summer68
11-25-2004, 07:06 PM
After his older brother Er died Onan was to marry Er's widow Tamar (this was the practice of levirate marriage). According to the Bible, whenever he had sexual intercourse with his brother's wife he spilt
his seed upon the ground (Genesis 38:7-9); the Bible says that he did this because (under the custom of levirate marriage) the child would not be considered his, but his late brother's. In response to this
transgression, God killed Onan.
Ancient Jewish and Christian authors understood the activities of God in this story as a condemnation of masturbation, and this is still the prevalent view in some religious circles. Most modern Biblical
scholars, however, say that Onan's sin was to violate the rules of levirate marriage, the Biblical law which states that a childless widow must marry her late husband's brother. It is now generally agreed that
the passage refers to coitus interruptus rather than masturbation. But the main purpose of these verses, once again, is to denote the punishment for violating the rules of levirate marriage, which was a divine
law, rather than practicing either coitus interruptus or masturbation, which are not known to be condemned by the Holy Scriptures. The purpose of this form of marriage was to prevent a childless widow
from becoming pauperized, due to not having a husband or son to support her and not being able to own property herself; thus Onan's refusal was considered very cruel treatment of his sister-in-law.
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so there is still debate whether it was coitus interuptus, masturbation, or still the denial of sex to his wife ( :p ) that was Bible reffering to.
his seed upon the ground (Genesis 38:7-9); the Bible says that he did this because (under the custom of levirate marriage) the child would not be considered his, but his late brother's. In response to this
transgression, God killed Onan.
Ancient Jewish and Christian authors understood the activities of God in this story as a condemnation of masturbation, and this is still the prevalent view in some religious circles. Most modern Biblical
scholars, however, say that Onan's sin was to violate the rules of levirate marriage, the Biblical law which states that a childless widow must marry her late husband's brother. It is now generally agreed that
the passage refers to coitus interruptus rather than masturbation. But the main purpose of these verses, once again, is to denote the punishment for violating the rules of levirate marriage, which was a divine
law, rather than practicing either coitus interruptus or masturbation, which are not known to be condemned by the Holy Scriptures. The purpose of this form of marriage was to prevent a childless widow
from becoming pauperized, due to not having a husband or son to support her and not being able to own property herself; thus Onan's refusal was considered very cruel treatment of his sister-in-law.
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so there is still debate whether it was coitus interuptus, masturbation, or still the denial of sex to his wife ( :p ) that was Bible reffering to.