Is masturbating bad at all ?

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Masturbation is bad inasmuch as it ultimately serves no good purpose and can produce harm. How bad it is is a different question. There are many worse peccadilloes.

Rubbish! It serves several perfectly good purposes: it gives pleasure (which is beneficial in many ways), it reduces stress (which is harmful in many ways), it refreshes (in the case of males, anyway) the gametes, so that perhaps in the next sexual encounter they have a better chance of attaining their goal. And masturbating is no more likely to cause harm than a physical encounter between two people -- and perhaps even less!

 

[Shaul]

Rubbish! It serves several perfectly good purposes: it gives pleasure (which is beneficial in many ways), it reduces stress (which is harmful in many ways), it refreshes (in the case of males, anyway) the gametes, so that perhaps in the next sexual encounter they have a better chance of attaining their goal. And masturbating is no more likely to cause harm than a physical encounter between two people -- and perhaps even less!

I could counter each of these putative good purposes with ill side effects. Instead I would invite you to re-read what I actually wrote and not respond to a straw man. I wrote that it can produce harm, not that it always does.

 

[Balthazzar]

The Orthodox position starts off wrong with the very first sentence: "Sexuality is a gift from God, as we read in the book of Genesis." The book of Genesis has zero understanding of how anything, the universe, sun, stars, planets, plants, animals, oceans or potatoes came into existence.

So, to get it right, sexuality is one of the ways that nature ensures that life continues -- and since that continution is one of nature's higher "priorities" (sorry, I hate anthropomorphizing nature), it is high on the list of urgent faculties. In other words, we all want it -- and we're not all thinking about babies when we're doing it. In fact, we almost never are.

For sake of avoiding argument over God equating to nature and all, I think sexuality is one of those things that is necessitated in life, but then pain is often enough necessitated to put them in the same out of necessity pool. Granted, I wouldn't deem pain to be a gift, but this doesn't mean it isn't one.

Sexuality ... well ... That's another matter altogether now, isn't it? My fasting effort should not be so quickly discarded. I'm not suggesting you're one of those who thinks it silly. Sex and sexuality should at the very least be acknowledged for what they are (gifts) and unless you've grown so fond of pulling your pickle, partnerships will remain integral to human society and procreation.

We sometimes take too much for granted is what I'm saying, forgetting important things like what it might be like to endure living without.

 

[Regiomontanus]

The Orthodox position starts off wrong with the very first sentence: "Sexuality is a gift from God, as we read in the book of Genesis." The book of Genesis has zero understanding of how anything, the universe, sun, stars, planets, plants, animals, oceans or potatoes came into existence.

So, to get it right, sexuality is one of the ways that nature ensures that life continues -- and since that continution is one of nature's higher "priorities" (sorry, I hate anthropomorphizing nature), it is high on the list of urgent faculties. In other words, we all want it -- and we're not all thinking about babies when we're doing it. In fact, we almost never are.

Yes, I recognize that those who are not theists will have a different view than mine. You are wrong, but I do not begrudge your right to be so. Have a nice evening. I am going to a dinner theatre now!

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Yes, I recognize that those who are not theists will have a different view than mine. You are wrong, but I do not begrudge your right to be so. Have a nice evening. I am going to a dinner theatre now!

I am no more "wrong" than you are -- and quite possibly more likely to be right. I never forget a line from the song "The Word of God:"

"Humans wrote the Bible, God wrote Life."

And I think there may well be more evidence for my argument -- that the Bible is a human artifact, the universe is a natural one.

 

[Balthazzar]

I am no more "wrong" than you are -- and quite possibly more likely to be right. I never forget a line from the song "The Word of God:"

"Humans wrote the Bible, God wrote Life."

And I think there may well be more evidence for my argument -- that the Bible is a human artifact, the universe is a natural one.

No more wrong equates to no more right, also. I agree with your last statement. The bible is a human artifact, the universe (as far as we know) is a natural one. So again, no more right and no more wrong.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

No more wrong equates to no more right, also. I agree with your last statement. The bible is a human artifact, the universe (as far as we know) is a natural one. So again, no more right and no more wrong.

So the only question left is, to which do we turn for answers to our "big questions?" I turn towards the natural one -- which is the realm of science. It's not always right -- it doesn't know everything: but it has at least a methodology to correct itself when it's wrong, and to pursue further when it doesn't know.

Scripture is what humans knew from about 3600 years ago until about 1800 years ago. Mining that may well be interesting, but what new can be learned by doing so?

 

[Balthazzar]

So the only question left is, to which do we turn for answers to our "big questions?" I turn towards the natural one -- which is the realm of science. It's not always right -- it doesn't know everything: but it has at least a methodology to correct itself when it's wrong, and to pursue further when it doesn't know.

Scripture is what humans knew from about 3600 years ago until about 1800 years ago. Mining that may well be interesting, but what new can be learned by doing so?

Reiterations and some acknowledgements of correlation, but doing this will involve willingness, which has been lacking on both sides of the equation. For the most part I'm with you on science and scientific method. I utilize a truth principle in my religious understanding. Truth is, I find human history and culture to be no less important than ongoing advances in the many fields of science and scientific study. For now, we'll mostly deem this an impasse ... until more light is shed on the validity of religious thought. It may take a while, and given the ongoing anti movement against, this understanding may be reserved for the very few.

 

[Mock Turtle]

The debate on the internet rages on so I will bring the discussion here I personally don't think that it's bad as long as you don't hurt your private part by doing to much or being to ruff or not peeing before hand. Also what you are masturbating to is important because there's a lot of evil and sick things out there.

Masturbation according to health professionals is perfectly normal, but perhaps there are a few conditions as to where and how to do it. Here are some things perhaps relevant. Don't do it in public (illegal in probably most countries), don't do it if any imagery is illegal to view (this might vary between countries so images obtained via the internet might be illegal in your own country), don't do it whilst having thought fantasies that might escalate to something illegal, don't do it if you are prone to addictive behaviours and where such might take over your life, and lastly, don't do it if such will interfere with any relationships one might have.

 

[mangalavara]

The debate on the internet rages on so I will bring the discussion here

Ah, the oldest debated subject on the internet and indeed in human history.

I personally don't think that it's bad as long as you don't hurt your private part by doing to much or being to ruff or not peeing before hand.

Interesting. Who should urinate before engaging in masturbation?

Also what you are masturbating to is important because there's a lot of evil and sick things out there.

A fine example of that would be masturbating to RF members' avatars.

 

[mangalavara]

Let me check. I will be right back.

Ya know, it has been a long time!

 

[Subduction Zone]

Ya know, it has been a long time!

I am still doing research!

I may have debunked a couple of myths. My eyesight is unchanged and my palms are still without hair. That is about it so far.

 

[metis]

Is masturbating bad at all ?

It was my very first girlfriend.

 

[The Hammer]

Study finds link between viewing pornography and becoming more religious

People who occasionally watch pornography tend to become less religious over time, but those who watch pornography more than once a week tend to become

www.psypost.org

Porn makes you religious

 

[Subduction Zone]

Study finds link between viewing pornography and becoming more religious

People who occasionally watch pornography tend to become less religious over time, but those who watch pornography more than once a week tend to become

www.psypost.org

Porn makes you religious

That is because at certain times you are going to say "Oh God!!"

 

[Isabella Lecour]

I've never grown hair on my palms so I'm pretty sure you are going to be okay.

As to an honest reckoning to what harms could occur, all I've got are physical world ones but that's mostly temporary.

Spiritually/religiously, (I am speaking only of my own here), there are a lot of benefits. And again, the downsides are mostly temporary.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Masturbation is bad inasmuch as it ultimately serves no good purpose...

You may be doing it wrong.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Almost funny, but not quite.

I expect more attacks from the supporters of the murderous IDF.

With posts like this, you can probably expect attacks from those of other groups as well, because your response was nothing short of juvenile.

 

[Tomef]

The debate on the internet rages on so I will bring the discussion here I personally don't think that it's bad as long as you don't hurt your private part by doing to much or being to ruff or not peeing before hand. Also what you are masturbating to is important because there's a lot of evil and sick things out there.

It’s bad for whoever does the laundry.

 

[Mock Turtle]

It’s bad for whoever does the laundry.

You are not supposed to lick it off!