Why do people refer to Onan?

Question

My friends Catholic so of course to them masturbation is sin to them. I don't go to churchs and stuff but I still try to follow the whole was sin and not in the bible.

I asked where in the bible it says its a sin, and of course I had to hear about Onan(again)

does anyone ever take a few seconds to think, maybe he was smited because he was suppose to give seed to his Brother wife but instead he had sex with her and spilled the seed on the floor refusing to do what he was suppose to.

having sex with your brothers wife and refusing to get her preganate like your suppose to and masturbation to me seem like 2 complete different things.

umm his name was onan right

True but again, some people use this saying its masturbation thats sinful and some say Birthcontrol sinful.

Personally from my point of veiw it seems like basically he accepted a duty and then refused to do it.

I mean sure you got public humilated but you didn't have to give your brothers wife a child that was just one of those things.

But he refused it yet still had sex with her. I mean I just can't see 80% of the world going to hell or anything because they gave themself pleasure

Actually that verse is completely debateable because my version says Mat 5:28 But I say to you, Everyone looking at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

and 2 others say that too.

still if you think about it even if it says those who think about lusting with a girl or whatever the one you posted said.

You've already commited the sin for thinking it and its already been commited in your heart so wahts masturbation going to do? your already commited the sin.

Answer 1

The story of Tamar and Onan is quite often used as an argument against masturbation. However, the context makes it clear that God smote Onan, not for masturbation, but for disobeying his father's command. Onan knew that the son would bear the name of his dead brother as exemplified in Duet. 25:6. So he disobeyed and refused to impregnate Tamar. For his wickedness, God also smote him.

Now, regarding masturbation. Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus introduces a whole new paradigm for sin, sin of the heart. If we hate a brother in our heart, it's the same as murder. Likewise, through masturbation, we are expressing the lust in our heart. So while we're not physically commiting adultery, we're still guilty of the sin.

Answer 2

Choose your reason....the story either describes a sex-obsessed God with designs on ensuring a race-based bloodline instead of concern for an entire planet. Or it describes a God who counts where each sperm goes. Either way, it's an extremely unpleasant and dehumanizing story. Sometimes you just don't want to have kids.