It’s definitely a sticky subject…
Voluptuousness
Voluptuousness was once a discreet term for auto-eroticism, currently referred to as “self-cultivation” - if you watch Oprah, or self-pleasuring, although it is more commonly known as masturbation. In the past, the sexual practice has also been called self-abuse or onanism - now usually considered archaic by many.
In fact, it seems the majority of health professionals, in both the medical and mental health fields, discard the notion there is anything wrong with masturbation. Indeed, many Catholics since the late ’70’s and ’80’s were often taught masturbation is not a sin. Progressive theologians and scripture scholars taught there is no evidence in the Bible which would condemn it as a sin, insisting the Church was wrong in the way various scriptures had been interpreted. In addition, some consecrated persons, those who professed a vow of chastity, came to the conclusion they too can indulge in masturbation without incurring sin or violating their vow of celibacy. (Just so long as they didn’t do it too much. Whatever too much means?)
(1) While admitting that certain texts cited as condemning masturbation may have another interpretation (Gen. 38:8-10; 1 Cor 6:9; Rom. 1:24), Holy Scripture does include in its condemnation an irresponsible use of sex, and that would certainly apply to masturbation. The Vatican Declaration says that even if Scripture does not condemn this sin by name, “the tradition of the Church has rightly understood it to be condemned in the New Testament when the latter speaks of ‘impurity’, ‘unchasteness’ and other vices contrary to chastity and continence.” - Fr.John Harvey
Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic understanding and teaching on chastity and celibacy, has not changed, no matter what the Dr. tells you. Celibacy or virginity is understood to mean a person voluntarily renounces marriage and sexual activity for the sake of the Kingdom of God. All Catholics are called to chastity according to their state in life, even married people. For unmarried people to live chastely, it is necessary to abstain from all deliberate sexual behavior, including autoeroticism or masturbation.
Catholic Sexual Ethics also responds to the objection that masturbation is not a grave moral disorder in certain circumstances. Adolescent masturbation is given as one of the circumstances. The response is that the Church has always acknowledged that circumstances alter cases, and that there are degrees of responsibility in the different kinds of masturbation. But the Church holds that the act of masturbation remains OBJECTIVELY SERIOUSLY WRONG. Rightly she distinguishes between the objective gravity of the masturbatory act and the personal responsibility of the agent.- Fr. John Harvey
Interesting background on the term “voluptuousness”:
“Moral authorities grudgingly acknowledged sex to be not inherently sinful, but very strictly delineated the ways in which sex could be used without spiritual consequences. Medical authorities, by contrast, considered sex to be an essential part of bodily health, noting that abstention could lead to a dangerous buildup of the “seminal humor.” As a preventative measure, physicians recommended regular, but not excessive, sexual intercourse (too little being as bad as too much). However, they took into account that not all people had a morally acceptable way of engaging in sex, and to this end recommended masturbation, drawing on the authority of Late Classical writers such as Galen, who suggests that physicians or midwives “place hot poultices on the . . . genitals” of a celibate woman and “cause [her] to experience orgasm, which would release the retained seed” (Murray, 201). Unfortunately, this was an area in which the medical and the moral definitely clashed. Moral authorities such as the theologian Thomas Aquinas considered masturbation (also known as “onanism” from the Biblical story of Onan; see Genesis 38:7-10) to be “the sin of uncleanliness, which some call voluptuousness” and an “unnatural vice” because it is “contrary to the natural ordering of the sexual act that is proper to human beings” (Summa Theologica 154.5). The only way that moral authorities would excuse masturbation was when it was unintentional, as was the case with nocturnal emissions, because “there [may be] an excess of the seminal humor in the body” which needed to be expelled in order to keep the body in balance. Thomas assumes that the body will take care of this balance itself, and lumps all intentional masturbation under the rubric of voluptuousness.” - Sex, Society and Medieval Women
Useful Links:
Fr. John Harvey - Good moral theology.
Cosmos, Liturgy, and Sex - Excellent posts dealing with the issue.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:30 am
I will add to your list this article published on Dappled Thing website:
http://www.dappledthings.org/mary06/essay01.php
Dappled Things | Mary Queen of Angels 2006 | Essays
Catholic Education and Masturbation
February 21st, 2008 at 10:30 am
You’re right of course ; the only way to approach this is from a position of fundamental catholic morality - in fact from the perspective of the ‘contraceptive principle’ that poisons and corrupts every aspect of Life and Love in today’s society . One thing you haven’t mentioned is the judaic biblical perspective - remember the sin of Onan was a sin against his ancestors and the duty to procreate - from their perspective it wasn’t the act it was the nature and motive behind the act that was so inherently sinful and scandalous to all creation. Remember too in Judaism it was a duty of a man to fulfill his matrimonial responsibilities - they even compiled lists of mandatory minimums they had to complete !!! Once a month for tradesmen, twice a year for travelling merchants, once every two years for sailors etc etc . Remember too that St Augustine had a very specific agenda - he had not forgotten St Paul’s insistence that Human Lovemaking is where we are most Godlike ; but it was where most of his previous grief and failings had been sourced - so he emphasised it - plus it was the biggest form of recreation in society then…Monasticism realised the situation and even promoted a form of [believe it or not it isn't some san franciscan new age thing] tantric lovemaking called amplexus reservatus where you could go through the motions but refrain from ejaculating!
Masturbation is intrinsically morally disordered and is always objectively wrong action; and automatically gravely sinful except in a position of moral dillemma to prevent an objective evil act [sorry to be coarse but imagine circumstances where masturbation prevents the compulsion to engage in the immediate opportunity for sexual activity - better for a teen to masturbate if it prevents them succumbing to the seductive enticings of someone demanding sex etc praying for chastity is not always the most efficacious way when one's moral compunction is being compromised - it's always wrong and sinful - but it's the degree of the sin that's the imperative here] or when volition and personal responsibility are diminished [e.g. when teen males are hormone and semen factories; when celibates are biologically and endocrinally affected to such extents it becomes a compulsive pre-occupation]
To an extent Aquinas was right ; the ‘humours’ need to self-regulate - ironically it’s frequent masturbation that prevents this occurring naturally and can lead to all manner of problems in later life in men who refrain from sexual and masturbatory activity if they do not have this ‘nocturnal emmission’ capability because it has been suppressed through long-term manual stimulation - prostate problems being the main one.
It isn’t masturbation that’s the main problem - it’s the baggage that it carries , the guilt that precludes us from sincere, truthful relationships with our neighbours, the sexual objectification of others via pornography or imagined scenarios to arouse…the adultery in the heart that conspires and corrupts….
Something so relatively insignificant compared to our other sins can be one of the devil’s most destructive weapon - for he knows where to stick the knife and the guilt in ; how to corrupt and debase and demean , it places a shadow over the potentials for true love and friendship and the provisions for true real authentic further intimacy… it’s so deeply saddening that sexual sins [the ones which, as pope John Paul I said, are the least offensive to God as they are sourced where we are at our weakest] are the ones that can be so destructive to our daily lives….
It’s a drug worse than any nicotine or heroin - and St Francis de sales is right - it needs to be confronted head on with an authentic love of the self, with charity, mercy and humility ; and an ability to forgive oneself but continue the struggle against it.. God doesn’t abandon anyone who makes the weakest vainglorious attempts to do better - but there’s the big , big warning amidst it all - and St Francis de Sales and St John Vianney are right - it’s the anxiety and guilt that destroys - we cannot afford to be proud or narcissistic about it . I think chesterton got it right - don;t linger on it - get on with life and don’t think about it and what was once a big bogey - a huge dragon threatening to destroy everything you are - will vanish like mist in the heat of the morning sun - lies hate the truth…and the truth of the really pathetic shallow and infantile nature of masturbation will just dissipate. Love yourself enough to laugh at yourself, pick yourself up and try and try again ; don’t become convinced by the lie that you are doomed and compelled to engage in the cycle - that everything about you is tarnished and the real you is nothing because you do this…the fight must be fought with the weapons of Love and Truth - and that mainly resides in an authentic love for the self….
February 21st, 2008 at 10:34 am
Paul - thanks very much for your insightful comments. Very good.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:47 am
Reminds me of a post by Fr. Mark on the chastity of St Thomas Aquinas:
http://vultus.stblogs.org/2008/01/girded_by_angels.html
February 21st, 2008 at 11:14 am
I humbly bow before the superior intellect and more virtuous blogger - you should be a dominican dude…
February 21st, 2008 at 12:34 pm
“Love yourself enough to laugh at yourself, pick yourself up and try and try again; don’t become convinced by the lie that you are doomed and compelled to engage in the cycle.”
Outstanding, Paul!!!
February 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Is it a sin to laugh at the title of this post?
February 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Wow Terry, there really is NOTHING that you won’t write about is there??
February 21st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Paul - you jest! Your comments are excellent however.
Jeannette - I hope it wasn’t a sin to title it that - my original photo was Cameron Diaz from “Something About Mary”.
Sanctus - I kind of thought I should do this because many people think the matter is not serious sin, and what I find even more astonishing is how some people feel they can live a chaste and celibate life and continue to engage in such activity.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
That’s a great picture with the long ruler–LOL
If you want to see secular society’s eyes roll tell them masturbation is wrong–they think you are out to lunch. Recently I had a conversation with a young 20’s girl who was having trouble with her relationship–me, her and a 20’s guy were counseling her. I told her one of her problems was her “self-abuse.” She became angry and said, “You mean to tell me you don’t masturbate?–everyone masturbates.” I said, “sorry, not everyone masturbates and being Catholic we consider it a grave moral disorder.”
She asked, well what’s wrong with it–it’s natural, healthy.” “No,” then I told her of the physical trauma she could cause to delicate tissue in genital areas–using “unnatural” tools–moreover, your body becomes accustomed to being “aroused” in a disordered fashion–which makes it difficult to relate to a human partner in a normal fashion–basically, “You screw up your relationships with REAL people.”
She confessed that yes–she liked the instant “fix” her toys gave her verses the work involved in having relations with her boyfriend–she could not reach an orgasm while being with him. “Well, there you go,” I said.
What if you don’t have a partner she asked, I said, “if you satisfy your needs yourself–maybe you need to be married and the sex drive can be an motivation to look for the mate you need. Well, that was the end of that conversation.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Tara - yes - I’ve been surprised by similar stories from younger people.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
The common prescription of marriage for anyone struggling with chronic masturbation is generally not sound. People too frequently use a spouse as a convenient instrument of masturbation - and that is immoral, even if the act is open to procreation.