Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Masturbation, Wet Dreams, and keeping your eyes to yourself Message-ID: Date: 2 May 91 09:00:49 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 27 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) writes: >On one of these e-mail forums I belong to was a bunch of articles on >masturbation. I forget which one, but I think that this topic is worthy >of examining by everyone anyway, since it is a sin that so easily besets us. >By a quick scan of "seed" in the OT (Lev. 15:16; 15;32; Lev. 18:21-23; >Lev. 20:2; Lev. 22:4) it is obvious that wet dreams, and most probably >masturbation, are an unclean act. The person involved in these things >was unclean for at least a day, and had to stay away from the Holy things. >It is clear that these things are unholy in the sight of God. A couple engaged in "normal" intercourse is also considered unclean, (both of them), does this mean that normal intercourse is not approved of by God? (Both of them are also called upon to bathe immediately after the act, but they remain unclean until evening.) It would appear that the laws of the Israelites are quite wary of discharges of fluid from the body. Blood, Semen, Menstrual Flows, all of these are unclean. Persons with skin diseases are unclean, and are to be sent outside the camps. Many of the laws seem to be matters of good health practices, (to prevent the spread of infectious diseases). (My opinion of course as always.) Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton