The Vortex: Talking About...the "M" Word

The Vortex (see the video below) touches on a sensitive subject this week…and even Michael Voris, well-known for NOT pulling any punches, introduced the topic this way:

Before we begin, a word of caution: While we are obviously going to try and treat this subject as respectfully as possible, by its very nature, it might be construed by some as indelicate.  It is however, part of Church teaching but almost never spoken of publically.

Many parents are very reluctant to approach this subject with their teenage children due to extreme awkwardness or a feeling of embarrassment for themselves and their children.

The topic is masturbation. 

Michael also notes that

It’s kind of weird that it took a political war over Obama demanding the funding of contraception by the Church to open up the discussion about sexual morality and the Church’s teaching.

Indeed. And it’s a discussion long overdue. I think the reason it’s been swept under the rug for so long is that it exposes the deep division in the Church on sexual issues. In a culture that seems to be going off the deep end with regard to moral relativism, many Catholics have bought the party line that “it’s not for me to tell others how to live their [sexual] lives”, and many others are living a sexual lifestyle they know their Church says is wrong.

In this Vortex we hear:

The Church teaches that masturbation is grievously wrong, a gravely disordered act. Why?

First of all, it demonstrates a loss of respect for the sanctity of the sexual gift.  Sex, by its very nature is meant to be an act of intimacy between two persons: a mutual exchange of full giving and love, a physical demonstration of the complementarity between the sexes.

Masturbation neglects all this.  It turns the person inward on himself; it produces a fantasy life in the mind of the person which can serve to increasingly detach him from reality and produce a fertile victim for pornography as well as keeping sexual thoughts ever active in the mind.

But “society” does not agree, of course. Michael continues:

Masturbation is virtually celebrated in the entertainment media as something only slightly embarrassing and mostly humorous. This aids in it being downplayed as a sin.  Many young Catholic today are not even aware that masturbation is a sin and a serious one at that.

Not even aware that masturbation is sinful. The same is probably true for use of contraception: no doubt it was big news to some contracepting Catholics when the furor over the HHS contraception mandate made it clear that the Church teaches that contraception is wrong.

But, getting back to consideration of the cultural forces that lead us to believe that masturbation is “okay”, Michael Voris notes:

There is of course the popular culture response that masturbation is normal…everyone does it…so what’s the big deal. 

But evil forces will do all in their power to make people – especially young people – believe that what is “normal” must be right, and whatever feels good, is good. Planned Parenthood, for example – gee, why am I not surprised?! – actively promotes masturbation, stating that it is a “common and safe kind of sex play”, that it has “health benefits”, and that “many harmful myths” about masturbation “can cause guilt, shame, and fear.” Planned Parenthood tells us, “Let’s get the facts straight. Masturbation is a natural and common activity for both women and men.”

But the point is made in The Vortex that:

Many things can be considered as normal and still be wrong.

The Church often understands the word NORMAL in the context of normal or usual for human beings weakened by the material effects of original sin.

It is for example, NORMAL for people to get sick, lose their tempers, lie, cheat, gossip, yet none of these should be thought of as good.

For some people arriving late to work or leaving early is quite normal, but ask their boss or colleagues if such NORMAL behavior is good and you will undoubtedly receive a very unambiguous response.

And there’s a dire warning embedded in this episode of the Vortex – one that should be heeded:

There can be little doubt that, given the temptations so numerous in the world today, this particular sin should be viewed as the beginning of the collapse of Catholic morality.

…[F]or young Catholics, THIS sin is usually the first difficult challenge to their own personal morality.  To fail to conquer this area of their lives can easily set the stage for even greater moral failings farther down the road.

It’s not easy to speak the truth, but charity requires that we do so.  Ezekiel warns us:

You, son of man—I have appointed you as a sentinel for the house of Israel; when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me. When I say to the wicked, “You wicked, you must die,” and you do not speak up to warn the wicked about their ways, they shall die in their sins, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. If, however, you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, but they do not, then they shall die in their sins, but you shall save your life. (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

One way to speak up and inform people about the sin of masturbation is to pass this video on to others. As Michael Voris notes:

…we hope that the somewhat anonymous nature of the internet might be the PERFECT setting for some people to hear a serious moral discussion of this and incorporate it into their own lives.

Please watch the entire Vortex episode and pass it on: