And I'm sure you learned all this from books in College and other studies except scripture. Since when does school studies supersede scriptural truth? To say that just because almost every person in society masturbates, it is considered normal. Do you see how ludicrous this sounds? This is like saying that inhaling water is normal. Most people die.zionminded wrote:I need to chime in here a bit.
My profession is a mental health counselor. So I know a bit about this subject.
MOST masturbation (MB) habits are normal, for teens or adults. Nearly all men have or will, and nearly all women do. Nearly 40 percent or so of aging adults do it (over 70).
Having said that, SOME of the time there is a problem. It can be problematic if the behavior interferes with your life, your relationships or your health. But there are situations where the rhetoric around it is worse. For example, MB causes you to be gay or MB leads to more sexual exploration in unhealthy ways. Both are proven false, many times over.
The problem comes in our church where sexuality is so taboo. It comes when we simply DO NOT talk about it at all. We only talk about the bad things and not the healthy things. The "don't touch it" message is not helpful. It is important for people to beable explore their own sexuality (in a healthy way). Your bishop may or may not be objective, and he likely has ZERO idea to identify MB habits related to anxiety, depression, social issues, sexual problems, and a LONG list of things that they will not understand.
I'm NOT saying, people should create habits that replace normal behaviors. Comorbid problems such as compulsive porn use can cause a great deal of harm in relationships and more.
Additionally, there are some HUGE HUGE spiritual things sexual replacements (such as MB), and INCLUDING many hetronormative sexual behaviors will LIMIT your spiritual growth if you don't address them. (Big topic here on that one).
Please PM me if you have question offline, or please, find a mental heath counselor to help you. (Note your bishop can and should counsel you on your spiritual journey in the church, but not your sexual journey or questions anymore than your Bishop would address physical health issues like blood pressure or financial issues like retirement investment)
Why do people say they follow Christ, yet still normalize sin. The precepts of men say go ahead, it is normal. God says to be pure in heart, in mind and in action, to have virtue garnish our thoughts. Which one of these choices will bring us closer to God?
Is it school based concepts taught by mans own carnal nature, rather than God's word that will save mankind?
The goal is perfection, just what does this mean to you? There's a big difference between working to overcome a bad habit with lots of repentance along the way...and saying this habit is normal, not to worry about it. Ya, right!
Is it correct to not be addicted to some sin, and then tell others it is okay, just normal. Normal for whom?