Is Masturbation a sin?

[Fremont95]

Ok, is masturbation a sin?

I have masturbated since I was 13 and I'm not sure wether it is right or not. I've tried searching but the answers are always something like "it is not in the bible but it is a sin" "it is a small sin" I'm tired of those halfway answers. I believe that we should have a firm answer. Not a midterm. So I am really confused about this topic and I dont really want to talk about this with my pastor or my dad. So is masturbation a sin? Also, what is an accountability partner ( if that's what they call it)? I really want to know wether it is a sin or not because if it is I need to Change my life! Please help me!!! By the way, I'm 15.

[mckdawg04]

Hey, I don't know how many responses you'll get as this is somewhat of a popular question. Any replies you will receive are not going to be clear cut, you picked one of the most highly debated questions that Christians discuss. Each person who will reply to this thread will have their own opinions about the subject and are adamant in those opinions. It will essentially boil down to you forming your own opinion based on what everyone says in this thread.

In my personal opinion, masturbation is not a sin. Masturbation in and of itself is simply a function of the body and is a healthy part of human sexuality. God created us with sexual desires and especially during the teenage years it is very difficult to handle those desires in our sexually saturated society. This isn't to say that teens having fought the same battles throughout history, I'm sure they have. But the temptations are the same.

I believe that God created masturbation as a way for teens to (partly) control their sex drive. It won't necessarily stop you from having sex or thinking about it, but it will help curb those desires.

Here's an excerpt from a book called "Teenage Guys" by Dr. Steve Gerali. The excerpt can be found in Chapter 3.1 of the book, pages 76-78 and 91-92.

Testosterone as the Villian

Some Christians also buy into the testosterone deification theory. But we present it as a super-sexually negative. We fear testosterone. We say it’s so powerful that every man must battle it or it will unleash the out-of-control, sexual Mr. Hyde who lurks in the recesses of a young man’s loins. We swing the pendulum the opposite direction, deifying testosterone as something to be feared, battled, and constantly repressed.

I’ve talked to hundreds of young guys in bondage to this notion. They’re exhausted and spiritually defeated because they’ve been told that sexual drive, desire, or thoughts are all forms of lust. They’ve read books about dating that tell them not to; books about sexual purity that make sex anything but pure; and books about guys that give the impression that everything sexual within them is a dangerous, ravenous, demonic, overtaking battle that must be aggressively waged. These texts are built around the premise that a guy—who is created by God as a sexual being—should only be sexual when he’s married. Until that time, he must battle the testosterone, or it will make him sexually impure. Guys come to believe that the slightest sexual tinge is the beginning of a cancerous spot that must quickly be eradicated. For a good number of Christian guys, all of their spiritual energy is consumed by eliminating sexual desire from their minds and bodies. This is nothing but a form of bondage. Guys are attempting the impossible—to be without testosterone.

…

We need to teach our guys how to think sexually pure (by this I mean they can think a lot about sex and still know that it’s pure). That doesn’t mean they have to ignore sexual desire or drive. It doesn’t mean they’ll never play out sexual experiences in their minds. (Sexual rehearsal is also a God-designed part of good sexuality. In fact, it’s instinctual.) If we continue to give the impression that all sexual thought is lust and should be avoided, we become false teachers who cause these young guys to stumble in the name of a faulty righteousness. (Pgs. 76-78)

Sex on the Brain

First, too much sexual thought doesn’t constitute lust. I’ve heard many people put a commodity on sexual thinking, meaning that it’s okay to have sexual thoughts as long as you don’t have them too much—or as long as you don’t entertain them. Christian guys grow up under the oppression that there is a “daily sexual thought quota,” which, by the way, is never defined. As a result, a guy starts to believe that any sexual thought he has and enjoys is lusting.

The third sexual line of thinking is sexual fantasy. That phrase ruffles a lot of feathers in the Christian community. So let me say it another way: healthy sexual development requires sexual rehearsal and imagination. Imagination and rehearsal are a part of good fantasy:

Part of what comes natural to us instinctually is the ability to create sexual rehearsal. Everyone daydreams about his or her honeymoon night, for example. We rehearse passionate kisses in our mind. We think about sex play that involves romantic interludes, exotic settings, even some elements of adventure. We may rehearse in our minds those sex roles and actions with people who we view as potential partners…Somehow we’ve gotten the idea that thinking through sexual situations, daydreaming of sex with a spouse someday, or envisioning passionate sexual circumstances is all lustful thinking.

Guys can’t read Song of Solomon, define sexual purity, know sexual roles, or eve understand sexuality in any form without sexual fantasy (imagination and rehearsal).

Adults need to lead teenage guys through these concepts. Young men need to understand that they aren’t sexual perverts if they’re thinking along these lines of sexual thought. They need to be taught to seek the Holy Spirit’s direction as to when they’re crossing the line and beginning to lust. They need to trust God, not the vague universalized mandates they hear, which run counter to their good, God-designed wiring. (Pgs. 91-92)

Hope this helps and if anyone ever wants to talk, please feel free to contact me.

[Paper Towels]

This topic has come up several times in several threads, and here is what I said about it being a sin in the last major thread..

Just because something is not explicitly mentioned in scripture as a sin doesn't mean it isn't wrong. Human cloning is not mentioned in scripture, but I am the vast majority of us would see it as wrong, because it is. The morality of masturbation is not about personal conviction, if determining whether or not something is sinful is a matter of personal conviction, then every other sin is up for debate, because people can argue for any position no matter how outrageous it may sound. 100 years ago, you wouldn't see any Christians condoning premarital sex, but it is becoming increasingly acceptable for many Christians to condone premarital sex with some random rules attached (as long as you are engaged, in a "committed relationship", etc) This is relativism; it strips Truth and objective morality away from our actions and replaces them with cliches like "do it, if it feels right for you." Scripture must be applied with reason, and taking what we know about Christian sexual ethics, sexual organs were meant to be used in the context of sexual relationship which is reserved for marriage. It's that simple. Masturbation is completely self centered and distorts the entire purpose of sexual pleasure, organs, relationship, etc.

People who say its perfectly fine really need to take a step back and look at the issue objectively, because I bet the people that claim that its perfectly moral are doing it themselves so they clearly would be coming from a biased perspective, trying to justify what they do because they don't want to stop.

Here is the thread if you want to read the full debate: http://www.christianteenforums.com/showthread.php?62894-Masturbation-problem

And not to be graphic, but if people say its not wrong to masturbate then I guess by their standard its perfectly okay to use any sort of perveted sex toy like a blow up doll or whatever to get whatever pleasure they want, because in the end it all comes down to someone trying to stimulate their organs for sexual pleasure without actually having sex, and God had no intention for your sexual organs to be used like that, and there are clearly things wrong with this and you don't need a specific verse of the Bible to tell you that.

[Jason94]

It is considered a sin according to the old testament:

Genesis 38:8-10 - And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.

So yes masturbation is a sin.

However, I will admit I do it so wont judge any guy that does either.

[Deeper]

@Jason that scripture you quoted is not talking about masturbation. Before Onan ejaculated I assume he did the old fashion birth control and instead of impregnating her and bearing a child like he was told he excused himself for those few moments thus resulting in God's displeasure with him.

[wotsupdoc]

Some very interesting and thoughtful comments. may I be so bold as to add something in a different dimension.

Our walk with the Lord is very personal so we are to find out what God is saying to us, not to Joe Blow. If you feel it is a sin, then it definitely is for you, regardless of whether it is in scripture or not or what others think. That being the case, there is a need to confess the sin so that God can forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

When I was doing some training with Teen Challenge the presenter said that the strongest sex organ is the brain. All sexual activity is initiated from the brain so the need is to control what goes into and out of there as all sex begins with a thought. I realise that it is difficult in this sex sodden society, but the scripture does say that God will not test us beyond that hich we are able to stand. (1Corinthians 10:13) This is known as "renewing the mind." (Romans 12:2)

The psalmist said "thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11) meaning that the Word of God both written and spoken gives you the power to overcome sin. Notice that when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wildreness that Jesus replied to him three times in response to the temptation "it is written". (Matthew 4:4) Therefore you should be saturating yourself in the word of God.

One final thought. Is the masterbation compulsive? If it is, there is sure to be some underlying issue that needs to be dealt with, usually rejection, so the issue is not the masturbation, it is what is underlying it. Deal with that and you usually deal with the other.

[Crimson Truth]

What does one do when they masturbate? We form images in their head, we give ourselves a fantasy for a few minutes and then it's over. What are these fantasies called? Lust. Lust is a sin in and of it self. My youth pastor always says that if some way you could masturbate to a tree and therefore have no lustful thoughts, then he wouldn't consider it a sin. But thats not the case. I agree with the guy above talking about taking a step back. We're straying further and further and who knows where we'll be down the road.

[shel-yudah]

What does one do when they masturbate? We form images in their head, we give ourselves a fantasy for a few minutes and then it's over. What are these fantasies called? Lust. Lust is a sin in and of it self..

I disagree. I don't think the sexual fantasy common during masturbation can really be classified as lust. Lust, in my dictionary is defined "An intense and unrestrained sexual craving". I don't think it's fair to say that recalling the memory of your last kiss or the girls sunbathing on the beach a "intense and unrestrained sexual craving". I think the lust mentioned in the bible more has to do with greed and deceit, like planning an affair with a married coworker or entertaining the thought of cheating on your wife. It's a stronger activity than sexual fantasy, wrapped up in conceit and posessiveness. Therefore, I really don't think its right to call masturbation a sin. Its a perfectly normal behavior.

I remember when i was a freshman in HS, our youth group leader had us read this book called "Every Young Man's Battle". It had some real good stuff in it, about porn and saving sex until marriage, but a lot of the book focused on masturbation, and how it was the terrible sin that we all had to stop doing it or we would become sinful perverts. All of us guys in the small group took vows to quit masturbating and checking out girls and fantasizing about sex. Within about 7 or 8 days, my body just took over and starting masturbating on its on in my sleep, "wet dreams" or whatever they're called. You literally have fantasies in your sleep and ejaculate unconsciously.

Another guy in our "Anti-masturbation" group ended up having to go to a urologist after about a week of no MB. He was having trouble peeing and his abdomial area was really sore. Turns out, if you don't masturbate on a regular basis, your at high risk for a prostate infection. The Doctor sent him home with two prescriptions. 1. antibiotics. 2. Masturbate once a day.

It was at the point that i realized that masturbation was just another normal function of our bodies that GOD made. Once your body goes through puberty and you are able to make babies, your body needs that sexual release on a regular basis. GOD made us with sex drives and the WORD says we were made in the image of GOD, so there's no need to be ashamed when those cute girls at school or church arouse your senses. GOD wants this to happen. Don't let anyone guilt trip you into quitting masturbation. 1: Your body needs it. Number 2: IT FEELS GREAT, and helps releave stress and insomnia. Stay away from the pornography and you'll be fine:thumbup:.

About your other question. An accountability partner is someone who you pray with and talk to about the sins your struggling with. Normally its a confidential type arrangement, anything you say will remain between the two of you. It's a great idea for every Christian, but especially us young guys. There's so many temptations out there (sex, drinking, drugs) and its good to know you have someone watching your back.

GOD bless,

Shel-Yudah

[Crimson Truth]

I disagree. I don't think the sexual fantasy common during masturbation can really be classified as lust. Lust, in my dictionary is defined "An intense and unrestrained sexual craving". I don't think it's fair to say that recalling the memory of your last kiss or the girls sunbathing on the beach a "intense and unrestrained sexual craving". I think the lust mentioned in the bible more has to do with greed and deceit, like planning an affair with a married coworker or entertaining the thought of cheating on your wife. It's a stronger activity than sexual fantasy, wrapped up in conceit and posessiveness. Therefore, I really don't think its right to call masturbation a sin. Its a perfectly normal behavior.

I remember when i was a freshman in HS, our youth group leader had us read this book called "Every Young Man's Battle". It had some real good stuff in it, about porn and saving sex until marriage, but a lot of the book focused on masturbation, and how it was the terrible sin that we all had to stop doing it or we would become sinful perverts. All of us guys in the small group took vows to quit masturbating and checking out girls and fantasizing about sex. Within about 7 or 8 days, my body just took over and starting masturbating on its on in my sleep, "wet dreams" or whatever they're called. You literally have fantasies in your sleep and ejaculate unconsciously.

Another guy in our "Anti-masturbation" group ended up having to go to a urologist after about a week of no MB. He was having trouble peeing and his abdomial area was really sore. Turns out, if you don't masturbate on a regular basis, your at high risk for a prostate infection. The Doctor sent him home with two prescriptions. 1. antibiotics. 2. Masturbate once a day.

It was at the point that i realized that masturbation was just another normal function of our bodies that GOD made. Once your body goes through puberty and you are able to make babies, your body needs that sexual release on a regular basis. GOD made us with sex drives and the WORD says we were made in the image of GOD, so there's no need to be ashamed when those cute girls at school or church arouse your senses. GOD wants this to happen. Don't let anyone guilt trip you into quitting masturbation. 1: Your body needs it. Number 2: IT FEELS GREAT, and helps releave stress and insomnia. Stay away from the pornography and you'll be fine:thumbup:.

About your other question. An accountability partner is someone who you pray with and talk to about the sins your struggling with. Normally its a confidential type arrangement, anything you say will remain between the two of you. It's a great idea for every Christian, but especially us young guys. There's so many temptations out there (sex, drinking, drugs) and its good to know you have someone watching your back.

GOD bless,

Shel-Yudah

Hmm the last time I masturbated to a kiss. Umm, NEVER. Sorry but it doesn't happen that way. Lets say I'm in my room thinking about some girl I saw at school. She pops in my head and whats the number one requirement? She's going to be naked. I'm going to be interacting, and some dirty things are going to happen. I would say this is pretty unrestrained. Where are the restraints on a fantasy? What you're describing is adultery.

Do you think Jesus masturbated? Do you think God gave us penises to wack off for our self-pleasure? You can't control your dreams but you can control you thoughts and get them back on track. I've also heard that it can lead to prostate cancer but I don't see how that's possible unless your body has some problem with it where it cant have wet dreams as described above. When you look at a girl lustfully, you don't look at her as a sister in christ. You look at her as an object. Are you jacking off to her personality? Her desire for God? Or are you masturbating to her boobs, butt, and fantasy you're playing out? A lot of stuff feels great but what does this have to do with God? Sex feels great, should we run around and have sex with random people because my body 'needs' it and it feels great? What's the difference between porn and thoughts? It's the EXACT same thing. Sex, fetishes, girls.

[shel-yudah]

Yeah, I understand where your coming from Crimson Truth, but i think sexuality is a much more complex issue than just masturbation=lust....lust=sin. There seems to be this idea in evangelical culture that if we try hard enough and pray hard enough our sex drives will disappear, only to mysteriously reappear on the marriage alter. This is simply unrealistic. I think GOD does want us to view our girls as sisters in christ...but he also wants us to view them as potential lovers and future wives. GOD didn't create Eve for Adam just so they could have bible studies and sing worship songs...He wanted them to have sex, love each other inimately, and multiply. I do think one of the reasons GOD gave us our gentials is for pleasure, be it by yourself, or with your wife. If GOD just wanted it to be only for producing offspring, i tend to think he would have made it a lot less enjoyable and less emotional. I think the church's view of sexuality over the years has been corrupted by groups like the puritans and whatnot. It's really important for us to open our bible and read the WORD, so that we can understand why GOD created us like he did. I understand this is a difficult and sensitive issue, and you can take a group of ten christians and you will probably have twenty different opinions on masturbation.

As far as pornography goes, I think there is a HUGE difference between sexual fantasy and pornography. I have the privilege of knowing a girl who is a former pornographic actress, who has found Christ, and is turning her life around, and helping porn addicts and porn actresses do the same. If i told you some of the stories i've heard from her about pornography production, I'm sure every christian would be so disgusted they puke their guts out and never watch porn again. There's a lot of abuse and humilitation that goes on in that industry; stuff that scars the actresses and the viewers for a long time. I have a hard time imagining sexual fantasy damaging people, marriages, and relationships in the way pornography does.

As far as Jesus goes, and his sexual habits, I think its really impossible to know for sure. But we can take a look at the WORD and get a few ideas. Our Savior is fully man and fully GOD, its a hard concept to wrap your head around. However, I really believe that Jesus, as fully man, did have a sex drive, and was sexually attracted to the women around him. I think thats the beauty of our faith. Our savior wasn't just some being high in the clouds, far removed from humanity. He is Emmanuel, hebrew for "GOD with us". He was more like us than all the stained glass windows and crucifixs really communicate.

These are my beliefs and interpretations, and maybe will just have to agree to disagree. That's fine with me. The christian faith is a big enough tent for the both of us. However, I get worried when i see youth groups and churches throw so much attention at this issue. Many a times on this board, i have read things like this, "I recently became a Christian...so I need to quit masturbation". I think when we put to much emphasis on an issue like this, we and up turning our faith into a set of rules. Christianity is about a personal relationship with our LORD...not just a system of rules.

GOD BLESS,

Shel-Yudah

[mckdawg04]

Yeah, I understand where your coming from Crimson Truth, but i think sexuality is a much more complex issue than just masturbation=lust....lust=sin. There seems to be this idea in evangelical culture that if we try hard enough and pray hard enough our sex drives will disappear, only to mysteriously reappear on the marriage alter. This is simply unrealistic. I think GOD does want us to view our girls as sisters in christ...but he also wants us to view them as potential lovers and future wives. GOD didn't create Eve for Adam just so they could have bible studies and sing worship songs...He wanted them to have sex, love each other inimately, and multiply. I do think one of the reasons GOD gave us our gentials is for pleasure, be it by yourself, or with your wife. If GOD just wanted it to be only for producing offspring, i tend to think he would have made it a lot less enjoyable and less emotional. I think the church's view of sexuality over the years has been corrupted by groups like the puritans and whatnot. It's really important for us to open our bible and read the WORD, so that we can understand why GOD created us like he did. I understand this is a difficult and sensitive issue, and you can take a group of ten christians and you will probably have twenty different opinions on masturbation.

As far as pornography goes, I think there is a HUGE difference between sexual fantasy and pornography. I have the privilege of knowing a girl who is a former pornographic actress, who has found Christ, and is turning her life around, and helping porn addicts and porn actresses do the same. If i told you some of the stories i've heard from her about pornography production, I'm sure every christian would be so disgusted they puke their guts out and never watch porn again. There's a lot of abuse and humilitation that goes on in that industry; stuff that scars the actresses and the viewers for a long time. I have a hard time imagining sexual fantasy damaging people, marriages, and relationships in the way pornography does.

As far as Jesus goes, and his sexual habits, I think its really impossible to know for sure. But we can take a look at the WORD and get a few ideas. Our Savior is fully man and fully GOD, its a hard concept to wrap your head around. However, I really believe that Jesus, as fully man, did have a sex drive, and was sexually attracted to the women around him. I think thats the beauty of our faith. Our savior wasn't just some being high in the clouds, far removed from humanity. He is Emmanuel, hebrew for "GOD with us". He was more like us than all the stained glass windows and crucifixs really communicate.

These are my beliefs and interpretations, and maybe will just have to agree to disagree. That's fine with me. The christian faith is a big enough tent for the both of us. However, I get worried when i see youth groups and churches throw so much attention at this issue. Many a times on this board, i have read things like this, "I recently became a Christian...so I need to quit masturbation". I think when we put to much emphasis on an issue like this, we and up turning our faith into a set of rules. Christianity is about a personal relationship with our LORD...not just a system of rules.

GOD BLESS,

Shel-Yudah

Bingo. Shel-Yudah hit this nail square on the head.

[Crimson Truth]

I think GOD does want us to view our girls as sisters in christ...but he also wants us to view them as potential lovers and future wives. GOD didn't create Eve for Adam just so they could have bible studies and sing worship songs...He wanted them to have sex, love each other inimately, and multiply

Is the term 'lover' just a sexual term for you? I think there is a lot more to love than sex and that's where this idea you have is flawed. Sex is supposed to grow us closer to our loved one. It shouldn't be the basis of its existence. If you can't love someone without sex, then what do you really have?

[grecianwonder]

The fact is When i masturbated this led to me not bothering with work, trying to develop my relationship with God and also giving my girlfriend the security and time she deserves. When i stopped for 3 months i just started doing these naturally.

In my opinion, Masturbation is impossible without thinking of girls in a sexual way which is unhealthy. what your doing when you ejaculate is simulating sex and for that you need to imagine sex and Jesus did say you are not to even think of having sex with a woman who is not your wife because that would be adultery.

[shel-yudah]

Is the term 'lover' just a sexual term for you? I think there is a lot more to love than sex and that's where this idea you have is flawed. Sex is supposed to grow us closer to our loved one. It shouldn't be the basis of its existence. If you can't love someone without sex, then what do you really have?

Whats up Crimson Truth. To answer ur question, I do think there is a lot more to romantic love than sex. I’m glad you brought that up cuz I wouldn’t want anybody to get the wrong idea. I have just been talking about the sex part because the OP asked about masturbation and just about everything in this thread has been sex-related.

The fact is When i masturbated this led to me not bothering with work, trying to develop my relationship with God and also giving my girlfriend the security and time she deserves. When i stopped for 3 months i just started doing these naturally.

In my opinion, Masturbation is impossible without thinking of girls in a sexual way which is unhealthy. what your doing when you ejaculate is simulating sex and for that you need to imagine sex and Jesus did say you are not to even think of having sex with a woman who is not your wife because that would be adultery.

Yeah, I guess if masturbation is causing that much of a disturbance in your life then you shouldn’t masturbate. But that alone does not make it a sin. I believe the verse you are referring to is Matthew 5:28. I have my NASB handy, here’s how it goes “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”. It says “lust” not “thinking of having sex with a woman”. My whole argument is that these two things are not the same. I defined lust in one of my earlier posts as “an intense and unrestrained sexual craving”. I think a lustful man would be more like the stereotypical obsessed woman-stalker, not the guy who daydreams about sex and masturbates. I think we are supposed to view the opposite gender in a sexual way…if you pass through puberty and you don’t something is not quite right. GOD created us with the intent that when we matured we would have sexual desires, and I think sexual fantasy is a perfectly logical byproduct of those desires. Read the Song of Songs and you’ll catch my drift.

-Peace

[Crimson Truth]

I have just been talking about the sex part because the OP asked about masturbation and just about everything in this thread has been sex-related.

Tell me that masturbation isn't sexual. Oh wait, too late - you already said it was. So anything sex-related is, in fact, on topic.

I defined lust in one of my earlier posts as “an intense and unrestrained sexual craving”. I think a lustful man would be more like the stereotypical obsessed woman-stalker, not the guy who daydreams about sex and masturbates. I think we are supposed to view the opposite gender in a sexual way.

Woman stalker? Are you being serious right now? You're actually telling me that lust = sexual cravings and that lust =/= someone who daydreams about sex and masturbates? Daydreaming about sex/masturbating = a sexual craving. You cant just come up with your own meaning of a word, lust by definition includes our thoughts, which are used in masturbation. Please provide some evidence otherwise because these posts just haven't made much sense what so ever.

[shel-yudah]

Tell me that masturbation isn't sexual. Oh wait, too late - you already said it was. So anything sex-related is, in fact, on topic.

Woman stalker? Are you being serious right now? You're actually telling me that lust = sexual cravings and that lust =/= someone who daydreams about sex and masturbates? Daydreaming about sex/masturbating = a sexual craving. You cant just come up with your own meaning of a word, lust by definition includes our thoughts, which are used in masturbation. Please provide some evidence otherwise because these posts just haven't made much sense what so ever.

Whats up Crimson Truth. As far as the first quote in your post, I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. You asked me “Is the term 'lover' just a sexual term for you?” I replyed no. I believe there is more to romantic love than sex. I explained that I have been focusing on the sexual aspect of romantic love because the original poster was asking about masturbation. I was not trying to say that your question was off topic. I guess I wasn’t clear enough or you misread me. It happens.

On the second part of your post: Are you arguing that any sexual craving is sinful? I think that would be a drastic misintrepretation of Bibical morality. I think there are non-sinful sexual cravings and sinful sexual cravings. These cravings can become sinful when they spin out of control, becoming an obbessive thing; intense and unrestrained like stalking, as I mentioned before, or sexual abuse, pedophila, so on and so forth. I think were our disconnect is is that you don’t draw a distinction between the two. From reading your posts, the feeling I get is that you believe ANY sexual craving, fantasy, or attraction is sin. Take alcohol for instance: There is a difference between someone having a beer at a baseball game, and an alcoholic barricading himself in his room and chugging a quart of whiskey.

I mentioned the Song of Songs (in some other bibles its called the Song of Solomon) in one of my other posts. I highly recommend that you read it. The whole book is a conversation between a man and a woman and their journey from falling in love to marriage. The book was original written as a song, hence the title. The man “sings” for a while, then the woman, then a chorus. There’s some pretty erotic stuff in the Songs of Songs, and being part of the holy WORD of GOD I think that speaks truth to my theory: having sexual thoughts and fantasies about the opposite sex is not sinful. I’ve spoken before about how GOD made us with sex drives and we are made in the image of GOD. These sexual desires and fantasies that we experience are part of how he made us. If this was a sin, I think it would be an unavoidable one, and the WORD says in First Corithians 10:13 that there is no such thing as an unavoidable temptation to sin.

1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

I think it is reasonable to say that once we pass through puberty, sexual desires would be unavoidable, you might be able to fight some of them off, but sooner or later some girl is gonna catch your eye. This is what I hear from most of the anti-MB crowd: from time to time, even the guy with the “bounciest eyes” is going to have a moment of sexual desire and fantasy. Given 1 Cor. 10:13, I would say, then that these thoughts are not sinful.

GOD bless,

Shel-Yudah

[FallenAngel]

In my humble opinion it is between you and God... in my personal case I would say its not good for me, I have a history of this sort of thing getting in the way of my relationship with God. I wouldn't really ask the question of "is it a sin" more of "is it helping or hurting my relationship with God". Trying to classify things as specific sins so that you know to avoid them sounds kind of legalistic and Old Testament. I'm not saying there are not clear sins... the 10 Commandments lay those out very nicely, but in gray areas such as this.. I personally do not believe a law or sin classification standpoint is entirely the correct way to approach the issue.

"Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away." - James 1:14 (NLT)

I would say to be precautionary with Masturbation, there is no mistake that it is brought on by a God given and healthy sexual desire. These desires also have a sinful and disgusting side, the sinful world has distorted what God originally intended sex to be and in todays internet age, it is extremely easy for healthy desires to turn into Lust. I started at around 12-13 and well by 15-16 I had a full blown addiction to pornography. It may or may not be "technically" a sin, but it does have pathways to temptation and full out sin.

[Faithful Kevin]

Guys, remember that masturbation is not pure.

1 Timothy 4:12 (New International Version, ©2011)

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Remember the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the ways of the flesh.

Romans 8:13 (New International Version, ©2011)

13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 5:16 (New International Version, ©2011)

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-26 (New International Version, ©2011)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

[SigmaDelta]

I don't want to read anybody's post. Therefore, here is how I view masturbation:

It's not bad. Some people bring up What's-His-Face who spilled his seed and God killed him. But that's because in those times, if your brother died, you had to impregnate his wife. And What's-His-Face didn't do that. He spilled it instead. So that's that story.

Anyway, the act of masturbation, to my knowledge, isn't bad. However, what you watch or think about is bad. If you've even looked at someone with lust in your heart, that's a sin. So thinking about hot chicks while you masturbate, I know that feel, but it's not clean. Personally, I feel like I have to fap really badly, but I know that if I start, I will inevitably start lusting over someone because I can't get off without some kind of stimulus like that. So, it's been really hard on me. I've been giving in over and over; but right now, I've gone quite some time without doing it. And that's pretty good, since I started when I was around 9 as well. That's 10 years of habit I have to break.

TLDR: The act of masturbation isn't wrong, it's what you think about or watch while you do it that is sinful.

[Crimson Truth]

I don't want to read anybody's post. Therefore, here is how I view masturbation:

It's not bad. Some people bring up What's-His-Face who spilled his seed and God killed him. But that's because in those times, if your brother died, you had to impregnate his wife. And What's-His-Face didn't do that. He spilled it instead. So that's that story.

Anyway, the act of masturbation, to my knowledge, isn't bad. However, what you watch or think about is bad. If you've even looked at someone with lust in your heart, that's a sin. So thinking about hot chicks while you masturbate, I know that feel, but it's not clean. Personally, I feel like I have to fap really badly, but I know that if I start, I will inevitably start lusting over someone because I can't get off without some kind of stimulus like that. So, it's been really hard on me. I've been giving in over and over; but right now, I've gone quite some time without doing it. And that's pretty good, since I started when I was around 9 as well. That's 10 years of habit I have to break.

TLDR: The act of masturbation isn't wrong, it's what you think about or watch while you do it that is sinful.

I completely agree with about everything you said. Well put!

[Paper Towels]

I don't want to read anybody's post. Therefore, here is how I view masturbation:

It's not bad. Some people bring up What's-His-Face who spilled his seed and God killed him. But that's because in those times, if your brother died, you had to impregnate his wife. And What's-His-Face didn't do that. He spilled it instead. So that's that story.

Anyway, the act of masturbation, to my knowledge, isn't bad. However, what you watch or think about is bad. If you've even looked at someone with lust in your heart, that's a sin. So thinking about hot chicks while you masturbate, I know that feel, but it's not clean. Personally, I feel like I have to fap really badly, but I know that if I start, I will inevitably start lusting over someone because I can't get off without some kind of stimulus like that. So, it's been really hard on me. I've been giving in over and over; but right now, I've gone quite some time without doing it. And that's pretty good, since I started when I was around 9 as well. That's 10 years of habit I have to break.

TLDR: The act of masturbation isn't wrong, it's what you think about or watch while you do it that is sinful.

I disagree, the very act of masturbation in itself takes sexual pleasure out of its only proper and moral context, and that is during intercourse in marriage. Sexual activity outside of marriage has been condemned in numerous examples in the Bible, whether it be fornication, adultery, bestiality, sodomy, and so on. The point is clear, sexual activity is to be solely experienced in marriage, not in the things I listed before and there is no exception for masturbation, which is a completely self serving act, and strips sexuality from its proper context in marital intercourse. When you say masturbation is okay, the logical conclusion is that any other sort of sexual act with yourself is moral as well, no matter what you are using to get the pleasure you want. Under this idea, using a blowup doll to get an orgasm is the same as masturbation, because it is essentially the same thing; stimulating yourself for sexual pleasure. So I think it is evident that moral sexuality is only obtained in marriage, and certainly not in a self serving act like masturbation.

[shel-yudah]

Well, using a blow-up doll is pretty weird. I think anyone who is doing that needs to get a life. However, I don’t think we can say it’s a sin. I agree firmly with the idea that sexual intercourse should be reserved for a married man and woman, but I don’t think you can lump masturbation in with that. The WORD speaks at length about fornication and adultery, but says nothing about solitary masturbation. As I’m sure people have been masturbating since the beginning of time, I tend to think GOD would have mentioned it if it was that big of a deal to him.

Personally, I think regular masturbation has helped me resist the temptation to have sex with my girlfriend. We are both believers and we want to save sex for the honeymoon. Granted, there is still a huge mental and emotion part of our sex drives, but for me, masturbation can help keep the physical part at bay. I talked at length before about how once people sexually mature, our bodies naturally want sex. This is part of how GOD made us. If your interested, go a read some of my earlier posts. I don’t want to keep saying the same thing over and over again.

I disagree that masturbation is always a self-serving act. I think in some cases it is, but masturbation is also a critical part of understanding how your sexual response system works. Being familiar with the sensations you get when you are aroused, and how to control when you ejaculate is a HUGE part of being able to sexually pleasure your future partner. Being a “minute man” in bed is going to take a lot of passion out of a marriage. One thing the WORD makes clear is that the physical and emotional closeness of sex is a very important part of a godly marriage. Now, this is with the understanding that pornography is not involved, because that’s a different story.

I understand that everyone on this board, and elsewhere, is not going to come to a consensus on masturbation. That’s okay, but I think it would be good if people in the Church stopped putting so much weight on this relatively minor issue. Masturbation is never mentioned in the WORD compared to countless mentions of hypocrisy, selfishness, greed, and gossip; all of which are problems among today’s young men. It really a shame because what I see on a lot of these forums and at churches and youth groups is a beautiful, moving, and life changing faith reduced to a “no masturbating contest”. Imagine what great, godly things us young guys could do if we took all the energy and time focused on masturbation and put it towards helping the poor, or witnessing, or even combating our own sins of greed and materialism (which especially in the US seem to be widespread). An old idiom comes to mind “You have to be able to see the forest through the trees”. Words of wisdom.

God Bless,

Shel-Yudah

[SigmaDelta]

I disagree, the very act of masturbation in itself takes sexual pleasure out of its only proper and moral context, and that is during intercourse in marriage. Sexual activity outside of marriage has been condemned in numerous examples in the Bible, whether it be fornication, adultery, bestiality, sodomy, and so on. The point is clear, sexual activity is to be solely experienced in marriage, not in the things I listed before and there is no exception for masturbation, which is a completely self serving act, and strips sexuality from its proper context in marital intercourse. When you say masturbation is okay, the logical conclusion is that any other sort of sexual act with yourself is moral as well, no matter what you are using to get the pleasure you want. Under this idea, using a blowup doll to get an orgasm is the same as masturbation, because it is essentially the same thing; stimulating yourself for sexual pleasure. So I think it is evident that moral sexuality is only obtained in marriage, and certainly not in a self serving act like masturbation.

I understand your point, and you're probably right. I hadn't thought of it like that before.

[Crimson Truth]

I disagree, the very act of masturbation in itself takes sexual pleasure out of its only proper and moral context, and that is during intercourse in marriage. Sexual activity outside of marriage has been condemned in numerous examples in the Bible, whether it be fornication, adultery, bestiality, sodomy, and so on. The point is clear, sexual activity is to be solely experienced in marriage, not in the things I listed before and there is no exception for masturbation, which is a completely self serving act, and strips sexuality from its proper context in marital intercourse. When you say masturbation is okay, the logical conclusion is that any other sort of sexual act with yourself is moral as well, no matter what you are using to get the pleasure you want. Under this idea, using a blowup doll to get an orgasm is the same as masturbation, because it is essentially the same thing; stimulating yourself for sexual pleasure. So I think it is evident that moral sexuality is only obtained in marriage, and certainly not in a self serving act like masturbation.

But if you take all sexual thoughts and strip that away from masturbation, all you are left with is a few seconds of pleasure. Don't see how just the pleasure, stripped of ALL sexual desires/thoughts, is wrong. Using a blow up doll does not strip all sexual connotations from the action.

[Faithful Kevin]

I don't want to read anybody's post. Therefore, here is how I view masturbation:

It's not bad. Some people bring up What's-His-Face who spilled his seed and God killed him. But that's because in those times, if your brother died, you had to impregnate his wife. And What's-His-Face didn't do that. He spilled it instead. So that's that story.

Anyway, the act of masturbation, to my knowledge, isn't bad. However, what you watch or think about is bad. If you've even looked at someone with lust in your heart, that's a sin. So thinking about hot chicks while you masturbate, I know that feel, but it's not clean. Personally, I feel like I have to fap really badly, but I know that if I start, I will inevitably start lusting over someone because I can't get off without some kind of stimulus like that. So, it's been really hard on me. I've been giving in over and over; but right now, I've gone quite some time without doing it. And that's pretty good, since I started when I was around 9 as well. That's 10 years of habit I have to break.

TLDR: The act of masturbation isn't wrong, it's what you think about or watch while you do it that is sinful.

remember that masturbation is not pure.

1 Timothy 4:12 (New International Version, ©2011)

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Remember the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the ways of the flesh.

Romans 8:13 (New International Version, ©2011)

13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 5:16 (New International Version, ©2011)

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-26 (New International Version, ©2011)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

---------- Post added at 03:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 PM ----------

Just go by the word of God and you will all find answers.