What is masturbation?

Masturbation, also called self-love, self-abuse, self-pollution, and onanism, is the act or practice of stimulating the external sexual organs by oneself through touch or thought. It has been the constant and clear teaching of the Church from principles found in Holy Scripture that masturbation is a serious mortal sin that will keep one from Heaven (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:10). This is also clear from the teaching of the Church as well as from natural reason. In assigning a reason for such a serious prohibition, the Church teaches that the sexual function is meant by God to serve primarily for the begetting of children. Therefore, any deliberate activation of it is seriously inordinate and sinful. What does the Bible Say about Masturbation? Is masturbation a sin? Many have found it difficult to answer this question according to the Bible because the Bible never mentions the word masturbation specifically. To understand how God feels about this topic, we only need to examine other verses that deal with issues such as lust, self-control, and purity. The Lord has said: Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof. Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon anothers beauty. For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire. (Sirach 9:7-9) Young men, in like manner, exhort that they be sober. (Titus 2:6) You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28) Women are not toys, playthings, or bunnies from which to derive sexual stimulation. When women are used in sexual fantasies, they are sexually abused, even if they are untouched. Many men rape many women each day and commit adultery and fornication without laying a hand on them. Women also rape men and commit adultery and fornication in this way. These rapes, fornications and adulteries are not marked by physical violence but by psychological warfare. Because a person is often unaware of being used and abused, and because the abuser often does not fathom the real extent of the severity of his crime, this makes these mental and visual rapes/abuses seem less devastating. Nevertheless, grave mortal sin with all its degradation and death is being committed. Matthew 5:27-30: You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell. Mark 9:42-47: And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable

fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. Jesus feels the best thing to do about sexual fantasies and sins is to gouge out our eyes (Matthew 5:29) and cut off our hands (Matthew 5:30). This is a very serious and extreme remedy. He does not literally mean for us to mutilate ourselves, but that we must cut off all occasions of sin. However, it is clear that sexual sins and fantasies are serious enough to be part of the highway to Hell. If we let ourselves commit sin with the hand or be hit in the eye by the Devil, we are sure to lose. Let us therefore guard our eyes, the lamps of our bodies, the way to our hearts, and protect our other members from committing sin. So we are to control our actions with others and also our actions when alone. We are not to let sin take root in our hearts. Romans 6:12-14 tells us, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Your members in this verse is referring to the different parts of your body: your hands, feet, fingers, etc. Are you using your body in masturbation in a way that you think would make God proud? Many times we have the attitude of If God gave me this body, shouldnt I be able to enjoy it? First of all, we have to remember that sex is Gods invention. He is the mastermind behind it. God Himself has declared that it is only in marriage that any form of sexual stimulation, that is, natural sexual intercourse open for procreation is lawful. Masturbation is a selfish act where we take advantage of and abuse our procreative power. God cares about what we do with our bodies, in public or in private, and He doesnt want us to abuse ourselves in any way. Did you know that in older dictionaries the definition of the word masturbation is self-abuse? And if you were to look in a current dictionary under the word self-abuse, the word masturbation would be the second definition given. To this day, the two words are linked together, masturbation/self-abuse. You might be thinking, How am I abusing myself by doing this? We are abusing ourselves by masturbating because we are improperly handling something that God entrusted to our care. We are taking something that God gave us (our bodies and minds) and using them in a perverse manner. When masturbating, you are defiling your mind with obscene thoughts and then defiling your body by using it to act out those thoughts. To defile something means to make unclean, to make impure. Matthew 15:19-20 reads, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications.these are

the things which defile a man. And I believe that we all already know in our hearts that masturbating is wrong. When you engage in this activity, you soon after feel a sense of guilt and shame. This activity does not lift you up spiritually. It brings you down. God did not create our sexual organs so that we could fantasize and have sex by ourselves. God created sexual intercourse for procreational purposes as something to be shared and experienced between two people a husband and a wife. Now, you might be thinking, Well, isnt it still better to masturbate than to commit fornication? The simple answer to this question is no, for you are still committing a mortal sin. And it doesnt really matter what form of mortal sin you are committing. You will still be sent Hell for it, whether it be by fornication or self-abuse. Maybe in your mind you feel that it is better to masturbate because at least you are the only one involved. Maybe you believe that it is the lesser of two evils. First of all, and we mentioned this before, when women are used in sexual fantasies, they are sexually abused, even if they are untouched. So many men rape many women each day and commit adultery and fornication without laying a hand on them. Women also rape men and commit adultery and fornication in this way . Second, masturbation will not truly relieve the sexual pressure that you may feel. It may for a short moment, but in the long run it only creates a deeper desire and capacity for sex, which will lead to more masturbation and, ultimately, the desire for sexual intercourse and pornography. James 1:14-15 tells us, Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. This verse is telling us that all sin begins with a thought, but that when we give in to the thought and act out the sin in deed or thought, we will sink deeper and deeper into sin. Sin always takes you farther than you wanted to go and keeps you longer than you wanted to stay. And with masturbation, there is a vicious circle. You are only temporarily satisfied. And the more you indulge in this activity, the more addicted you become to it. Then if you let yourself become enslaved to a sexual high, you will find that you need to go to increasingly extreme acts to maintain the same degree of excitement. In John 8:34, Jesus warns us, Verily, verily I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. So, again, masturbation is a dangerous activity to engage in for this reason: All sexual immorality, including masturbation, begins with a thought. Then a lustful thought not taken captive will eventually lead to other perversions, including demonic obsession/possession and homosexuality, and other perversions like pedophilia, because sin reproduces itself if left unchecked. All sexual perverts proves that this is the case, for they all started out as masturbators just like ordinary people at some point in time. When we fantasize and masturbate, we open our hearts and minds up to demonic forces and strange and perverse thoughts and possibilities. We are giving the Devil an open invitation to take residence in our beings. If we do not deal with our evil thoughts, they will take root

in our heart. It is for this reason that God is so concerned with our thought life. Jesus came not only to deliver us from our outward sins, but also from wickedness that begins in the heart. The truth of the fact that all homosexuals are spiritually possessed by a demonic spirit is also corroborated by the fact that society has recently seen an incredible increase in the number of people who consider themselves homosexuals. This is easily explained by the fact that, with the advent and explosion of the internet and other technological means which make access to pornography and impurity easy, millions more people are committing sins of impurity, millions more people are becoming possessed, and countless more are becoming homosexuals. (And, of course, not all who commit mortal sins of impurity become homosexuals, so those who somehow think they are okay because they are not homosexuals, even though they are committing sins of impurity, are sorely deceived and are also on the road to Hell and in bondage to the Devil.) Everyone knows in their hearts that masturbation is evil and a sin and against the natural law Matthew 5:27-30: You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell. Mark 9:42-47: And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. People who masturbate look on a woman to lust after her in order to become sensually aroused, and thus, they commit adultery with her in their hearts and a mortal sin against nature and God. (Masturbation is also a mortal sin and against the natural law even without thinking about women, which means that no one can be excused who commits this sin). The reason why masturbation is against the natural law and always evil and gravely offensive to God is that all people know in their conscience that masturbation is a shameful and evil pleasure. Everyone (but complete perverts who have willfully destroyed their conscience over a period of time) knows that the sexual pleasure is shameful and evil and

thus, that is why they are ashamed of it and why they hide themselves when they are committing this shameful deed. First of all, consider the fact that a person would be very ashamed if their parent, child or friend walked in on them when they were committing this shameful, selfish and evil act of masturbation. It is thus clear that their conscience tells them that it is an inherently shameful and evil act. Secondly, consider how utterly stupid and unreasonable it is for a person to be ashamed to commit acts of sensuality and masturbation in front of other people, but that he at the same moment refuse to feel this very same shame when masturbating in the presence of God and Mary and all the trillions of angels in Heaven... all the while hoping to not get noticed by anyone! The whole spiritual world sees his disgusting behavioryet he doesnt care. This person knows in his conscience that he justly deserves to be punished by the God who sees Him commit this evil and shameful deed, and he also knows that he is committing an inherently evil, shameful and selfish actsince he would be ashamed to commit it before other people. Yet his perverse lust quenches his perverse conscience in this case in order to satisfy his unnatural lusts. Some people may object that there are many other events that are shameful and that are not yet inherently sinful such as soiling ones pants or being forced to show oneself naked to other people against ones own will. This objection however fails to notice the obvious difference between people committing acts of lust and events which are shameful but that are not desired or longed for by a person in a sensual way. Acts of lust are acts performed for the sake of a pleasure and are therefore performed with the will and purpose of satisfying a sensual desire while the events or acts of soiling ones pants or being forced to show oneself naked to other people is not a desire or lust that is sought after. Thus, these people do not desire that these events should happen. If those people who endured the events of soiling their clothes or naked exhibitions against their own will would sensually desire or lust for that these shameful events would happen in the same way that a man or a woman lust for and desire that acts of lust happen, they would indeed be declared the most disgusting perverts. Who but a complete and satanic pervert would sensually desire or lust after soiling their pants or being exhibited naked? Someone might say that it is the sexual member that is shameful or evil to expose to others, and not concupiscence or the sexual lust. But this argument is false and easily refuted since no one who is not a complete pervert would have sex or masturbate in front of other people even though their whole body was covered by sheets or blankets. This proves to us that it is the sexual pleasure that is shameful and evil to abuse, and not only the exhibition of the sexual organ. Who would like to have their children or parents be a part of a porn movie? No one but a complete and satanic pervert. Who would want their child to be lusted at by other people? Only a son of Satan. This shows us that people know instinctively that the sexual pleasure

is a shameful and an evil pleasure to abuse. All people know in their hearts that masturbation is inherently evil and shameful, but since they have allowed their lust to reach such a level in their hearts that they do not want to resist it, they try to forget the obvious fact that this act is against their conscience and nature. They can only try to forget it, however, for they all know that it is an evil act, since they are ashamed to do it in front of other people. Thus, their conscience convicts them and testifies against them on this point. Furthermore, the vehemence of the sexual pleasure is extremely strong and similar to a strong drug. All people of course knows that getting high is against the natural law. When a person uses a drug to get high, he or she knows that they commit a sin. Since the persons intention for the sexual act is purely selfish, they know that they are committing a kind of drug abuse. In fact, the pleasure that is derived from the sexual pleasure is many times stronger than many drugs, and as such, are of course more sinful to abuse than these drugs. This can be proven by an example. Consider how a man that is sick and who suffers much pain is allowed by divine permission and justice to take morphine or other strong painkillers since he is in need of them. His reason when taking these drugs is not selfgratification but the alleviation of the pain that he experiences. This example could be likened with lawful marital relations, which is permitted and non-sinful as long as the spouses have a just and reasonable cause for coming together. However, whenever the sick person mentioned above would become well and yet continued to use morphine or other painkillers without any need to do so and for the mere sake of getting high and for pleasure he would have committed the sin of drug abuse. His just reason for using the painkiller became unjust the very moment he became well and did not need to use it anymore. Now, you may be thinking It is unfair for God to demand sexual purity from us after giving us sexual drives that seem to overwhelm us. First of all, sexual temptations were not given to us by God, but is rather the tragic effect of the Fall and Original sin of Adam and Eve. In other words, had they chosen not to sin, we would not now have had any sexual temptations tempting us. Saint Augustine explains it thus: lust, which only afterwards sprung up as the penal consequence of [original] sin, the iniquity of violating it was all the greater in proportion to the ease with which it might have been kept. ( City of God, Book XIV, Chapter 12). (See also The Origin of Fleshly Lust.) Second, God never demands from us something that would be impossible for us to do. And even if its hard for us, nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). True, you may feel weak within yourself, but He will equip you with His holy power to overcome any sin if only you ask in faith. Some of you are probably saying, Well, I agree with all of this in my head, but living it out on a day-to-day basis is another story. Perhaps you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the temptations that you face. But never underestimate the power that you have over sin. On your own you might not be that strong, but with Gods power, you can overcome. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 reads, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. These verses are telling us that we are not helpless. We can fight and be victorious against our sexual thoughts and desires. If you want to stop masturbating and you realize that this is what your Heavenly Father desires of you, you can. Confess this sin to a priest and to God and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you so that you can have control over your lustful thoughts and actions. And if you have a Christian friend whom you trust, ask that person to pray for you in this area, also. And if you slip occasionally or even a lot, dont give up. Self-control takes effort. If you truly want to stop masturbating, one thing that you must consider doing is to flee from and reject those things that will cause you to stumble, whether it be sexually-themed movies, music, books, videos, anything that fills your mind with images and words that will make you weak and vulnerable. What you need to do, first of all, is avoid the occasions of sin that are causing you to fall into mortal sin. Take drastic action in that regard, if it is necessary. For example, if someone commits mortal sins on a computer, he or she should get rid of the computer. If people are stuck in such a state, Jesus says they must cut off the occasion lest they perish forever Matthew chapter 5. Second, you need to pray the Rosary each day, and pray it well. Cultivate the habit of praying the Hail Mary as much as you can. There are many ways one can go about doing so. For example, each time you leave your room, you could go to your knees and pray one to three Hail Marys. Praying the Rosary and the Hail Mary is actually the most important point, for without those graces you will not come out of mortal sin or begin to avoid the occasions that are causing you to fall into sin. (See How to Pray the Rosary) (See also The Revelations of St. Bridget [MUST READ]) Third, we would recommend viewing the videos on Hell available on our website. Finally, the first degree of humility is to fear God enough to avoid clear mortal sins. Mortal sinners dont respect that God will cast them into Hell for their actions. If they did, they would alter their conduct. Thus, people who commit mortal sins lack humility. In their pride, they dont fear or respect God; and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 110:10). A person who commits mortal sins needs to begin to respect and fear God for who He is and what He will do to them. As far as confession goes, you may make it to a non-heretical priest ordained in the traditional rite, as described in the article No Sacraments From Heretics. You should focus on ceasing to commit the mortal sins that you are doing, acquiring a firm resolve not to commit them anymore, and making a proper confession. (See this file for help with ceasing committing mortal and venial sins). (Also see The Steps to convert to the traditional Catholic faith and for those leaving the New Mass - Baptism and Conditional Baptism - the Council of Trents Profession of Faith for Converts).

St. Augustine, The Confessions of Augustine, Chapter V, Of the Causes Which Alienate Us from God: thus bound, not with the irons of another, but my own iron will. My will was the enemy master of, and thence had made a chain for me and bound me. Because of a perverse will was lust made; and lust indulged in became custom; and custom not resisted became necessity. By which links, as it were, joined together (whence I term it a chain), did a hard bondage hold me enthralled. But that new will which had begun to develop in me, freely to worship You, and to wish to enjoy You, O God, the only sure enjoyment, was not able as yet to overcome my former wilfulness, made strong by long indulgence. Thus did my two wills, one old and the other new, one carnal, the other spiritual, contend within me; and by their discord they unstrung my soul. Thus came I to understand, from my own experience, what I had read, how that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. (Galatians 5:17) I verily lusted both ways; yet more in that which I approved in myself, than in that which I disapproved in myself. For in this last it was now rather not I, (Romans 7:20) because in much I rather suffered against my will than did it willingly. And yet it was through me that custom became more combative against me, because I had come willingly whither I willed not. And who, then, can with any justice speak against it, when just punishment follows the sinner? Nor had I now any longer my wonted excuse, that as yet I hesitated to be above the world and serve You, because my perception of the truth was uncertain; for now it was certain. But I, still bound to the earth, refused to be Your soldier; and was as much afraid of being freed from all embarrassments, as we ought to fear to be embarrassed. Masturbation is definitely a mortal sin Tragically, many persons deluded by the Devil falsely claim that sexual sins and masturbation is no sin at all, while some of them try to minimize the wickedness of their actions. Others try to blame God for their failings, as is demonstrated by the following email exchange with a certain person: I watched your video on "death and the journey into hell". Based on the video it almost seems like one little false move by whomever and you will be damned. We'll never be perfect. We are all sinners until death. Based on how this world is now, I can see the thought of more going to hell then heaven. I've broken every commandment. I'm trying to stay away from sin but I still find myself suffering with the same sins. I pray to Jesus and Mary all the time. I pray the rosary and many other prayers. I try to make a point of doing goods acts in the name of Jesus whether great or small. This video made me feel as though no matter what I do I will be damned. Jesus be with you and your family. Ace Answer: You say that its as if one false move will send you to Hell. A mortal sin is not a false move; its a willful commission of an act thats gravely offensive to God. You clearly

have a desire to downplay mortally sinful activity, and your problem is that you wont exercise your will and resist sin. You claim that you pray; yet you persist in grave sins. There are four main reasons for this: 1) you dont pray with true faith and sincerity; 2) you have not cut off all the occasions of sin like bad media or bad friends; 3) you have not made enough penance for your sins by fasting and mortifications; and 4) you dont have the first degree of humility: a fear of God that compels one to avoid mortal sin. Hence, your problem is pride. You think Gods law is a joke not serious enough to warrant a change in your lifestyle and you are mistaken. St. Benedict (c. 520): The first degree of humility, then, is that a man always have the fear of God before his eyes, shunning all forgetfulness and that he be ever mindful of all that God hath commanded, that he always considereth in his mind how those who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and that life everlasting is prepared for those who fear God. Since so many are coming out of mortal sin and are convincing themselves that certain things are not sins, we must preach against those sins with some specificity lest people perish in their ignorance. Masturbation is definitely a mortal sin. There are about three places where St. Paul gives a list of some of the main mortal sins which exclude people from Heaven. These lists do not comprise every mortal sin, of course, but some of the main ones. Well, it always puzzled many people exactly what is being referred to in the following passages by the sin of uncleanness and effeminacy. St. Paul says that these sins exclude people from Heaven. Does effeminacy refer to acting like a homosexual? What does uncleanness refer to? Galatians 5:19-21: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Ephesians 5:5-8: For this ye know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of unbelief. Be not ye therefore

partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: St. Thomas Aquinas identifies masturbation as the biblical uncleanness and effeminacy. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Pt. II-II, Q. 154, A. 11: I answer that, As stated above (A6,9) wherever there occurs a special kind of deformity whereby the venereal act is rendered unbecoming, there is a determinate species of lust. This may occur in two ways: First, through being contrary to right reason, and this is common to all lustful vices; secondly, because, in addition, it is contrary to the natural order of the venereal act as becoming to the human race: and this is called "the unnatural vice." This may happen in several ways. First, by procuring pollution, without any copulation, for the sake of venereal pleasure: this pertains to the sin of "uncleanness" which some call "effeminacy." Secondly, by copulation with a thing of undue species, and this is called "bestiality." Thirdly, by copulation with an undue sex, male with male, or female with female, as the Apostle states (Romans 1:27): and this is called the "vice of sodomy." Fourthly, by not observing the natural manner of copulation, either as to undue means, or as to other monstrous and bestial manners of copulation. Thus, not only is masturbation a mortal sin, but its a mortal sin which is identified in three different places in Scripture as one which excludes from the Kingdom of God. Its also classified by St. Thomas as one of the sins against nature, for it corrupts the order intended by God. Thats probably why its called effeminacy. Though its not the same as the abomination of Sodomy (Homosexuality), its disordered and unnatural. We believe that this sin since its contrary to nature and is classified as effeminacy and the unnatural vice is the cause of some people being given over to unnatural lusts (Homosexuality). Therefore, people who are committing this sin need to cease the evil immediately and, when prepared, make a good confession. If people are really struggling in this area, then they are not near the spiritual level where they need to be. Gods grace is there for them; but they need to pray more, pray better, avoid the occasions of sin (bad media being one of them) and exercise their wills. They need to consistently pray the 15-decade Rosary (i.e. daily). They need to put out more effort spiritually and then it shouldnt be a problem. Masturbation is not made moral or lawful within marriage or the marriage act Masturbation, in fact, has always been considered as a grave mortal sin in the Catholic Church (and even by most protestant so-called churches until very recently) and it doesnt cease to be a mortal sin just because the spouses are married. Yet, many married Catholic and other so-called Christian couples actually believe that this is right to do within marriage and the marriage act; and although most of them know or even admit that its wrong or a mortal sin to masturbate outside of marriage or the marriage act, they nevertheless believe that its right to do it within a marriageand that it is an exception.

But what Church teaching, Bible passage or Saint can they cite to support this demonic teaching? None! Only evil, perverted, ignorant and heretical modern theologians (or other heretical modern Catholic or Christian laymens private opinions) during the last 100 years or so, can they cite to support this teaching This fact, then, is quite telling, for it proves that this teaching was totally unheard of in the Christian world before the beginning stages of the Great Apostasy and the modern world. Their heretical and modernistic opinions are utterly worthless! All masturbatory touching of the genitals of oneself or ones spouse in the same or similar manner as would be done in masturbation (i.e. manipulative sexual acts), is immoral and a mortal sin. Any type of masturbatory touching is immoral (regardless of whether or when climax occurs) because it is an act that is non-procreative, unnatural and shameful. Also see: Foreplay is intrinsically evil and a mortal sin against the natural law Kisses and touches performed for sensual motives are condemned as mortal sins by the Catholic Church About sinful sexual thoughts and fantasies inside and outside of the marital act Sinful sexual pleasure and lust within marriage exposed