Masturbation: Sex Without Partner (1) by Stephen Ebinyo Edwards

I have been asked to write on this topic & I took the time out to do my research & findings: Happy reading.....

Masturbation is a social phenomenon which requires urgent solution. Today, we are talking about terrorism, bomb blasts, kidnappings and other social vices which, if thoroughly investigated, have root in masturbation. In the search for pornography on the Internet, most youths get exposed to sophisticated crime tactics.

What is masturbation?
Masturbation is self-stimulation of the genitals for pleasure and self-comfort. In other words, it is having sex without a partner or having sex with self. Masturbation is derived from Latin word, manus (hand) + Turbare (to disturb), meaning using your hand to disturb or defile your genitals. It spans through all age groups but commoner among our children, especially at the adolescent age.


Most international surveys confirm that about 92 per cent of men and 62 per cent women would have one way or the other masturbated in their lifetime. While many use hands, others use sophisticated devices to masturbate, especially in boarding schools. Considering the detrimental effects on the psycho-social well-being of children, these devices have been banned in some countries.

The advocates of masturbation believe there are no side effects, after all, it is a pleasure-making venture. With frequent masturbations, there are side effects that can affect our future. There are physical and spiritual effects of masturbation with argument for and against. The two popular religions in the land have those against and those that see masturbation to be beneficial.

Physical effect
*Exhaustion of sexual organs
Sex involves interplay of a lot of chemical in the body system. With masturbation (sex with oneself), there is overdrive of these chemicals. The nervous system releases certain chemical like acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin that put the sex organ and brain under stress, especially with frequent masturbation. The side effects of the imbalance body chemistry are fatigue (feeling tired all the time), lower back pain, stress and anxiety (increase adrenergic discharges), thinning and loss of hair, weak penile erection, premature ejaculation, fuzzy vision, testicular pain and pain in the pelvic bones.

Masturbation is addictive
In the early experiment in psychology, Pavlov conditioned hungry dogs to the ringing of bell with feeding. Before long, the dogs would salivate with mere sound of bell even in the absence of food. The more you masturbate, the more you crave for it. Any sight of those pornographic pictures will make you lose concentration and little more attention will lead to orgasm and embarrassment if this happens in the public. If you are a student, you lack concentration in your studies which affects your performances in examinations.

Precious time is wasted while on that night browsing for pornography.
Some people get aroused at the sight of shoe leather or a computer screens than by the most sensual sight of their own wife.

Some unmarried men and women masturbate to tide on till God gives their sexual partners. This is similar to taking drugs to dull the pain of loneliness which leaves crave for drug intact even when the person finds a companion. Once you get addicted to masturbation, it is difficult to stop when you are finally married.

I learnt of man with bad history of masturbation before wedding. One night, the man wanted sex. His wife delayed for a few minutes. When she entered the bedroom, she discovered that in the lack of self-control, her husband had masturbated on a newspaper. She felt degraded and of the same value with yesterday papers. She remembered the event throughout her stay with the husband and even when she became widow. What a bad experience for the woman!
 
Sexual bonding should be reserved exclusively for husband and wife. Anything else is a perversion. To masturbate with your mind on other things apart from your wife shows you are self-centered and there is no love in you.
 
*Spiritual points about masturbation
An elder in a particular church was lodged in a guest house some years back. The hotel had Internet facilities and in no time, the elder entered into various website where he could whet his appetite for sex since the wife was not with him on that trip. All the pornographic pictures were placed on the computer board while the host suddenly entered into his room. The man carefully shut down the computer but that was a bit late. This singular episode made the host doubt the integrity of the man. Spiritually, can the man be blamed? Ques: Can Christians or other men of God masturbate?

Note: The Christians that support masturbation are of the opinion that  what happened to Onan in Gen.38:8-10 was not masturbation but a "coitus interruptus," a form of family planning called withdrawal release. That God killed Onan not because of masturbation but for his refusal to bear heir for his late brother.

Masturbation consists of lust and sexual idolatry. Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:28 condemns lust as a sin of adultery. Lust is craving for self-pleasure which is found in masturbation. Obvious examples of lust during masturbation include looking at pornography and fantasising about sex. What takes your devotion is idolatry and sin.

I want to sincerely plead with our men of God that get posted on mission work or have to be away for a long period of time to please go with their wives. Our body is the temple of God that must be glorified not to be defiled. Let us avoid unnecessary distractions. We shall not fall.