we need a difficult conversation about: sexual desires, masturbation, and the Bible
I present, below, a list of opinions about the millenia-old practice of masturbation and sexual activity.
Can your mind process these opinions and come to a conclusion that makes sense to yourself?
- “We are facing a pornography pandemic” by: Josh McDowell. https://saltandlight.sg/faith/we-are-facing-a-pornography-pandemic-josh-mcdowell/
- “Can I ever be set free from pornography and masturbation?” by: Dawson Ng. https://thirst.sg/can-i-ever-be-set-free-from-pornography-and-masturbation/
- “Facing up to porn addiction, the hidden third party in our marriage.” by: Sharon Tan (pseudonym). https://saltandlight.sg/relationships/porn-addiction-the-hidden-third-party-in-our-marriage/
- “Surviving an affair” by Willard F. Harvey Jr.
- “The real avenger: Christian song about struggles against lust and porn.” By: Gino Borst.
- “What does God and the Bible say about masturbation?” by: Pastor Mike Novotny.
a rambling discourse, on opinions, follows hence
The world is a noisy place. Everyone has an opinion. And you know what humorous uncles say about opinions: 'it's like an anus. Everyone has one.'
Yet wars are started on opinions, and friendships are similarly broken through opinions: “I am right and you are wrong.” In the face of a differing opinion, people choose violence – verbal, physical, or otherwise – instead of being curious: “Oh, may I know what is informing your opinion? Let me investigate with curiosity. And maybe, just maybe, I would actually become more aware of your background, though I may still disagree with you.”
In the older days, the word “conversation” used to mean, “to turn with” – I switch my position, from my side of the argument, to your side. Actually, that's how I heard scientific knowledge is advanced: you have made an amazing discovery that contradicts my existing knowledge, and I thank you for that, because now I see that I have been misguided, and now I can benefit from this correction.
Instead, in this age of social media, people are just shouting over each other, and no one is really listening. That's a sure recipe for disaster in any society. We talk to each other, instead of talking with each other, and everyone is unhappy.
But this is nothing new. Centuries ago, Galileo was severely ill-treated by powerful people; he dared to claim that the Earth revolves around the Sun, in a time when the popular opinion was that the Sun (supposedly) revolved around the Earth.
So I