AS many Nigerians had predicted, Nigerian Pastors have begun lambasting Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy over his comment that masturbation is not a sin against God but a mere habit that God is not angry about.
Since the controversial Chris Oyakhilome recently made the comments on masturbation, angry reactions have been pouring in from Christendom over what they called heresy, being preached by the pastor, which negates the words of God.
Pastor Chris was answering a question about how to overcome masturbation. He replied that:
“The reason you are thinking of stopping it (masturbation) is because you think it has become a habit for you… masturbation is not more than a habit than any other habit.
“So once you make up your mind that you want to break a particular habit, you just do it, you make up your mind… in fact the best way to break a habit is to replace it with another habit.
“There is one thing I would like to bring to your mind that may be of help to you because the reason you are thinking of stopping this is because of what you think it is.”
He further added that:
“No matter how wrong you think this is in your mind, get this straight, in itself, it is not a sin against God,”
He said that as a result of this belief that it is a sin, Satan used it to oppress people of God “making them feel ineffective and inefficient in the things of God.”
Reacting to Oyakhilome’s comment, the Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Ola Makinde said there was only one way of having sex permitted by God in the Bible, which is only through marriage.
“There is only one way of having sex in the Bible which is natural. Masturbation is unnatural and unethical. Whatever is unnatural and unethical is abomination. I leave him to his own opinion,” he said.
According to Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly, every believer must be able to subject his body to control because it could lead to something else.
Popular Evangelist, Pastor Akin Fasawe said Masturbation is a sin as stipulated in the Bible, saying that death was even recommended in the Bible for those who practiced such things.
“Masturbation is a sin because when you masturbate, you will release. If the minister of God said masturbation is not a sin, he can easily tell his church that fornication is not a sin. The Bible recommends death in the Old Testament,” he stated.
According to Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Church, it is stated clearly in the Bible that masturbation is a sin against God.
“That is his own view. Where did he see it in the Bible that masturbation is not a sin? Maybe he has his own Bible. It is a bad thing. Maybe it is in his Bible,” he laughed.
Pastor Akin Akande of the Men of Purpose Ministry stated that masturbation is a sin.
“It is like abusing the gift of God. It is heresy. The Bible says it is a sin to derive pleasure outside the content of marriage,” he added.
Pastor Leke Akinola of the Upper Room Baptist, said self-induced masturbation is a sin against God and that it is heresy for any minister of God to say it is not a sin.
According to Rev. Sam Ogedengbe, “masturbation is a sin and it is unbiblical. It is demonic and anyone engaging in it should know that it has spiritual connection.”
Reacting to the issue, majority of InformationNigeria readers indicated that they did not support Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s view on masturbation through their comments on an earlier article on the Oyakihilome’s statements. www.informationnigeria.org
Comments
Is it a sin to have sex with your wife?
Is it a sin for your wife to stroke your penis during the sexual act? And if she isn't available (away, heavily pregnant, very ill or dead), is it sin to stroke it yourself while imagining her?
Now is it a sin for someone who is diabetic or at diabetic risk (by virtue of family history) to take soft drinks, cakes, sweets, chocolate (which may worsen diabetes and destroy his body organs)? What about someone with heart disease who can' t do without fried foods? Or someone with hypertension who can't do without coffee? There is no difference between these and smoking or drinking in excess, or taking hard drugs (which no one knew could be harmful, unil recent medical knowledge advances. All these things stimulate the pleasure areas of the brain, and that is what an enjoyable habit does - stimulate brain pleasure centres. They may be harmful to the body if excessive.
Read the following passage from 1 Cor 7: 2 - 9 and see that God's answer to sexual desire is marriage, not masturbation.
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