Onanism
From RationalWiki
Another word for masturbation. Not to be confused with the priapic Schwarzenegger vehicle, Onan the Barbarian nor with the worship of a certain Norse god.
The word derives from the Biblical story of a rather unfortunate man called Onan (Genesis, chapter 38), whose older brother, Er, was struck down by God for being evil.[1] Hebrew custom required that Onan marry his brother's widow, Tamar, and produce a male heir. Whilst Onan married Tamar, he was unhappy that any heir he fathered would be Er's and not his. Consequently, as the Bible somewhat coyly puts it, he "spilled his seed on the ground." This being the Old Testament, and Old Testament God being a mean, cussed old bastard, Onan was promptly slain for this impertinence.
As the etymology suggests, the tale has been taken as an injunction against masturbation and used to instill feelings of guilt and shame into generations of Christians.[2][3][4] The actual text is, however, incredibly vague[5] on what, specifically, Onan did to deserve such a rich, creamy helping of God's loving Wrath. The story seems to suggest coitus interruptus (withdrawal during intercourse) rather than masturbation. The most sensible explanation is that he was divinely smoked for refusing to perform his familial duty of providing an heir to his brother.
[edit] See also:
- Examples of God personally killing people
- Genesis 38 - The Brick Testament
- Operation Infinite Purity: Winning the War on Masturbation
- Conservapedia on Onanism
