Is Masturbation A Sin?

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Masterbation necessarily requires lustful thoughts.

Then fantasize about your marriage partner.

And fantasies have negative consequences.

Negative fantasies have negative consequences. Obsessive fantasies have negative consequences. Difficulty in separating reality from fantasy has negative consequences. Blaming all of these on masturbation is ridiculous.

They can lead to obsessions, comparing women based solely on outer appearances etc...

For the obsessive/compulsive personality, anything can lead to obsessions -- including food. But food is not a sin.

And it usually invokes porn which has waaaasy more consequences then that my friend

Really? Now, what makes you think that masturbation must always, or usually, involve pornography?

So whether natural or not, does it benefit my mind or does it corrupt it. Does it put me in bondage to need to do it again when the feeling comes like an addicted drug. That's the question.

Bondage. How interesting. Perhaps you missed my earlier post:

I am not talking about sexual compulsive behavior, which can indeed cause bruising, blistering, scratching, infections and other medical issues. To be frank, I have fought my own battle with compulsive masturbation and perpetual erections (not as fun as it may sound; it gets horribly painful) and did, indeed, injure myself and required professional medical and psychological assistance to overcome. Masturbation to the point of pain is not as abnormal as we make it out to be during that fantastic and horrible time in our lives called "puberty"; but for those past puberty, it is certainly not the norm. Because it is not the norm and because we are speaking about compulsive issues here, that is not the behavior in question with 'is masturbation a sin?"

You're preaching to the choir here, bro.

Now, if you have truly struggled with compulsory masturbation and porn use and have found your liberation from that through abstinence, then I applaud you and encourage you to continue your program. But don't equate compulsive and addictive behavior to masturbation. Video games, eating, working out; all kinds of things can be compulsory and life-damaging in nature. As one poster here is fond of pointing out, "too much water is toxic to the human body".

I suspect, though, that what you really went through is religiously-motivated guilt; self-shaming that you are a human being that has hormones and a sex drive.

And Masterbation while seeming innocent, hurts you and in the long term, lust that you have will hurt others.

Nope. Sexually, what harms others, is incorrect or anti-social sexual boundaries. Not masturbation.

 

[JoStories]

Really trying to justify it? Ok, lust is looking. Does anyone think any lustful thoughts while masterbating? That's looking in the mind. Just because you don't see it visually makes no difference if you see it in your thoughts. Same thing applies. And I highly doubt anyone masturbates without thinking about someone in some way lol

So what if they do? Do you really hop from one foot to the other worrying that God is monitoring your thoughts? Do you not see how all peoples' would be guilty of this and living in fear of what God would do if we think even one 'bad' thought their whole lives??? If I see a good looking man or woman, am I not allowed to think they are good looking?How would people ever get together as a couple if this were the case? Assuming you are a man, and this may be wrong of course, did you not see your wife as someone who you were attracted to? If we try to stop even thinking that much, the human race would die out over night.

 

[JoStories]

Hopefully you'll learn before it's too late. Trust me.

Learn what exactly? That physical arousal is a natural God given trait that is necessary for the continuation of our species? As I said, do you not see your wife as attractive? Did you not see her this way before you were married to her?

 

[JFish123]

Learn what exactly? That physical arousal is a natural God given trait that is necessary for the continuation of our species? As I said, do you not see your wife as attractive? Did you not see her this way before you were married to her?

Single. But being aroused or seeing someone as beautiful is not the same as thinking lustfully at her. There's a big difference in "wow she's hot," and thinking and fantasizing on having sex with her.

 

[Mycroft]

Do you hold masturbation to be a sin;

Only if you do it on your own.

 

[Looncall]

Its no one's business what they do with their own bodies, I can't understand the reason to even justify it ?.

There is no reason.

The reason the religious are so uptight about it is that they have been taught to hate their own humanity and to live in a state of morbid guilt. That keeps the pews and collection plates full. It's all the most vicious scam around.

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

IF the Christian theology is to be believed, then God made us, blessed us, and called us "good". When he made us, he gave us hormones and endorphins; and glands that manufacture those hormones and endorphins. These same substances are what precipitates masturbatory and "lustful" feelings and thoughts. I seem to remember that in Acts 10:15, God told Peter, "Don't call anything I have made unclean."

 

[morphesium]

IF the Christian theology is to be believed, then God made us, blessed us, and called us "good". When he made us, he gave us hormones and endorphins; and glands that manufacture those hormones and endorphins. These same substances are what precipitates masturbatory and "lustful" feelings and thoughts. I seem to remember that in Acts 10:15, God told Peter, "Don't call anything I have made unclean."

Religion hides its awkward thinking by pretending it has very high morale.

All religions have this in common, that they are an outrage to common sense, for they are pieced together out of a variety of elements, some of which seem so unworthy, sordid, and at odds with man’s reason that any strong and vigorous intelligence laughs at them. —Pierre Charron

I recall the story of the philosopher and the theologian. The two were engaged in disputation and the theologian used the old quip about a philosopher being like a blind man, in a dark room, looking for a black cat—which wasn’t there. “That may be,” said the philosopher; “but a theologian would have found it.” —Julian Huxley

The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. —Arthur C. Clarke
Science . . . has been accused of undermining morals— but wrongly. The ethical behavior of man is better based on sympathy, education and social relationships, and requires no support from religion. Man’s plight would, indeed, be sad if he had to be kept in order through fear of punishment and hope of rewards after death. —Albert Einstein

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. —Steven Weinberg

“…. Too often religion has been an aphrodisiac for horror, a Benzedrine for bestiality. At its best it has lifted spirits and raised spires. At its worst it has turned entire civilizations into cemeteries." —Phillip Adams

 

[McBell]

My question is: at what point do we examine what our deity's wishes are?

I would suggest at every point...
ESPECIALLY if your deity is absent a lot.

And if we're not allowed to do that, should that tell us something about our deity?

Yes, it should.

 

[McBell]

I do not agree with the others that blanket rules apply to what is sin. It is my opinion that ALL unrighteousness is sin. So what is unrighteousness? I think it differs for each person but it is not in a person's control to decide for himself or herself what is unrighteous for each person. It is wild and can't be tamed imo.

For instance, a husband or wife who masturbates and therefore does not want sex with his or her spouse is sinning. A spouse on a business trip with an urge and masturbates it is probably not sinning.

Sin cannot be defined concisely imo. Though righteousness can, I think.

Sin is going against the will/wishes of your chosen deity.

There is an example of a concise definition of sin.

 

[JoStories]

Single. But being aroused or seeing someone as beautiful is not the same as thinking lustfully at her. There's a big difference in "wow she's hot," and thinking and fantasizing on having sex with her.

I disagree. How does thinking she is 'hot' differ? What exactly makes her 'hot'? I may find a woman attractive but when I see one as 'hot', that envisions an entirely different thing to me. And even finding her attractive I find myself thinking of her in ways that would envision certain scenarios.

 

[psychoslice]

There is no reason.

The reason the religious are so uptight about it is that they have been taught to hate their own humanity and to live in a state of morbid guilt. That keeps the pews and collection plates full. It's all the most vicious scam around.

Yes that is so true, but its done very subtlety that they have no idea what is going on, I suppose that's where the idea of sheep came from lol.

 

[Looncall]

Yes that is so true, but its done very subtlety that they have no idea what is going on, I suppose that's where the idea of sheep came from lol.

As it happens, I have worked with sheep. They make the fence posts around them look smart. I would be outraged to be described as a sheep, or as part of a flock of them. I wonder if the constant use of the sheep metaphor by christians is some kind of snide joke from the seminaries.

 

[psychoslice]

As it happens, I have worked with sheep. They make the fence posts around them look smart. I would be outraged to described as a sheep, or as part of a flock of them. I wonder if the constant use of the sheep metaphor by christians is some kind of snide joke from the seminaries.

Yes maybe, but I think its because sheep are docile and can easily be controlled ?.

 

[Deathbydefault]

So I ask: Do you hold masturbation to be a sin; and why or why not?

So, for 1: The only thing that is truly a sin is the word "sin".
Something can not be factually sinful, however, it can be factually viewed as sinful.
Opinion words are fun...

Now, for 2: I don't think of things as bad or good the same way as most people, as a few of you might know.
I don't consider anything that anyone willingly does to their own body as bad.
Nor do I feel as though they need to stop or "repent" or hate themselves over it.
That goes across several controversial topics but those can be saved for another time.

Finally, for 3: Scientific studies on masturbation show more good than bad.
(I'm not your damn teacher, if you don't know why then look it up yourself).
Besides, men and women are either bleeding out or killing off their own reproductive charges all the time.
Not to mention all the sperms that die while and after one reaches the egg.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Really trying to justify it? Ok, lust is looking. Does anyone think any lustful thoughts while masterbating? That's looking in the mind. Just because you don't see it visually makes no difference if you see it in your thoughts. Same thing applies. And I highly doubt anyone masturbates without thinking about someone in some way lol

But what if you create an imaginary man/woman, in your mind, for the express purpose of masturbating to thoughts of this person? What then? How does one commit sin-worthy "mind-adultery" with a being that does not even exist?

 

[savagewind]

Sin is going against the will/wishes of your chosen deity.

There is an example of a concise definition of sin.

Well, seeing that the will/wishes of a deity are only a guess then it really can't be defined concisely.

 

[McBell]

Well, seeing that the will/wishes of a deity are only a guess then it really can't be defined concisely.

Nice try.

 

[psychoslice]

Is scratching your bum for relief a sin lol.