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: yount@fox.ece.cmu.edu (Charles Robert Yount) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Masturbation, Wet Dreams, and keeping your eyes to yourself Message-ID: Date: 2 May 91 08:49:57 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 25 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. I don't think the implication that an unclean state is equivalent to a sinful act is completely accurate. For example, a woman during her period was considered "unclean," but I certainly don't think this implies she was guilty of an uncotrollable sin for a week each month. --Chuck [My impression of the passages Robert cited from Lev. is that they were primarily talking about involuntary actions, and so described a situation that was not exactly sin in the sense we think of it. On the other hand, it does seem that people were expected to avoid getting into an unclean state where possible. I'd be inclined to infer that masturbation would be viewed by those who put together lev. as at least undersirable. --clh]