Is it a sin to relieve yourself? Am I committing a sin by relieving myself? This is one of the interesting questions I was asked some years back during Sunday school lessons.
What does it mean to relieve yourself?
First of all, let's understand what it means to relieve yourself. According to Longman dictionary, to relieve yourself is a polite expression meaning to urinate or pee [1]. Relieve could also mean different thing, but in this article, we are going to focus on pee.
What does the Bible say about relieving yourself? Is it a sin? The answer is No. It is not a sin to relieve yourself. There's no Biblical evidence that suggests relieving yourself is a sin. You are not committing a sin by relieving yourself. Sin is the transgression of the law according to the Holy Scriptures. You are not breaking any law by relieving yourself.
1 John 3: 4-5 KJV
Whoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
The question itself sounds funny, but trust me, many people including you probably might have thought about it at a particular point in time. It is good to relieve yourself to avoid health problems. If you do not relieve yourself, or go a couple of days without emptying your bladder, it can result in a urinary tract infection (UTI).
We are told from the Scriptures that, the Lord gave the children of Israel rules and regulations regarding relieving oneself especially when unclean. It is the only passage that talks about relieving oneself.
[Deuteronomy 23: 10-14 NIV]
"If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp. Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself.
As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a whole and cover up your excrement. For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you.
In fact, I have never come across any Christian theologian who believes relieving yourself is a sin. As far as am concerned, it is some few Muslims who believe Allah does not dwell in places like the wash-room or toilet. The whole idea of relieving yourself being a sin comes from the Qur'an. However, the Qur'an itself never said relieving oneself is a sin.
The passage some readers may take out of context to justify their claim is a passage in Leviticus.
Leviticus 15: 2-4 KJV
"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: when any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean. Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness. Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and anything he sits on will be unclean."
The Bible in several passages teaches us about personal hygiene which some may seem harsh or insane as far as our understanding of today's hygiene is concerned. But that does not mean the Bible is outdated.
Conclusion.
In summary, relieving yourself is not a sin in Christianity. There is no Biblical evidence that suggests relieving yourself is a sin. You are doing what is natural by relieving yourself. Never let false teachers and those who take the Biblical verses out of context deceive you.
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[1] Source
