January 2014 Book Discussion Club on Masturbation and Theology
Author : Miss Ho Ka Ming, theology student, "
Guest Respondent: Dr. Ho Sik Ying
The discussion was described as untamed, outburst and the impact of it could be qualified even as a campaign, reported Ka Ming, the author. Guest respondent Sik Ying rendered it as an “historical moment,” since no women would talk about her first-handed experience on masturbation in public, and to her surprise that masturbation could be related to spirituality. She suddenly realized that this perspective can be employed to talk about theology. “If this is so, then THIS God is quite OK to me,” Sik Ying was glad to learn this.
Ka Ming has learned masturbation by herself since she was young and that makes her relaxed. She no longer feels being judged by doing it. She even feels that it is a way of being in fellowship with herself. On masturbation, she can feel that God is watching her, but she does not have any sense of guilty. Since this is she-a holitistic woman that God created her with a need to fulfil her sexual desire, however, in the eyes of people especially those people in the church, she understands that masturbation is still a taboo and quite naturally, she feels shameful in front of them. “Why are people such hypocrites? They do masturbate, have this need, but they pretend that it does not exist,” Ka Ming protested. This is the very reason which motivates her to write a paper on masturbation.
Ka Ming admitted that with the help of masturbation, she could release all her pressure, and she could write freely and collate her thoughts, draw inspiration from it during thesis writing. Sik Ying even extended her point in regard to orgasm, masturbation helps her to attain state of oblivious of oneself or ecstasy. Make-ups or any other embellishment are not necessary when “I” am back to the primitive state of being. That is back to the vulnerable-little-girl mode. Then, what is the relationship between masturbation and spirituality? One shall ask, firstly, what is spirituality?
Why soul inspiration caused by body reactions (e.g. little inspiration elicited by masturbation, body flutter or heart throbbing caused by touching ears of skin or other parts of the body) could not be taken as spiritual or inspired by the Holy Spirit?
The answer is negative according to Ka Ming. Henceforth, body and soul is not antagonistic but rather complimentary to each other. Sik Ying even suggested that both would be elevated to another level, i.e. people can rely on a touch on the body back to the natural state in sexuality, touch and embrace the humanity, through this, we could understand how do God relate to human. In Sik Ying’s out of the box thinking, she advises that this is already a social movement!
Author Ka Ming challenged the male audience saying: women in masturbation could connote spiritual and queer interpretations while she was writing her article, has male on masturbation necessarily confined to the homogenous experience? A reader Mr. Ho expressed that man “walks behind” in this aspect, only focus on a single sensitive point, caught up in and suppressed by anxiety: “man has the duty to satisfy woman.” Apart from this unrealistic or depressing task on bed, even some women are willing to touch the body of man, man could be hindered by traditional sex role and not dare “to be touched.”
On the book discussion club, someone commented that it is of dim hope to change the stance of the church on sexuality, but some play undercover. It is believed that underground revolution is undergoing. Dr. Rose Wu, consultant of Queer Theology Academy, concluded that this kind of subversive education is very important. She explained that theology could not be done away with humanity.
She added that we are to find out the unlimited potential of humanity which is the humanity of unpackaged primitive being revealed during masturbation or having sex with the other. It is liberation. It is attractive and risky, since the church and the society resort to suppression as a means of control. We live under the tension between controlling and liberating. What is significant is to be loyal to ourselves, to seek the “I” honestly. We will realize that God seeks us prior to this “I”-search action.