Many would answer that they have done so, and found it not to be sin. I have no answer for such a one.
Have you?
Ask them to explain what uncleanness is when it is listed as a work of the flesh and among the sex sins then before going off to those other kinds of works of the flesh.
Some will say that fornication is just referring to prostitution so that they can continue to have sex before marriage, but they are still sinning in God's eye.
I don't think He meant for us to go peering into other people's bedroom windows to see whether they are masturbating or not.
I have always thought of sin as something that causes harm.
I can't see the sin in masturbation.
Whatever feeds the lust is what a believer is sowing towards and will reap corruption since God is not mocked and the infirmity that is in the flesh has been mentioned in the scripture in the N.T. by Paul as something to bring under submission along with our sinful thoughts to think on good things with His help.
And I'm not about to go around asking people whether they touch or not, in order that I may "correct" them.
If the "believers" go around telling people what they are doing in their sinful lifetsyle, then you are obligated to correct them in Christ's love and with His help.
So, let me get this straight. If you find out that your brother or sister in Christ is masturbating, and he or she tells you to mind your own business, you will announce it in front of the entire church?
And what do you expect would happen next?
I would say that the brother or sister cannot tell me to mind my own business if they are making it publicly known AND teaching others that it is okay. Jesus taught His disciples to make disciples of others as they too are to make disciples of others.
Are you really comparing masturbation to having sex with your stepmom?
The example is given about judging one another in correcting one another to the point of excommunication if they do not "repent". You were insinuating in previous replies that you believed we are not supposed to judge any one.
Frankly, I think you are creating a Tempest in a Teapot....or making Much Ado About Nothing....
And what are you doing or attempting to do here with a reply like this? Judging me as in correcting me by telling me not to correct others? Kind of a conundrum, isn't it?
What do you do when your son gets to "that age", and suddenly starts spending hours "combing his hair"??
Time to talk about the birds & the bees and how much we need Jesus as our Good Shepherd to follow Him and not run the way the world runs.
Believe it or not, christian "fornicators" will see christian masturbaters that are trying to correct them from fornication, will say to the christian masturbaters, "Was masturbation good enough for you?" in a sarcastic manner as if God does not really expect us to control our urges but just give in to them since God must made us that way.
It is a war of principality in wrestling with dark forces in the heavenly realm as there are "unclean spirits" about as mentioned several times in the scripture in the N.T. Do we really need to side step this issue on account that mankind used a different word today of masturbation from what the Bible used uncleanness for, back in the Biblical day?
But only God can help them to see the truth, but if they are blinded to it, and they go around making it publicly known, then the discipline of discipleship needs to be done.