Masturbation is not sinful, unclean, or wicked [Rebuttal to leaked Bethel video regarding masturbation]

by Mace.Bean 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mace.Bean

  [The following information is intended as a response to the leaked Bethel video regarding masturbation. If you are not aware of that video, please check it our before attempting to comment.]

  Masturbation is not sinful, unclean, or wicked. Under Jewish law, if a man experienced a wet dream, he was considered ceremonially unclean for a certain amount of time, but so was a woman who experienced her normal menstrual period. Being ceremonially unclean was not considered sinful even under Jewish law. The Watchtower has even suggested that a Jewish man might even look forward to the release of tensions provided by experiencing wet dreams.

  Fundamentalist religions, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, classify such normal physiological functions as dirty or sinful, then capitalize on the resulting feelings of guilt so as to strengthen their control over their adherents. They ought to be ashamed!

  Bonnie Zieman's book, Exiting the JW Cult, explains how neurotic guilt--the feeling of guilt imposed by others when one has done nothing wrong--can lead to self sabotage, punishing oneself for perceived sins which are not sins at all, and actually cause symptoms of real physical and/or psychological illnesses, depression, etc.

  Do not fall for such wicked tactics of conniving, ignorant and unclean men such as those who call themselves the Governing Body.
  
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  zeb

  I see this issue as another attempt by wt to 'cherry-pick'/re-interpret from the ancient Jewish culture to suit their own ends.

  Positive comments please.
  
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  Drearyweather

  Mace Bean, You start speaking about masturbation but then give examples of wet dreams.

  Jw's don't consider emission due to wet dreams as sinful.
  
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  compound complex

  Jw's don't consider emission due to wet dreams as sinful. -- Drearyweather

  Correct, but in the video Br. Breaux asked, "What were you thinking about before you went to sleep?"
  

  The implication is clear that impure thoughts must be rooted out and not dwelt upon; even a young brother's dreams can put him at risk, WT-wise.
  
  
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  AFRIKANMAN

  How does the man NOT think about certain matters? it is actually fairly much "hard-wired" into the male psyche. For me the personal issue is how I deal with it in my own head. And the sight of a lovely bronzed female form walking along a sunny beach is one of the joyful things in life.

  So now perhaps WT must demand that all sisters wear 'Islamic" Burkini's when swimming so that men are not going to catch a 'leak' at night or 'worse'...................................put their hands down below.........
  
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  stillin

  I equate masturbation with blowing my nose. It has to be done. It isn't a public affair nor anybody's business but my own. I prefer that others blow their own noses in a private place and not discuss the details with me.

  Maybe Bethel does things differently but I do feel that there are rules of propriety that are good to keep.
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  compound complex

  stillin:

  Points well made. Both my religion and the Bethel I knew and once loved have irrevocably changed. Brother Knorr and Franz, with whom I have talked, would be rolling over in their graves . . .

  Oh, they're in heaven, rolling their eyes.
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  LoveUniHateExams

  It seems masturbation is universal amongst males.

  It is certainly normal for men who aren't in a sexual relationship (this including teenagers).

  It is also normal for some men who are in a sexual relationship.

  As Stillin alludes to, when you have a blocked nose you need to blow it.

  Masturbation among females is extremely taboo. I would guess that at least some women regularly masturbate but I'd be very surprised if the percentage is as high as men (100%).

  Regarding genital anatomy, women don't reach a point where they need to masturbate. Female orgasm serves no biological function other than sheer enjoyment ... perhaps the pleasure evolved to encourage females to have sex.

  Of course, if women are comfortable with masturbating then it's natural for them, too.
  

  Male anatomy and function is obviously different. We continuously produce sperm and semen throughout our lives. Male orgasm is linked to ejaculation, the biological function of which is to fertilise the female. This means that males not in a sexual relationship get a build up of semen at some point.
  
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  neat blue dog

  
  
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  @Mace.Bean: "...neurotic guilt--the feeling of guilt imposed by others when one has done nothing wrong--can lead to self sabotage, punishing oneself for perceived sins which are not sins at all, and actually cause symptoms of real physical and/or psychological illnesses, depression, etc."

  THIS.

  When I lost my virginity outside of marriage, I was so psychologically shattered by what I'd done (what I'd done was have consensual sex when I was 22. Shock, horror). That was a turning point for my path of self-destruction. What good was I? I was damaged goods. Unclean. A used, dirty rag. A defiled woman who didn't deserve to ever get married because I wasn't "pure".

  My guilt manifested itself in an array of ways. Heavy drug addiction, suicide attempts, a smorgasbord of risque sexual encounters week in, week out. I was a broken soul. And for the next whirlwind couple of years, I operated on only five different emotions:

  Shame.

  Hate.

  Vengeance.

  Love.

  GUILT.

  If only I had the strength of character and clarity to understand the notion you put forth in this post back then. Things may have looked very different for me. Wise words to consider, and I encourage any young Witness who is at a tipping point with their lives to really take this in. This is the netting that will catch you when that JW thread you're hanging by does snap as you assimilate yourself into normal society.