Is It Sinful?

[Guest weakandwoundedsinner]

Is it a sin for me to fondle my own breasts? If it is, why is it sinful? They are not for sexual reproduction.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='weakandwoundedsinner' post='1454610' date='Feb 2 2008, 04:58 PM']Is it a sin for me to fondle my own breasts? If it is, why is it sinful? They are not for sexual reproduction.[/quote]
Fondling one's breasts for non-sexual reasons is not at all immoral. If the purpose of this act were to elicit sexual arousal, perhaps accompanied by sexual fantasies, this would be a form of auto-eroticism. In general behavior that is intended to stimulate sexual arousal in oneself is masturbatory. The question to ask of a particular case would be whether the purpose of this behavior is to elicit arousal. Some signs of masturbatory behavior might be: 1. the behavior is accompanied by impure thoughts; 2. the behavior often leads to other things such as genital stimulation; 3. the intentional and persistent fondling produces sexual pleasure or climax.

Breasts are not "off limits" or "dirty" and one may simply fondle one's breasts as a kind of habit similar to how one might rest their hands between their thighs when relaxing or play with their belly fat when restless (something I've been known to do myself). Being soothed or relaxed by fondling your breasts is not necessarily the same thing as encouraging or eliciting sexual pleasure (although it could potentially be an inordinate habit). The way human psychology and physiology is wired the stimulation of the breasts can lead to a release of hormones associated with pleasure or a positive, soothed psychological state in general and this need not be interpreted as masturbatory. Perhaps it could be compared to thumb sucking or nail biting. I would suggest that it is not something to be morally scrupulous about if it is merely a pacifying habit and not actually connected to lustful or masturbatory intentions.

If this behavior were connected with any signs (such as those offered above) of masturbatory or lustful tendencies or vices I would be inclined to reference the follow paragraph from the Catechism:

"[i]The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.
To form an equitable judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability[/i]."

The purpose of this forum is to indicate what the Church teaches. As far as the deeply personal and individual implications of your question are concerned I must say that Church teaching does not speak to the full range of related psychological and emotional factors. The basic answer is that yes, such behavior could potentially be masturbatory and sinful, but there is of course nothing inherently sinful or masturbatory about touching one’s breasts for non-sexual reasons.

[Guest]

Welcome to Phatmass, lisa frye.  

Gee, this is indeed a very old thread resuscitated!  Have you thought about speaking to a priest about your question - I had a look at your profile and you are Catholic.  Also, I noticed that Laudate Dominum back in 2008 gave a detailed answer which might address your concerns?

On 2/4/2008 at 1:38 AM, Laudate_Dominum said:

The basic answer is that yes, such behavior could potentially be masturbatory and sinful, but there is of course nothing inherently sinful or masturbatory about touching one’s breasts for non-sexual reasons.

 

I am sure other members here on Phatmass would be more help than me.

[Lilllabettt]

7 hours ago, lisa frye said:

if i record on film shimmering my breast to see if it looks good to a man in a possible future marriage and i like the way it looks and get sexually aroused is that a sin. i do not master-bate because if it. 

If you deliberately stimulate arousal yes, that is a sin. As an unmarried person you have no "right" to sexual arousal or pleasure. Of course it is natural to experience sexual arousal and a large part of maturation as a single person is learning to respond properly when it occurs spontaneously.  However, deliberately stimulating it, as an unmarried person, would be a sin. 

[Ash Wednesday]

I'll add that your future husband will let you know what he loves, so there's really no need to do any tests on yourself to know what he would like. You may end up marrying a "butt" man and it won't matter, so best save it for then. 

[Peace]

5 hours ago, Lilllabettt said:

If you deliberately stimulate arousal yes, that is a sin. As an unmarried person you have no "right" to sexual arousal or pleasure. Of course it is natural to experience sexual arousal and a large part of maturation as a single person is learning to respond properly when it occurs spontaneously.  However, deliberately stimulating it, as an unmarried person, would be a sin. 

Darn. I'm guessing that rules out strip clubs too.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Peace

[SL-MOTBTATR]

I need help understanding in this context of what Laudate_Dominum explained: what exactly is the difference between sexual arousal and the "pleasure or positive psychological state in general" that occurs? Is sexual arousal only just the feelings of genital stimulation? Is it "okay" to feel a pleasure only related to the breasts area from fondling, when the intention is not to have anything to do with genital stimulation? Like when fondling the breasts causes the breasts to feel a pleasure but it is unrelated to any kind of intentional genital stimulation, is this the "okay" pleasure that is being discussed?

Edited July 13 by SL-MOTBTATR