Is Masturbation A Sin? Pastor Chris Vs. The Church Of Pentecost Leaders.

Followers of the Christian faith and persons who use their hands to stimulate their genitals for sexual pleasure, in an act known as masturbation, have been left confused as two leading pastors express divided opinions on whether or not masturbation is a sin.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, an internationally acclaimed Christian leader and head of the Christ Embassy Church, is insisting that masturbation is not a sin and has absolutely nothing to do with God so persons involved should stop seeing the act as a sin.

The position taken by Pastor Chris has however been challenged by Apostle Alfred Kodua, General Secretary of the Church of Pentecost, who is also insisting that masturbation is a sinful  act that is greatly forbidden by God in both the Old and New testaments of the bible.

NEWS-ONE, in its Wednesday edition, quoted Pastor Chris to have okayed masturbation when during his ‘Pastor Chris Live TV Show’, a certain Kweku from Ghana called into the programme to ask how to overcome the habit of masturbation.

In response to Kweku’s question, Pastor Chris explained:

“The reason you want to stop this is because of what you think it is. If you were in the habit of playing football, you probably would not ask us ‘how can I stop playing football?’

But because you think there is something wrong with this, that is where your problem is coming from. But no matter how wrong it is in your mind, get this straight- (masturbation) in itself it is not a sin against God.

There are many Christians who think it is a sin against God and Satan uses this against them, oppressing their minds and making them feel ineffective and inefficient in the things of God.

“But when you get to understand that it has nothing to do with God and that it is all about you and your own body, then Satan loses his power to use it to accuse you.

So if you don’t like it, stop it but God has got nothing to do with it. It is your own body; masturbation is about you and your body and God is not offended by it.

He is only offended by any habit that takes a hold of your mind and if this takes a hold of your mind and dominates you then, God is offended by the fact that it takes a hold of your mind,” Pastor Chris added.

But Apostle Alfred Kodua, commenting on what Pastor Chris said, told Peace FM on Thursday that masturbation is a sin against the body, which according to the Bible, is the ‘Temple of God’.

Apostle Kodua explained further that persons who indulge in masturbation often fantasise about having sex and according to him, any Christian who  thinks lustfully about someone is guilty of the ‘sin of the flesh’, therefore persons who masturbate are having sinful sex in their minds.

The  chief scribe of the Pentecost Church said his church was ready to pray for and counsel persons addicted to masturbation because it is a sinful  act which can result in negative results including divorce, rape and the an uncontrollable sexual drive.

Masturbation has remained a rather sensitive topic with a divided opinion on whether it is good or bad. Generally, most Christians and Muslims consider masturbation to be a sacrilege and therefore frown on it.

Statistics say masturbation is mostly common among teenagers and though around 90% of the total male population and 65% of the total female population have tried masturbation, most people do not admit it.

So now the question is, In your own mind, is Masturbation a sin or not? Leave your thoughts.

Source : News1Ghana.