Weird jump, but is masturbation sinful?

[Flyndaran]

Everyone knows that I'm not religious, so I'm always a little fascinated by what gets religious people all up in arms.

So to start off with one topic, how sinful if at all is masturbation?
Many non-human animals do it.
It doesn't promote promiscuity so is less disease spreading..

What is everyone's take on this from a personal religious perspective?

[BroomJockey]

Well, I know from previous experience, the Bible calls it "Onan's sin," as Onan was struck down for not impregnating his brother's wife by pulling out at the last moment and ejaculating on to the ground, against God's wishes, and so extrapolated from there to any spilling of seed is immoral. There may or may not be more against it, but that seems to form the backbone of the argument against.

Which ignores the fact that mostly God killed Onan because God had ordered him to do something, and Onan had refused. Wacky guy, that God.

[AFPheonix]

The story of Onan is where most of it comes from, although it's more of a misreading of the story. He kept pulling out because he wanted to keep banging his brother's wife, rather than having to stop because he knocked her up as he was supposed to in the first place.

The rest comes from the whole Puritan angle that sex is dirty and bad, but necessary for procreation. If you're having sex for fun, then you're being dirty. You obviously can't impregnate a sock or a kleenex, so in some people's eyes that is sinful by not using sex for what it's supposed to be used for.
Also, some people feel that masturbation encourages or is the result of impure thoughts, especially if you're using imagery other than your spouse to get off with. A Christian's thought life is pretty important to keep sanitary.

[Cat]

Every sperm is scared
Every sperm is great
If a sperm gets wasted, God get quite irate.



(sorry....I had to)

[Flyndaran]

I can't believe that everyone on this board agrees with me. That would be unheard of. :)
No one out there thinks masturbation is even a little wrong?

Ruby has made me want to hear from those with wildly different views than me eventhough I've been a little dickish to her in some of my posts.

[AFPheonix]

Well, in the case of my roommate's ex-husband, his porn and masturbation habit took precedence over being intimate with her, so yeah, that was wrong.

But masturbation in and of itself is not, and is present in a lot of other species.

[Rapscallion]

When you say 'sinful', you mean 'damned fine fun'? Right? Or 'good for the economy', right?

Rapscallion

[BroomJockey]

Or 'good for the economy', right?

Rapscallion

Do I sense a "Whack it for poverty" telethon coming up?

[Rapscallion]

Only if I can get royalties for inspiring the intellectual property.

Rapscallion

[Flyndaran]

I think it's funny that masturbation has been used to help the fight against depression.

[lovlybones]

I was always under the impression that masturbation was a sin, but then again...I did it anyway hehe..;)

I think it had something to do with purity or something, but I don't really follow religion these days

[BroomJockey]

I think it had something to do with purity or something

Not directly. The Puritan stance is that sex itself is dirty, only to be done for procreation. Thus, any sex that cannot produce children is sinful.

The Bible's injunction against it specifically has already been enumerated in that mostly, it was Onan going against God's wishes. I'm not familiar with any other condemnations, but I've hardly memorized the book.

[blas87]

I would say that a lot of fundies could take that theory and shove it....whatever happened to "Sex can wait, masturbate!"

[MadMike]

This is another case where I find myself agreeing with the late great George Carlin. He once said, "If God didn't want us to masturbate, he would have made our arms shorter!"

[joe hx]

This is another case where I find myself agreeing with the late great George Carlin. He once said, "If God didn't want us to masturbate, he would have made our arms shorter!"

like a trex? poor, poor trex

[DrFaroohk]

I think its to do with impure thoughts, as well. You're not supposed to think about sex, ever! I think Jesus said that if you fantasize about committing adultery, that is the same as doing it.

[BlaqueKatt]

. He kept pulling out because he wanted to keep banging his brother's wife, rather than having to stop because he knocked her up as he was supposed to in the first place.


minor correction:

at that time the child Onan would have created would've been considered his brother's son, and as his brother was the eldest before death the family estate would have passed to the child-Onan did not want to give up anything, especially not to his own child-it was pure greed.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, personally, I don't know if it is or not. But it's a lot more fun if it is, so....

[Boozy]

I agree. This repressed society has really made all things sexual very exciting, hasn't it?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

It's obviously a sin because it's fun and/or pleasurable.

Therefore religious types won't like it for whatever other 'reasons' some hack cooked up thousands of years ago.

[Flyndaran]

Ahh, I was just trying to see if our resident ultra religious person thought it sinful.

[Lace Neil Singer]

According to the Skeptic's Annointed Bible, sex in itself is sinful, unless used to procreate (and these procreations rarely produce daughters, so where all the women in the world came from is anyone's guess) but for all that, there's a hell of a lot of sex in the bible. O_o

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/sex/long.htm

Oh yeah, and for anyone interested, here's the bit about masturbation and what the site says about it:

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fv/long.html
Gen.38:9-10
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.

After God killed Er, Judah tells Onan to "go in unto they brother's wife." But "Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and ... when he went in unto his brother's wife ... he spilled it on the ground.... And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also." This lovely Bible story is seldom read in Sunday School, but it is the basis of many Christian doctrines, including the condemnation of both masturbation and birth control.

[Bright Star]

Consider that God created humans. He created your hands & the sex organs. Now if you weren't meant to masturbate then God would have made your arms too short to reach your genitals thus making masturbation impossible in the conventional way. BUT if that had happened then could sex not have happened in the way it did? Human sexuality is based around a lot of touching so hypothetically speaking, shorter arms would have resulted in an altered way of having sex.
Something to think about. & personally, I see nothing wrong with it.
How can you please someone without knowing how to please yourself?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Consider that God created humans. He created your hands & the sex organs. Now if you weren't meant to masturbate then God would have made your arms too short to reach your genitals thus making masturbation impossible in the conventional way. BUT if that had happened then could sex not have happened in the way it did? Human sexuality is based around a lot of touching so hypothetically speaking, shorter arms would have resulted in an altered way of having sex.
Something to think about. & personally, I see nothing wrong with it.
How can you please someone without knowing how to please yourself?

But.. but the BIBLE says that it's a SIN!!!!! It's does! really! you can't question the BIBLE or the Lord will SMITE us all!!!

Since when did the super religious types need any more proof than that?

Anywhoo, if it's true that god worked through evolution to create the world ( a classic 'we can be religious and scientific too!' attempt) and that evolution used sexual pleasure to encourage reproduction: there's no reason why seeking that pleasure is anything other than natural

[Flyndaran]

...
Anywhoo, if it's true that god worked through evolution to create the world ( a classic 'we can be religious and scientific too!' attempt) and that evolution used sexual pleasure to encourage reproduction: there's no reason why seeking that pleasure is anything other than natural

I thought it was obvious why, what with the false dinosaur bones planted to test our faith. God's a dick.
Really, it's the uber-religious that make the best argument for this god guy being a giant sadistic dick.
He gives us a brain, but doesn't want us to use it. He plants false evidence to test our faith. He avoids planting any evidence whatsoever for his existance. He gives us almost uncontrollable urges, but demands that we resist them completely.
All in all, god's a dick.

[fireheart17]

Every sperm is scared
Every sperm is great
If a sperm gets wasted, God get quite irate.



(sorry....I had to)

Why did I have the feeling that this would come up?

Well, in the case of my roommate's ex-husband, his porn and masturbation habit took precedence over being intimate with her, so yeah, that was wrong.

But masturbation in and of itself is not, and is present in a lot of other species.

Agreed. A lot of the teen girly magazines share all these myths on masturbation i.e. it's a sin, it encourages your palms to get hairy etc. but the one thing they agree on is that it shouldn't take over your normal life.

Do I sense a "Whack it for poverty" telethon coming up?

Now that is just funny and I'm surprised I didn't violate Rule #1!

[Caveat Emptor]

"You can wrap it up in ribbons, you can slip it in your sock. But don't take it out in public or they will stick you in the dock, and you won't... come... back!"

:D :p

[AdminAssistant]

A lot of the teen girly magazines share all these myths on masturbation i.e. it's a sin, it encourages your palms to get hairy etc. but the one thing they agree on is that it shouldn't take over your normal life.

Whereas Cosmo gives you complete "how-to" guides. :p

Here's another interesting tangent: attitudes of male masturbation vs. female masturbation. Honestly, I felt all weirded out by the thought of it for the longest time, long after I became sexually active. I don't know why, it just seemed like that was a guy "thing" that good little girls didn't do. Got over that, though...and it improved everything so much. If you don't know how to get yourself off, then how can you tell your partner?

[BroomJockey]

Here's another interesting tangent: attitudes of male masturbation vs. female masturbation.

Damn, that is a good one. Because after all, if a guy wants to do anything, it's gonna require friction and fairly obvious movement. Some women can get off by crossing their legs and bouncing a foot like they're impatient or bored. And I read that in part of an article talking about how many women who do things like that don't consider it masturbation, since obviously getting off requires being naked and fondling your parts.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Since female masturbation isn't mentioned in the bible; guess it's not sinful. XD

[DesignFox]

Since female masturbation isn't mentioned in the bible; guess it's not sinful. XD

I guess it's because our eggs don't go spurting allover the place when we get off... :D

[AdminAssistant]

Some women can get off by crossing their legs and bouncing a foot like they're impatient or bored. And I read that in part of an article talking about how many women who do things like that don't consider it masturbation, since obviously getting off requires being naked and fondling your parts.

Huh?

All I can say is...wow.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I guess it's because our eggs don't go spurting allover the place when we get off... :D

Depends on whether you believe what you see in porn or not. XD

[anriana]

only if you're catholic

[Nyoibo]

Depends on whether you believe what you see in porn or not. XD

20' spray?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Obviously we haven't reviewed the bible enough, we can condemn anything with it so let's get to work.

So it's gonna be in the part that no one (sane) cares about, written by a guy with no authority or proof, encoded as the first two letters in the second word of every other sentence in every third paragraph and once we've flipped it backwards and replaced two vowels and flipped it back over only to make the first letter and next to last switch and then flip it again... "Female masturbation is teh roxxorz and I liek chockin mah chiken 2?"

No this can't be right, let's try the same thing on the part written by the guy with only slightly more authority than this one...

No... this one says "all penises shalt be cloven in two upon birth so thou shall not give thine partner as much pleasure"

Well, what I'm trying to say is that rationalizers of the bible are experts at rationalizing the irrational.

[Red_Dazes]

"Sex and sexual pleasure should be had only between a man and a woman in their time of intimacy. Masturbation is a sin against God and his laws! Condoning, practicing, or committing this act is a sin and punishable in the fires of HELL!"

*cough* to quote my Uncle on several occasions. Thought you would like some religious antics in here *aside* can any one guess why I don't visit the bastard anymore?

My response, though not to his face, because I love my Aunt and don't want to put her in a bad situation between me and the old ass face "If 'god' is that much of a bastard, Hell is looking more and more like fun!"

((This is the same man who organized a "prayer group" and tried to cast demons out of my 13y/o nephew because his mom found PORN under his mattress... >< the fuck 13 year old boy doesn't have PORN? Ass))

[bunnyboy]

There was at one point a discussion among me and some friends about it, that really nothing in the bible actually says that it's a sin, in fact Onan's Sin isn't masturbation but coitus interruptus.... of course they were reminded by someone in the group that the real sin was (as has been said already) the sin of saying "Whateva, I do what I want" to God.

[joe hx]

"Sex and sexual pleasure should be had only between a man and a woman in their time of intimacy. Masturbation is a sin against God and his laws! Condoning, practicing, or committing this act is a sin and punishable in the fires of HELL!"

my (now dead) uncle always said it was better to masturbate than rape. only he said it in a much funnier way...

of course they were reminded by someone in the group that the real sin was (as has been said already) the sin of saying "Whateva, I do what I want" to God.

I thought you were going to say using the Lord's name in vain. "Oh, God!! Oh, God!!"

[fireheart17]

20' spray?

Thank you Ny, I just snorted Coke out of my nose....:p

[Nyoibo]

Thank you Ny, I just snorted Coke out of my nose....:p

You're welcome, I'm guessing it wasn't a 20' spray? :p

[Dreamstalker]

20' spray?
O_o

This just in: energy drink through the nose HURTS x_x

[Ree]

I don't really know about the whole "Bible story" approach to it, but in my Catholic upbringing, I was taught that it was sinful because it was self indulgent and covered under the sins of lust.

I was taught that there is a risk of the person becoming so wrapped up in self pleasure that they lose focus and forget about all others.

It was not necessarily about the "sexual" being wrong or dirty, but it was more about the fact that an act designed to be shared with another for the purpose of procreation becomes more about a solitary act of self fulfilment.

[Rapscallion]

It was not necessarily about the "sexual" being wrong or dirty, but it was more about the fact that an act designed to be shared with another for the purpose of procreation becomes more about a solitary act of self fulfilment.

Well, until I get an offer I don't run away from...

Rapscallion

[Ree]

Well, until I get an offer I don't run away from..Aha...and there are some who might say the very fact that you have turned "inward" instead of "outward" is what keeps you running away from the offers. :p:D

[Nyoibo]

Yeah, but masturbating in front of people in public is illegal, so it's better he turns it "inwards" :p

[crashhelmet]

Ree is correct, as far as the Catholic viewpoint is. It's a sin because your'e giving in to Lust, and some could/would say Greed and/or Gluttony as well, which are 3 of the Seven Cardinal Sins.

As for a different reason, I'd have to go with what others have brought up as far as the verse where Jesus says that even thinking about it is just as bad as doing it or the puritanical belief of it being "dirty."

CH

[gremcint]

I haven't read the whole thread but someone said that the point of sex in the eyes of religion is to procreate and only to procreate. Well masturbation can improve stamina and production therefore making you more effective in an actual sexual encounter.

Masturbation isn't sin, it's exercise.

[fireheart17]

Masturbation isn't sin, it's exercise.

Actually I read something up today about the fact that if you wanna try for a baby, you need to have MORE sex, not LESS sex. Something to do with the sperm being damaged if they can't escape often.

I wonder if the concept could apply for masturbation :p

[BroomJockey]

I wonder if the concept could apply for masturbation :p

Your smiley says your joking, but it does. Frequent emptying of the epididimys stimulates additional production of sperm, which have greater vigor for being fresher. Works the same as the "more sex" approach.

[joe hx]

You're welcome, I'm guessing it wasn't a 20' spray?

Every time I open this thread, I see that comment and... well, and.

From what I understand, "frequent emptying of the epididimys" is not only healthy, but required. If a man does not masturbate, then it is extremely likely that he will have a wet dream or "nocturnal emission." (Although there's currently no scientific evidence for this as of yet).

[Flyndaran]

Every time I open this thread, I see that comment and... well, and.

From what I understand, "frequent emptying of the epididimys" is not only healthy, but required. If a man does not masturbate, then it is extremely likely that he will have a wet dream or "nocturnal emission." (Although there's currently no scientific evidence for this as of yet).

TMI time.
Not for me. My medication elminates my sex drive, and my sheets stay dry.