Weird jump, but is masturbation sinful?

[Rapscallion]

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

Rapscallion

[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.

[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.

[Cat]

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



(sorry....I had to)

[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.

[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.

[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?