Commonly referred to as SDAs or simply “Adventists,” the Seventh-day Adventists provide extremely valuable insights to help you escape the addiction to masturbation and also create a lifestyle that helps reverse its damaging side effects. Their inspiring example can give you hope.
Superior Health = Stronger Willpower
In November 2005 Seventh-Day Adventists gained international attention when they were featured in National Geographic’s magazine special article “The Secrets of Long Life.” Scientific research funded in part by the U.S. National Institute on Aging revealed that Adventists suffer less diseases and live significantly much longer lives than other populations. Here is a quote from the article:
"The Adventist Church...has always preached and practiced a message of health. It expressly forbids smoking, alcohol consumption, and eating biblically unclean foods, such as pork. It also discourages the consumption of other meat, rich foods, caffeinated drinks, and "stimulating" condiments and spices. "Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator," wrote Ellen White, an early figure who helped shape the Adventist Church. Adventists also observe the Sabbath on Saturday, socializing with other church members and enjoying a sanctuary in time that helps relieve stress. Today most Adventists follow the prescribed lifestyle—a testimony, perhaps, to the power of mixing health and religion.
From 1976 to 1988 the National Institutes of Health funded a study of 34,000 California Adventists to see whether their health-oriented lifestyle affected their life expectancy and risk of heart disease and cancer. The study found that the Adventists' habit of consuming beans, soy milk, tomatoes, and other fruits lowered their risk of developing certain cancers. It also suggested that eating whole wheat bread, drinking five glasses of water a day, and, most surprisingly, consuming four servings of nuts a week reduced their risk of heart disease. And it found that not eating red meat had been helpful to avoid both cancer and heart disease.
In the end the study reached a stunning conclusion, says Gary Fraser of Loma Linda University: The average Adventist lived four to ten years longer than the average Californian. That makes the Adventists one of the nation's most convincing cultures of longevity."
Adventists provide all of us with an inspiring example of health. Their superior results testify that they are doing something better than everyone else. This is important because the ability to stop masturbating is dependent on your willpower. Willpower is an exercise of the pre-frontal cortex in the brain and is directly affected by the health of the body. Increasing willpower requires good health and it is so much easier to obtain when you have a group of successful role models like the Adventists. (for further reading: Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister, and Ministry of Healing by Ellen White.)
Superior Health = Stronger Willpower
In November 2005 Seventh-Day Adventists gained international attention when they were featured in National Geographic’s magazine special article “The Secrets of Long Life.” Scientific research funded in part by the U.S. National Institute on Aging revealed that Adventists suffer less diseases and live significantly much longer lives than other populations. Here is a quote from the article:
"The Adventist Church...has always preached and practiced a message of health. It expressly forbids smoking, alcohol consumption, and eating biblically unclean foods, such as pork. It also discourages the consumption of other meat, rich foods, caffeinated drinks, and "stimulating" condiments and spices. "Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator," wrote Ellen White, an early figure who helped shape the Adventist Church. Adventists also observe the Sabbath on Saturday, socializing with other church members and enjoying a sanctuary in time that helps relieve stress. Today most Adventists follow the prescribed lifestyle—a testimony, perhaps, to the power of mixing health and religion.
From 1976 to 1988 the National Institutes of Health funded a study of 34,000 California Adventists to see whether their health-oriented lifestyle affected their life expectancy and risk of heart disease and cancer. The study found that the Adventists' habit of consuming beans, soy milk, tomatoes, and other fruits lowered their risk of developing certain cancers. It also suggested that eating whole wheat bread, drinking five glasses of water a day, and, most surprisingly, consuming four servings of nuts a week reduced their risk of heart disease. And it found that not eating red meat had been helpful to avoid both cancer and heart disease.
In the end the study reached a stunning conclusion, says Gary Fraser of Loma Linda University: The average Adventist lived four to ten years longer than the average Californian. That makes the Adventists one of the nation's most convincing cultures of longevity."
Adventists provide all of us with an inspiring example of health. Their superior results testify that they are doing something better than everyone else. This is important because the ability to stop masturbating is dependent on your willpower. Willpower is an exercise of the pre-frontal cortex in the brain and is directly affected by the health of the body. Increasing willpower requires good health and it is so much easier to obtain when you have a group of successful role models like the Adventists. (for further reading: Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister, and Ministry of Healing by Ellen White.)
|
“Nature is neutral; if you do the same things that other successful people have done, you will inevitably enjoy the same success they have.” – Brian Tracy
|
No-fap rap from way back
Today it is called masturbation. In the 1700s it was called Onania. Back in the 1860s the most well known writer in the Adventist church was using different words for masturbation like “self-abuse”, “secret sin”, “secret vice,” "moral pollution," etc. Although Ellen White never used the word masturbation she did warn of the negative effects that this habit has on physical and mental health. The best way to summarize Ellen White’s stance against masturbation can be found in the following statements:
Today it is called masturbation. In the 1700s it was called Onania. Back in the 1860s the most well known writer in the Adventist church was using different words for masturbation like “self-abuse”, “secret sin”, “secret vice,” "moral pollution," etc. Although Ellen White never used the word masturbation she did warn of the negative effects that this habit has on physical and mental health. The best way to summarize Ellen White’s stance against masturbation can be found in the following statements:
|
“Secret vice is the destroyer of high resolve, earnest endeavor, and strength of will to form a good religious character.” (1864 booklet "An Appeal to Mothers")
“When persons are addicted to the habit of self-abuse, it is impossible to arouse their moral sensibilities to appreciate eternal things or to delight in spiritual exercises. Impure thoughts seize and control the imagination and fascinate the mind, and next follows an almost uncontrollable desire for the performance of impure actions.” (Mind, Character, and Personality, Volume 2, Page 592) |
It can be seen in her writings that Ellen White wanted youth to grow up to be intelligent, healthy, and happy Christians. She may have also written here that during his ministry Jesus healed someone ruined by masturbation.
Although she may have been the first within the Adventist church to so boldly attack this habit, she certainly was not the first to speak against it. Over one hundred years earlier in 1760 the famous Swiss neurologist and physician Tissot published his medical findings of the dangers of masturbation. L'Onanisme was translated to English and can be found here. Later in 1831 the British theologian and scholar Adam Clark blasted masturbation as “one of the most destructive evils ever practiced by fallen man.” Clark's comments on masturbation and a brief listing of the negative side effects can be found in his commentary on Genesis 38:30 here.
Now a growing body of scientific evidence increasingly supports Ellen White and others who held such a high standard of self-control. As cited in this article, published secular medical research associates masturbation with higher rates of depression, worse blood pressure reactivity, impaired sexual function, schizophrenia, and increased prostate cancer. In addition it may be that she understood the possible masturbation-zinc-link 100 years before it was known.
Despite these consequences there is still hope for those who are addicted to this habit. By their example Adventists offer greater confidence in the principles of health and wellness. This lifestyle that offers longevity, reverses heart disease here, and reverses diabetes here can also help masturbators increase their willpower and heal from the damage of poor lifestyle choices.
If you want to learn more I highly recommend this free PDF download here. The Seventh-day Adventist church has taken no official position on masturbation nevertheless many theologians, physicians, and scholars in the church have addressed this issue. This PDF is an invaluable resource and contains three separate reports on masturbation by Dr. Roger Coon, Dr. Alberta Mazat, and Dr. Richard Nies. Dr. Agatha Thrash has a talk on homosexuality and masturbation that can be downloaded here.
About the author: At the age of 16, Andrew Michell was arrested by the police for seven kidnappings and armed robberies and sentenced to almost 13 years in prison from 1995-2008. It was during the first two years in solitary confinement when Andrew realized the value of living a life of self-control. After spending 10 years in prison Andrew experienced an amazing answer to prayer and was released from prison early in 2005 when the Governor of Washington commuted his sentence. Since his release Andrew has found great joy in helping others and has volunteered in schools, prisons, orphanages, and youth detention centers in different countries around the world. Because of his volunteer work the United States government granted a full pardon to Andrew in 2015. He is married and lives in Manila, Philippines. Prison video found here.
April 5, 2016 Someone said: I love ur good advise',dear sir I can't stop this nasty habit.including porn.but when going through the tips you have mention it really give me courage to make a stop. I'll tried now to stop this habits but I need ur prayer. thks thks so much
March 21, 2016 Someone said: Thanks a lot sir , I just love this advise and hopefully I want to change this habit through Christ help who will give me willpower through good.
March 21, 2016 Someone said: Thanks a lot sir , I just love this advise and hopefully I want to change this habit through Christ help who will give me willpower through good.
October 6 Someone from USA said: She continues in Appeal to Mothers to show the way for those who are stuck in this habit out. It takes tremendous effort, but focusing our thoughts on the sacrifice of Jesus and casting down impure imaginations, being more thankful to God, keeping the mind busy with work - specifically manual labor or exercise if your work is sedentary - as we as the principles you spoke of. I am so thankful for the power of Jesus to lift us up out of this moral pit to make us like He is :)
|
Andrew said:
Thanks for your comment. Please provide page number and paragraph information. Also please provide any testimonies of people who used this information to successfully stop this habit. |
September 22 Someone from Europe said: please pray and help me i struggle with this sin.. thanks for all that u done it really helps
August 9 Someone from Asia said: very informative article, thanks :)
August 9 Someone from Asia said: very informative article, thanks :)