and strive to overcome habits such as masturbation.
The key to the Church's teaching is to redeem, not repress, one's sexuality. This involves inviting Christ into one's passions and desires and allowing him to purify them, so that one can experience sexuality as a desire to give oneself away in imitation of Christ's self-giving on the cross.
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It is an act of self-indulgence
Masturbation is considered a sin in Catholic doctrine. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines masturbation as "the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure". The Catholic Church teaches that the deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is "essentially contrary to its purpose". This is because, according to Catholic teaching, masturbation is an act of self-indulgence that uses the body as a means of personal gratification, instead of integrating one's gift of sexuality—one's powers of love and life—into a sincere self-gift to another.
The Church's teaching on masturbation is centred on the virtue of chastity, which means giving sexuality its proper place in our lives. Masturbation is seen as an act of self-indulgence that turns us and our sexuality away from God and towards ourselves. It is a form of self-gratification that divorces the pleasure of orgasm from union with another person, specifically one's spouse. This idea is supported by the biblical story of Onan (Genesis 38), which is traditionally linked to masturbation and its condemnation.
In addition, masturbation is considered to be an act of self-indulgence that fails to recognize that our bodies are essential to who we are and how we express ourselves as human persons, as body-soul composites. According to St. Pope John Paul II, in order to avoid any trivialization or desecration of sexuality, we must teach that sexuality transcends the purely biological sphere and concerns the innermost being of the human person.
Furthermore, the Church recognizes that in the practice of masturbation, psychological factors including adolescent immaturity, lack of psychological balance, and ingrained habit can influence a person’s behaviour, and this could lessen or even eliminate moral responsibility. However, it is important to note that habit does not completely destroy the voluntary nature of our acts. As Christians who will be held accountable for our actions, we must strive to unite ourselves with God and do all we can to curb or eliminate all habits that detach us from Him.
Finally, while the Church teaches that it is never morally good to seek sexual pleasure outside of the marital act, it has not specifically taught on the question of masturbation for clinical purposes, such as collecting a sperm sample. In such cases, individuals are advised to explore morally licit options with a competent physician who respects Catholic values.
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It is not mentioned in the Bible
While the Catholic Church considers masturbation a sin, the Bible does not explicitly mention masturbation or include any prescriptions about it. The biblical story of Onan (Genesis 38) has been traditionally linked to masturbation and its condemnation. However, scholars argue that the sexual act described in this story is coitus interruptus, not masturbation. Some argue that Onan's punishment resulted from his refusal to fulfil his obligations rather than any sexual sin.
Leviticus 15:16–18 states that any male who emits semen is considered ritually impure, whether through masturbation, nocturnal emission, or sex between married heterosexual partners. While this passage addresses ritual impurity, it does not specify any consequences or punishments beyond that.
The Catholic Church's teaching on masturbation is centred on the virtue of chastity, which involves giving sexuality its proper place in our lives. Masturbation is considered a grave sin, or mortal sin, as it rejects God's offer of life and contradicts the meaning of human sexuality, which is meant to be shared between a married man and woman. According to the Church, masturbation turns sexuality inward towards self-indulgence rather than self-giving, divorcing the pleasure of orgasm from union with a spouse.
However, Catholic morality acknowledges that habits, such as masturbation, can reduce or even eliminate responsibility for one's actions. Psychological factors, including adolescent immaturity and lack of psychological balance, can also influence a person's behaviour and lessen the moral responsibility associated with masturbation. While the Church has not provided specific teachings on masturbation for clinical purposes, it encourages individuals to explore morally licit options with medical practitioners who respect Catholic values.
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Habit reduces responsibility for actions
The Catholic Church considers masturbation a grave sin, or a mortal sin. This is because it is believed that masturbation rejects God's offer of life and contradicts the meaning of human sexuality, which is meant to be shared between a man and a woman in marriage.
However, Catholic morality also acknowledges that habits can reduce or eliminate responsibility for actions. This is because habits can reduce free choice, and therefore reduce responsibility. For example, the Church recognizes that psychological factors, including adolescent immaturity, lack of psychological balance, and ingrained habit, can influence a person's behaviour and lessen or eliminate their moral responsibility.
While habit can reduce responsibility, it does not destroy the voluntary nature of our acts. As Christians are accountable for their actions, they must strive to unite themselves with the Lord and curb or eliminate all habits that detach them from Him. If a person is knowingly and willingly masturbating, they are guilty of a grave sin.
If an individual is struggling with the habit of masturbation, they are encouraged to seek help from a priest or confessor. By inviting Christ into their passions and desires, individuals can allow Him to purify them and exercise proper control.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Catholic Church considers masturbation a grave sin. It is viewed as an act that denies the meaning of sex and turns people away from God.
The Catholic Church teaches that masturbation is a sin because it is a deliberate use of the sexual faculties outside of marriage. It is considered a disordered action that contradicts the purpose of human sexuality, which is meant to be shared between a married man and woman.
The Catholic Church does not specify any consequences for masturbation, but it is considered a grave sin that separates individuals from God. It is believed to cause harm and negatively impact people's lives and marriages.
The Catholic Church has not provided specific teachings on masturbation for clinical purposes, such as collecting a sperm sample. While some priests acknowledge that psychological factors and habits can reduce moral responsibility, individuals are encouraged to seek guidance from confessors and explore morally licit options.
