Let us talk masturbation.

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LinkxPeach

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Masturbation is a sin if you do it lustfully for instance say you know someone like a friend or looking up pictures of women exposing nudity and you was thinking about them or seeing images of them mentally or on the computer while masturbating at the same time.
 
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KitKatMatt

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I don't believe it's a sin, personally.

I was brought up being told that it was a sin, and that to even be sexually attracted to someone else was a sin. This riddled me with guilt that has pulled me down for years.

Finally I started praying and asking questions about it. The answer I got was that God gave me this body, and that He put in it many desires and drives. I have a sex drive just as I have a hunger drive, and since I can't turn it off, sometimes I need to sate it so it quiets down for a while (just like I have to eat so my stomach stops growling). Albeit, I don't have to bother with my sex drive nearly as much as my hunger drive, which is much more active.

Nothing from the answers I have received shows me that it's wrong to do. But that's just my personal experience from this, it may not be the same with others. God leads us all on different paths :)
 
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Drumfan84

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I'm still new to Christianity, and one of the things that I hear a lot is that masturbation is a sin. I can see the reasons for being told that, but I disagree with them. I question that "opinion" with this: is it better to do it myself, rather than going out, and having sex with someone I'm not in a relationship with; or beginning a relationship JUST to fulfil this need?
 
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Hawthourne

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Though I don't see masturbation without lust being condemned specifically in the Bible, I would say that I am certainly concerned by it- not because of what it is, but because of the justifications for doing it. When discussing it in the past with people, I have been told that it is being used as a controller for one's natural sex drive. However, the idea of needing it to practice self-control doesn't seem to emulate the fruit of the spirit to me :(. Paul said that if you are burning with passion, that you should get married- not self medicate with masturbation. If that were an option, then wouldn't it allow people to control their urges without having to care for a family? Seems like the best of both worlds. Yet, Paul doesn't treat it as a viable alternative, suggesting to me that it is not something we should engage in.

See the verses around 1 Corinthians 7:9.
 
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Ruba

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Well it is true that in the bible there is nothing that talks about masturbation itself, but there are plenty of scriptures regarding purity. There is this wonderful blog I read about a girl who struggled with this problem, and was having the same question. The blog is called One Girl's Battle with Lust - By Renee Thompson (I would like to give a link, but I don't have more than 50 posts up yet.)

I just want to quote a paragraph from there which is:

"As my faith grew, I took a second look at some Bible verses I'd dismissed during my earlier search. While they didn't say not to touch, they all stressed the importance of purity. Purity, I learned, was both the choice to be pure and the action of remaining pure. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul offered solid advice about how to choose purity: "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV)." (In her case, she had to flee from romance novels, because they were causing the temptation.)


As a woman, I struggled with masturbation many times in my life. I learned pretty quickly after every time I gave into that temptation, I'd feel guilty, I am not happy, and I feel like God really dislikes me because of what I done. I know something is incorrect when I am trying to list all the excuses saying its okay. This makes you feel like you're on a whole roller coaster of negative emotions and thoughts, and a lot of the time it drove me away from God himself because I just couldn't face him knowing what I've done.

"While I was trying my best to be a good Christian, I overlooked the fact that being a Christian means focusing on Christ. When I spend time with God, feeling his love for me, I see lust and masturbation become the empty imitations of love that they are." - Same article

My best answer is that masturbation is a sense of empty love. Its us struggling with the flesh that can't fulfill our hearts. Our flesh always suffers from that longing for fulfillment and can never reach it, but our spirit can be filled to where we become content, and that is through Jesus Christ alone. ^_^
 
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Forever trying

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Well it is true that in the bible there is nothing that talks about masturbation itself, but there are plenty of scriptures regarding purity. There is this wonderful blog I read about a girl who struggled with this problem, and was having the same question. The blog is called One Girl's Battle with Lust - By Renee Thompson (I would like to give a link, but I don't have more than 50 posts up yet.)

I just want to quote a paragraph from there which is:

"As my faith grew, I took a second look at some Bible verses I'd dismissed during my earlier search. While they didn't say not to touch, they all stressed the importance of purity. Purity, I learned, was both the choice to be pure and the action of remaining pure. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul offered solid advice about how to choose purity: "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV)." (In her case, she had to flee from romance novels, because they were causing the temptation.)


As a woman, I struggled with masturbation many times in my life. I learned pretty quickly after every time I gave into that temptation, I'd feel guilty, I am not happy, and I feel like God really dislikes me because of what I done. I know something is incorrect when I am trying to list all the excuses saying its okay. This makes you feel like you're on a whole roller coaster of negative emotions and thoughts, and a lot of the time it drove me away from God himself because I just couldn't face him knowing what I've done.

"While I was trying my best to be a good Christian, I overlooked the fact that being a Christian means focusing on Christ. When I spend time with God, feeling his love for me, I see lust and masturbation become the empty imitations of love that they are." - Same article

My best answer is that masturbation is a sense of empty love. Its us struggling with the flesh that can't fulfill our hearts. Our flesh always suffers from that longing for fulfillment and can never reach it, but our spirit can be filled to where we become content, and that is through Jesus Christ alone. ^_^

I think this is a beautiful, right-on-the-money statement. Sooo, my answer... What she said :thumbsup:
 
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Hawthourne

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"Sexual frustration is natural and unavoidable (for most people). No need to suffer when the solution won't hurt anyone."
Since this is a Christian forum, do you have biblical reasoning for believing so? From what I have seen the "solution," according to Paul, is marriage.
 
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Cearbhall

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Since this is a Christian forum, do you have biblical reasoning for believing so?
No. I'm not Christian, and I don't have any reason to believe that masturbation is inherently harmful. You're free to disagree. And I was raised Catholic, so having biblical evidence was never a big deal. :D The RCC is technically against masturbation, but no one ever told us to refrain from doing it.
 
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Hawthourne

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k, was just wondering if you could contribute to a Biblical discussion about it. As far as being harmful, I see it this way: If you can abstain for a couple of weeks without having any adverse effects, then you have a case. However, if going without it causes one to experience adverse emotional or physical effects, one may want to rethink their dependency.
 
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Cearbhall

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If you can abstain for a couple of weeks without having any adverse effects, then you have a case. However, if going without it causes one to experience adverse emotional or physical effects, one may want to rethink their dependency.
So in your mind, the default is not doing it, and there would have to be substantial negative consequences of abstinence in order for one to justify masturbating. In my mind, it's the opposite. It's pleasurable and releases sexual tension, so it's absolutely fine in the same way that a massage is fine because there aren't any negative consequences.

Evolution has made us crave sex. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging our desires.
 
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Hawthourne

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I disagree with your assertion that evolution has made us crave sex, since I don't believe in evolution as it is usually set forth as a universal theory. Regardless, I agree that humans certainly have an innate and natural desire for sexual intimacy. Masturbation is an attempt to medicate this desire. I warn against dependency, which can come about due to the chemical processes in the brain. I wish to avoid repeating myself as I already talked about this on another thread which got locked (maybe Kit can find it) but there are significant arguments that excessive masturbation/inappropriate content usage has severe consequences on a person. These consequences are less measurable in people who are occasional users (less than once a week) as the little research done in this area tends to focus on heavy users (Your Brain on inappropriate content .com for example). However, this is why I recommend to people to see if they are able to use it sporadically, or if they have already been caught in the spiral.
 
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Cearbhall

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I disagree with your assertion that evolution has made us crave sex, since I don't believe in evolution as it is usually set forth as a universal theory.
Ah. Well then we probably don't have much common ground. But thank you for the pleasant conversation! :)
I wish to avoid repeating myself as I already talked about this on another thread which got locked (maybe Kit can find it) but there are significant arguments that excessive masturbation/inappropriate content usage has severe consequences on a person.
Oh, well certainly, nearly anything can be misused or used in excess and therefore result in negative consequences. There are adults who can't handle using a stove. I only said that there is nothing inherently wrong with masturbation.
 
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dmpeace

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Well it would be hard to do this sexual act without thinking of lust or looking with lust and Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 whoever looks with lust commits adultery in the heart. 1 Corinthians 6:9 and in Ephesians and other places it says that no adulterer will inherit the kingdom of heaven, remember this is your soul, pray against that temptation. Colossians 3:3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Don't just listen to those who say its not a sin.
 
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I think this is a beautiful, right-on-the-money statement. Sooo, my answer... What she said :thumbsup:

Yes, I agree.. this is deep down what I feel as well!

I can keep telling myself that it is harmless and that it is fine, but deep down when I used to do this, I kept feeling rubbish and further away from God, so I am keeping praying that God will help me not to do it.

I also feel that God has different ideas about this for everyone. While some may be fine with it, it doesn't mean it's right for everyone, I don't think so anyway

(it is very hard sometimes though :( )
 
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