• LOGIC💣@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Does the Bible mention masturbation?

    I am not a Bible expert, but every time I’ve heard people talk about it, they reference an Old Testament story where a man’s close female relative (I think his brother’s widow or something like that?) tries to seduce him after her husband dies, but then he lets his seed spill to the ground instead of impregnating her, and this displeases God.

    The story is obviously about him not fulfilling his familial duties, but modern Christians pretend it’s about making sure you only ejaculate when there’s a chance of reproducing.

    • andros_rex@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Onan is supposed to impregnate Tamar, the widow of his brother. The ancient Hebrews practiced levirate marriage, where if a woman’s husband died before giving her a son, her brother in law was supposed to impregnate her so that she could have some claim to inheritance/not be left destitute.

      Onan didn’t want to impregnate her, because he didn’t want to share the inheritance. So he pulled out and was killed for being a shitty person. Trying to get the O but not the responsibility. Absolutely nothing to do with masturbation.

      Later, Tamar is supposed to marry the last brother, but Judah, her father-in-law is freaked out about giving her his last son, worried that he is going to end up getting killed somehow too. So he tells Tamar to go back home and wait. Tamar eventually gets sick of this, dresses up as a prostitute and gets Judah to impregnate her.

      • nocturne@slrpnk.net
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        2 days ago

        Let the heathen spill theirs
        On the dusty ground
        God shall make them pay for
        Each sperm that can’t be found

          • SabinStargem@lemmy.today
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            2 days ago
            I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
            There they are, all standing in a row
            Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head
            Give them a twist a flick of the wrist
            That's what the showman said
            
    • lennybird@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      That tracks after I got caught with a stash of sears catalog rip-outs and my catholic mom guilt-tripped me lol.

      Neither of us are religious now so it’s kind of funny on hindsight at least.