I just realized that it is almost a year ago that I was inspired to start my own blog. I was then a regular reader of DJ Chuang’s blog, having started with being a regular reader of his website, checking out his latest article about diversity and multiculturalism. I was also checking out some other blogs and photoblogs, when one day, while checking out a church, I stumbled upon Messy Christian’s blog. Reading her blog led me to read other blogs (through her blogrolls, and then blog-hopping through those others’ blogrolls) and finally led me to discover that it is actually quite easy to start your own blog!

A few days later, that was exactly what I did and put up a tentative post. At the time I was in therapy and dealing with a few difficult life issues. So I opted to blog anonymously because I thought things might get quite nasty in these pages, and I did not want to hurt anyone in my life. As it turned out, I haven’t really gone down that path too much except for one or two rare occasions, so every now and then, I do toy with the idea of coming out as some others have done.

But then, I like being the bloke…in the outer… so I might just remain behind the screen for a little while longer yet. In the meantime, how should I spend my blog-anniversary? Should I have a huge party? Should I have a blog party and do some interactive blogging? Should I revisit some of my old posts? Any suggestions?

In two previous posts on this issue, I outlined what I think Matthew 5: 17 - 48 is about. I suggested that this passage teaches the principle that the Law was given not to condemn us but to expose our utter helplessness in order to emphasize the centrality of grace and mercy in our relationship with God. (To read some of my views about the place of the Law or the Ten Commandments in our lives, read the series that I began a while back - this just reminds me that I need to complete this series! Hah! Such is the blogging life!)

So far, if you have come to these posts via Messy Christian’s discussion about masturbation and whether or not it is sin, you might be thinking that I have been dancing around the question. In a way I have been doing that, but that is only to establish some important biblical background.

So far the two most critical biblical support to outlaw masturbation, and the sexual fantasies tied to it, are the infamous “sin of Onan” passage and the alleged injunction against sexual fantasies in Matthew 5: 27-28.

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