# Catholics and Female Masturbation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134 "2006-08-10T08:34:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/21 "2006-08-11T09:36:44Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] That’s just crazy on a number of levels. [/QUOTE] Including the “whoosh” level. “Marky de Sade”? C’mon, wake up! ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/22 "2006-08-11T12:27:10Z")
## [QUOTE=astro] I’m not sure I do either. The devil wants butt sex? [/QUOTE] The devil invented butt sex. One more thing we have to thank him for. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/23 "2006-08-11T13:00:48Z")
## [QUOTE=astro] I’m not sure I do either. The devil wants butt sex? [/QUOTE] No, the Devil wants Evelyn to hump the mattress. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/24 "2006-08-11T13:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Including the “whoosh” level. “Marky de Sade”? C’mon, wake up! [/QUOTE] I caught that, but given the reminiscences of Catholic school others have posted, take a Sr. Mark and it seemed like only a slight exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/25 "2006-08-11T14:54:50Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] In my Catholic school experience, the Ten Commandments were presented in a somewhat different form. Instead of “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife,” which in Catholic terms (like 40 years ago!) was “Thou shall not commit adultery,” became for grade-schoolers, “Thou shall not be impure.” [/QUOTE] You’ve got your commandments confused. You’re mixing up the sixth commandment with the tenth. I had grade school Catholic sex ed in the late 70s. The filmstrip mentioned masturbation, saying it wasn’t sinful, just childish. The techer stopped the film and pointed out that it in fact sinful, in addition to being childish, and that the school had borrowed the filmstrip from some Protestants. In high school, I was taught that boys mastubating spilled seed, which was a sin, but the whole topic of female masturbation was left ambiguous. The Jesuits had a tendency to read every edict from the church in the narrowest possible way. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/26 "2006-08-11T15:02:47Z")
> [@](#): > > You’ve got your commandments confused. You’re mixing up the sixth commandment with the tenth. You scanned too fast, or something. **freckafree** never said that was the Tenth commandment – only talked about the Ten Commandments. In my 1960s Cathoklic upbringing they certainlyu never mentioned masturbation. All sex talk was, as **freckafree** notes, by circumlocution. We were told that the Feast of the Circumcision celebrated Christ’s “being offered up to God”. Nary a word about lopping off foreskins. Confused me mightily as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/27 "2006-08-11T15:03:27Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] Speaking as a 45 year old Catholic who went through 13 years of Catholic education, I have to say… I NEVER once heard the subject of masturbation brought up by any priest, nun or lay teacher I ever had. The subject was never once broached in church or in any class. So, even if the Church has a moral problem with it, nobody’s taken much trouble to spell that out in a loooong time. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I don’t really think the church has an official stace on it or has even been asked to take a stance on it. It’s not like the Catholic church has a big database of every topic that it checks off as “for” or “against”. (Hmmm, hot fudge sundaes. Is the church for or against?) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/28 "2006-08-11T15:22:04Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] You scanned too fast, or something. **freckafree** never said that was the Tenth commandment – only talked about the Ten Commandments. [/QUOTE] Doesn’t matter. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is a commandment in its own right, and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s \” is another. **freckafree** conflated the two. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/29 "2006-08-11T15:39:05Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Doesn’t matter. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is a commandment in its own right, and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s \” is another. **freckafree** conflated the two. [/QUOTE] We had an old religion textbook in our room. It’s Ten Commandments ended with “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s ox and ass,” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” Which only raises the question “what if you covet your neighbor’s wife’s…” Turns out in Catholic School, you’re not allowed to finish that question. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/30 "2006-08-11T15:46:17Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] We had an old religion textbook in our room. It’s Ten Commandments ended with “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s ox and ass,” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” Which only raises the question “what if you covet your neighbor’s wife’s…” Turns out in Catholic School, you’re not allowed to finish that question. [/QUOTE] 😃 I shamefacedly admitted to that very vice in a discussion about gay marriage. Didn’t stop me being yelled at for a homophobe though. Ah well. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/31 "2006-08-11T16:30:32Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Yeah, I don’t really think the church has an official stace on it or has even been asked to take a stance on it. It’s not like the Catholic church has a big database of every topic that it checks off as “for” or “against”. (Hmmm, hot fudge sundaes. Is the church for or against?) [/QUOTE] So if a guy goes to confession and tells the priest that he fucked a monkey, does the priest have to call the Vatican to figure out how many "Hail Mary"s the guy’s suppposed to say? It’s looking like that the church doesn’t necessarily have a formal stance on the matter, hmmm. For some reason I now can’t shake this image of a Catholic school girl in her skirt wearing a T-shirt that says, “Eat me, I’m Catholic!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/32 "2006-08-11T16:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Yeah, I don’t really think the church has an official stace on it or has even been asked to take a stance on it. [/QUOTE] If you’re still talking masturbation here, it’s spelled out in the Catechism as linked by **thelurkinghorror**. And they’d be for hot fudge sundaes, but only in moderation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/33 "2006-08-11T19:07:01Z")
## [QUOTE=astro] I’m not sure I do either. The devil wants butt sex? [/QUOTE] No, silly! It would be a simple thing for a girl to play with herself _without being observed_ if she were lying face down under the covers. Lying on her back with her hands on top of the covers makes it more difficult to play with herself _without being observed_. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/34 "2006-08-11T19:13:27Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] No, silly! It would be a simple thing for a girl to play with herself _without being observed_ if she were lying face down under the covers. Lying on her back with her hands on top of the covers makes it more difficult to play with herself _without being observed_. [/QUOTE] Let’s be direct, shall we? If she’s laying on her face, she probably doesn’t even need her hands. As \*\*Malacandra \*\*implies. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/35 "2006-08-13T06:39:43Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] It’s because he refused to lie with his brother’s wife after he was dead, as was the law. Waitaminnit – How could he refuse to lie with his brother’s wife AFTER he was dead? And what would be the point? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/36 "2006-08-13T06:58:56Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] You’ve got your commandments confused. You’re mixing up the sixth commandment with the tenth. [/QUOTE] While there may be some confusion going on, it is not a matter of confusing the tenth and sixth commandments. There are three general systems for numbering the Commandments (since they are not actually numbered in Exodus or Deuteronomy). The different systems (and who uses them) are, basically: \*\*Modern Orthodox Churches Reformed Protestant Churches - Philo of Alexandria, Jewish philosopher (10 BCE - 50 CE) - (Flavius) Josephus, Jewish historian (fl. 1st Century CE) - Greek Fathers of the Christian Church\*\* 1. Prohibit false gods 2. Prohibit images 3. Prohibit vain use of Divine name 4. Honor Sabbath 5. Honor parents 6. Prohibit murder 7. Prohibit adultery 8. Prohibit theft 9. Prohibit bearing false witness **10. Prohibit covetousness** \*\*Modern Catholic Church Evangelical/Lutheran Protestant Churches - Clement of Alexandria, Christian theologian (ca 150 – 215?) - Origen, Christian theologian (ca. 185 - 254) - Augustine of Hippo, Christian theologian (354 - 430)\*\* 1. Prohibit false gods and images 2. Prohibit vain use of Divine name 3. Honor Sabbath 4. Honor Sabbath 5. Honor parents 6. Prohibit murder 7. Prohibit adultery 8. Prohibit theft 9. Prohibit bearing false witness **09. Prohibit coveting neighbor’s wife** 10. Prohibit coveting neighbor’s goods **Modern Judaism** 1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” 2. Prohibit false or foreign gods and images 3. Prohibit vain use of Divine name 4. Honor Sabbath 5. Honor parents 6. Prohibit murder 7. Prohibit adultery 8. Prohibit theft 9. Prohibit bearing false witness **10. Prohibit covetousness** ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/37 "2006-08-13T07:30:47Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] 1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” [/QUOTE] How is that a commandment? It’s a declarative statement. I remember as a child hearing the bowdlerized version of the anti-adultery commandment, to be “pure,” but the meaning was left in total vagueness, never explained in concrete terms. I never had the foggiest idea what it was supposed to mean. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/38 "2006-08-13T10:11:16Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] Waitaminnit – How could he refuse to lie with his brother’s wife AFTER he was dead? And what would be the point? [/QUOTE] After the _brother_ was dead. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/39 "2006-08-13T10:22:56Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] How is that a commandment? It’s a declarative statement. [/QUOTE] So are _you_ going to tell God that His grammar’s wrong? I’m _not_ cause He seems to have a rather nasty habit of smacking down people who disagree with Him (then again, He seems to do that to people who _agree_ with Him as well, after all, He had His own son nailed to a tree to teach _us_ a lesson). ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134/40 "2006-08-13T12:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] How is that a commandment? It’s a declarative statement. I remember as a child hearing the bowdlerized version of the anti-adultery commandment, to be “pure,” but the meaning was left in total vagueness, never explained in concrete terms. I never had the foggiest idea what it was supposed to mean. [/QUOTE] I’ve never heard the bowdlerlzed version, ever, until today. I do remember having a lesson in Sunday School that was centered on circumcision and the teacher refused to tell us what circumcision was. I never understood the point of teaching a lesson about something you couldn’t talk about. I recently taught a lesson that included the commandment against adultery and I defined it for 4th through 6th grade students as “sex with someone other than your husband or wife.” No complaints from the parents, so I guess it was ok. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholics-and-female-masturbation/368134.md?page=3)