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 Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 6:38 am
This is a very avoided topic within Christianity. When I say spiritual masturbation, I'm talking about sermons or liturgy that is geared toward instilling feelings of unjustified superiority and stifling inward reflection. One of the earliest forms of this was "Hellfire" sermons. Believe it or not but these were basically entertainment for medieval Christians, they really served no purpose other than to ridicule those that the pastor/priest and community didn't like.
This is my take on it. Now there is a time and place for everything of course and sometimes you need to just get some release but let us not confuse this for the real deal that involves being active, communicating, fresh, and compassionate.
Discuss.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:19 am
I agree with the meat of what you're saying. I'm not sure the metaphor is sound though. A huge part of this phenomenon, it seems to me, is how public a spectacle it is.
Head flooding with snippets of gospel about "when you pray, go into the closet" and "be not like the hypocrites" who blather and carry on.
But to my mind there is far too often a tendency for groups in the name of Christianity to exclude. It's hard to imgine a more vain way in which to take the Lord's name. If I had to make a top-five list of Jesus message, one of them would be "inclusion".
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:39 am
Fiona Pond I agree with the meat of what you're saying. I'm not sure the metaphor is sound though. A huge part of this phenomenon, it seems to me, is how public a spectacle it is. Head flooding with snippets of gospel about "when you pray, go into the closet" and "be not like the hypocrites" who blather and carry on. But to my mind there is far too often a tendency for groups in the name of Christianity to exclude. It's hard to imgine a more vain way in which to take the Lord's name. If I had to make a top-five list of Jesus message, one of them would be "inclusion". I used masturbation because I do believe in relationship building with Christ and spiritual experiences. Such tactics that make up the meat of this topic do not include Christ so is essentially a "one-man show" hence why I describe it as masturbation.
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:20 am
I'm just going to put this out there for you to see the word "masturbation". I'am in no way trying to say this in a bad way or putting anyone down. My proof below ( Please if you think its something else or please give proof thank you mrgreen ). I just see that the word "Masturbation" means : mas·tur·ba·tion [mas-ter-bey-shuhn] Show IPA noun 1. the stimulation or manipulation of one's own genitals, especially to orgasm; sexual self-gratification. 2. the stimulation, by manual or other means exclusive of coitus, of another's genitals, especially to orgasm. Website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/masturbation------------------------------------------------------------------------ mas·tur·ba·tion (mstr-bshn) n. Excitation of one's own or another's genital organs, usually to orgasm, by manual contact or means other than sexual intercourse. Website : http://www.thefreedictionary.com/masturbation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Masturbation Sexuoerotic genital self-stimulation by pressure or touch, self-stimulation, usually though not necessarily climaxing in orgasm [from Latin, manus, hand + st parare, to deflower, ravish, fornicate, or to engage in adultery, incest, or rape]. From its Latin derivation, the literal meaning of masturbation is to use the genitalia to ravish or rape the hand. etymologically, hand-rape, the manual practice of erotic self-stimulation, formerly stigmatized as a crime against nature. Today it is considered normal and healthy and is not limited to either the hands or the self. It includes digital stimulation of the genitalia of a partner as well as of oneself.
Website: http://www.healthdictionary.info/Masturbation.htm
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 5:30 am
Wow... stare ...
Even here, people are trying to avoid the real topic by getting distracted by the wording used in the topic...
So, in attempt to re-rail...
Part of the reason I don't stomach much of actual church services anymore is BECAUSE of the amount of self gratification congregations seem to partake of...
Growing up, the church that we went to for the majority of my childhood always had to include that it was THE ONLY denomination that had the correct doctrine. I couldn't believe that even back then...
...and then, of course, visiting other churches, whose message was eternal damnation to all who didn't cry at the site of a frickin' crucifix... It's all your fault that Jesus died, and if you don't repent, you might as well have been the one to nail Him to the tree! ... Not a real great way to convince me of God's unbounded Love...
... AND THEN... There is that whole phase that seems to be popular now... THE PROSPERITY Teaching... God wants REAL Christians to be rich, because then they can prosper the Kingdom more than they could if they were poor... WTF! scream ... What happened to Jesus saying how hard it is for the rich to get to Heaven, or the blessings of the poor who strive to give despite their situation...
... and I recently saw a billboard for a church that literally said, "Come and see what we are doing! Be a part of a Church that REALLY cares!"... and later that same week, I got a general post mailer that went out to everyone on our mail route, and probably everyone in a 100 mile radius from the church, TBH. It pretty much listed all of the good things the church does for the community... allot of it was just beautification projects... All I could think was that those projects probably happened around the member's homes, you know, to raise their property values... xp
Now I don't have issues against church in general, and I don't have anything against churches sharing what's going on with them, otherwise, how would they get the word out to the groups they want to minister to... But the ego strokes for the sake of the congregation irk me to no end... and I just don't have patience for it anymore.
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 7:55 am
Thank you Elta, and nice word choice. I'm going to steal that and add it the title.
But yeah spiritual self-gratification. Now I'm not demonizing it completely because of course these things are useful in the proper time and place but when its the entire basis of one's spirituality, how does that promote inward reflection? What kind of relationship with Christ are you fostering when it's all about promoting your superiority and why you are better than others? "Missing the mark" isn't just about being off target, it's also about aiming at the wrong target all together.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 8:59 pm
rmcdra One of the earliest forms of this was "Hellfire" sermons. Believe it or not but these were basically entertainment for medieval Christians, they really served no purpose other than to ridicule those that the pastor/priest and community didn't like. Oh, I can believe it. The medieval era was not a very kind one to the heathen.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 5:43 pm
momoko_miki044 I'm just going to put this out there for you to see the word "masturbation". I'am in no way trying to say this in a bad way or putting anyone down. My proof below ( Please if you think its something else or please give proof thank you mrgreen ). I just see that the word "Masturbation" means : mas·tur·ba·tion [mas-ter-bey-shuhn] Show IPA noun 1. the stimulation or manipulation of one's own genitals, especially to orgasm; sexual self-gratification. 2. the stimulation, by manual or other means exclusive of coitus, of another's genitals, especially to orgasm. Website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/masturbation ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mas·tur·ba·tion (mstr-bshn) n. Excitation of one's own or another's genital organs, usually to orgasm, by manual contact or means other than sexual intercourse. Website : http://www.thefreedictionary.com/masturbation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Masturbation Sexuoerotic genital self-stimulation by pressure or touch, self-stimulation, usually though not necessarily climaxing in orgasm [from Latin, manus, hand + st parare, to deflower, ravish, fornicate, or to engage in adultery, incest, or rape]. From its Latin derivation, the literal meaning of masturbation is to use the genitalia to ravish or rape the hand. etymologically, hand-rape, the manual practice of erotic self-stimulation, formerly stigmatized as a crime against nature. Today it is considered normal and healthy and is not limited to either the hands or the self. It includes digital stimulation of the genitalia of a partner as well as of oneself.
Website: http://www.healthdictionary.info/Masturbation.htmNot that appeals to popularity are all that great, but mental and spiritual masturbation have become known as stroking ones own ego for self gratification. Also known as wanting to be a super uber special ******** snowflake when they really are just throwing around s**t and hoping everyone thinks its chocolate pudding. So, there is that.
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