What exactly is the cause of the WTBTS total OBSESSION with masturbation?
Is there any religion in the world that has printed so many articles on this topic?
Well, it's November and it must be' masturbation month' because here in the November 'Awake' we have another article on what? You got it! Masturbation.
Young people ask........How can I conquer this Habit? (Here goes and you lot on the back row...Stop Giggling....or whatever it is you're doing!!!)
"I began masturbating when I was eight years old. Later I learned God's view of the matter. I felt terrible every time I gave in. 'How could God love someone like me?' I asked myself. I felt sure that I would not make it into God's new world." - Luiz
'Perhaps you, like Luiz. have been enslaved to the habit of masturbation. You know that Jehovah would be pleased with you if you resisted the urge and exercised self-control, a fruit of God's holy spirit. (Galatians 5:22,23 ; 2 Peter 1:5,6)
This is precisely how young Pedro viewed himself. 'When I relapsed, I felt terrible,@ he says. @I thought that I could never atone for what I had done. If found it hard to pray. I would start by saying: 'Jehovah, I don't know whether you are going to hear this prayer but....' A young man named Andre had similar thoughts. 'I felt like such a hypocrites,' he says. 'It was a struggle to get out of bed in the morning and face the day. I found it difficult to sit through Christian meetings or to participate in ministry.'
If your feelings are similart to those of Luiz, Pedro or Andre, take courage. You're not alone, and your case is not hopeless! Many young people - and older ones - have struggled with masturbation and have been able to overcome it. You can too.'
DEALING WITH GUILT (which I'd just like to say, in my opinion is entirely caused by brow beating from BS written in the WTBTS literature!!)
As already noted, those who have fallen into the habit of masturbation are often plagued with guilt. Without a doubt, being 'saddened in a godly way' can give you the incentive to overcome the habit. But excessive guilt can be counterproductive. It can make you fell so discouraged that you just want to give up the fight.
Strive then, to put the matter in persepective. Masturbation is a form of uncleanness. It can make you a 'slave to various desires and pleasures,' and it fosters attitudes that can be mentally corrupting. At the same time, self-masturbation is not a form of gross sexual immorality, such as fornication. Hence, if you have a problem with masturbation, you need not conclude that you have committed the unforgivable sin. TThe key is to resisi the urge and never to give up on your fight!
Sometimes it is easy to become downhearted after a relapse. (Makes it sound like a terrible disease!!!!) When that occurs, take to heart the words of Proverbs 24:16. 'The rightous one may fall even seven times, and he will certainly get up; but the wicked ones will be made to stumble by calamity.' A temporary setback does not make you a wicked person. So do not give up. Instead, analyze what led to the relapse, and try to avoid repeating the same pattern.
Instead of continually berating yourself for you problem, (Why do that when the WTBTS can do it for you) take time to meditate on God's love and mercy. The psalmist on God's love and mercy. The psalmist David, who was no stranger to weakness stated: 'As a father shows mercy to his sons, Jehovah has shown mercy to those fearing him. For he himself well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dus.' Yes Jehovah takes into consideration our imperfection and is 'ready to forgive' when we err. On the other hand he wants us to put forth effort to improve.
What practical steps can you take to conquer your habit and avoid a relapse?
The Value of Confiding (OMG It's back to the confessional!!!!!)
Despite the publicity given to sex in a number of lands, many people still find it difficult to talk about sex in a serious, dignified way. In your case shame might make it difficult for you to bring up the subject even to a confidant. One Christian who struggled with masturbation for several years commented 'How I wish I could have summoned the courage to talk to someone about it when I was a youth! Feelings of guilt plagued me for many years, and it seriously affected my relationships with others and , above all, with Jehovah.'
Whom should you talk to? The best person would be someone who is spiritually mature, preferabley a parent. You could start by saying: 'May I talk to you about a problem that is bothering me a lot?' (More like something the WTBTS is harrassing me over a lot!)
Mario decided to talk to his father, who proved to be very sympathetic and understanding. He even admitted to Mario that he himself had battled with the habit when he was younger. 'My father's honesty and sincerity encouraged me greatly,' Mario says. 'I reasoned that if he had been victorious, I could be too. I was so moved by my father's attitude that I broke down and cried.' (No wonder JWs suffers huge amounts of stress, mental illness and depression considering the unnatural expectations it has of its slaves!!!!)
'Andre gathered the courage to talk to a Christian elder, and he is glad that he did. 'As the elder listened to me, his eyes filled with tears,' says Andre. 'When I finished, he assured me of Jehovah's love for me. He told me that my problem is a common one. He promised to check on my progress and to bring me more information from Bible study aids. Talking with him I resolved to keep up the fight even if further relapses occurred.'
Like Mario and andre, you can find help in your efforts to conquer the habit of masturbation. Follow the advice in the accompanying box. 'Take the Offensive!' Yes be assured that you can win the battle!!'
Additions to this article are:
1) A young woman may want to talk to her mother or a mature spiritual sister in the congregation.
2) Although the people quoted in this article are males, many females also struggle with masturbation. Hence, the advice given pertains to both genders. Note too, that this article discusses masturbatin oneself. Doing it outside of marriage to another person is included in what the Bible calls fornication, a very serious sin in God's eyes.
Take the offensive!
Force your mind onto other matters.
Avoid looking at things that will stimulate improper desires
Pray for power beyond what is normal.
Keep busy in Christian activities.'
So why do you think the WTBTS is so OBSESSED with masturbation and guilt tripping its members when it comes to a totally natural 'need' in the human being?