Oyakhilome's 'masturbation is not a sin' controversy

Pastors in Nigeria have lambasted the founder,
Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome over
his comment that self-service is not a sin
against God but a mere habit that God is not
angry about.

Since the controversial pastor made the
comment recently, angry reactions have been
pouring in from Christendom over what they
called heresy, being preached by the pastor,
which negates the words of God.

Oyakhilome was asked by one of his pastors
how one could overcome self-service and he
replied that "the reason you are thinking of
stopping it (self-service) is because you think it has become a habit
for you… self-service is not more than a habit than any other habit

"So once you make up your mind that you want to break a particular
habit, you just do it, you make up your mind… in fact the best way to
break a habit is to replace it with another habit. "There is one thing
I would like to bring to your mind that may be of help to you because
the reason you are thinking of stopping this is because of what you
think it is"

He added that "no matter how wrong you think this is in your mind, get
this straight, in itself, it is not a sin against God," emphasising
that as a result of this belief that it is a sin, Satan used it to
oppress people of God

"making them feel ineffective an inefficient in the things of God."
Reacting to Oyakhilome's comment, the Prelate, Methodist Church
Nigeria, Dr. Ola Makinde said there was only one way of Being Intimate
permitted by God in the Bible, which is only through marriage.

"There is only one way of Being Intimate in the Bible which is
natural. self-service is unnatural and unethical. Whatever is
unnatural and
unethical is abomination. I leave him to his own
opinion," he said.

According to Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly, every
believer must be able to subject his body to control because it could
lead to something else.

Popular Evangelist, Pastor Akin Fasawe said self-service is a sin as
stipulated in the Bible, saying that death was even recommended in the
Bible for those who practiced such things.

"self-service is a sin because when you self-
service, you will release. If the minister of God
said self-service is not a sin, he can easily tell
his church that fornication is not a sin. The Bible recommends death
in the Old Testament," he stated.

What is happening in our churches? I'll start worshipping in my house o