I think i have to say touching yourself is as much a sin as talking is, depends on the way it's done. Here are a few really good quotes from another site i read.
"I can only come up with three reasons why "thou shalt not touch" is not found in the Bible:
1. It's an oversight.
2. One must have special knowledge or be spiritual to know this truth.
3. Masturbation is not an inherently sinful act.
Number one makes the Bible incomplete, while number two is the heresy of Gnosticism.
By process of elimination I am left to conclude that number three must be true."
"Most of the arguments we see against masturbation seem to work because the person making them starts with the belief that masturbation is wrong. If someone starts with the question "is it sin" and studies the scripture to find the truth rather than to support what they have already decide the truth should be, the results are different. It is our prayer that asking "why didn't God say masturbation is sin" will help people to reexamine the issue and find a Biblically sound answer."
From what i've read in the Bible: When that guy was put to death for spilling his seed, it was the meaning behind it, he was trying to steal from his brother by not bearing a child for his widowed wife.
Another example is when (in levitcus i think) the Bible talks about washing yourself in the Jordan after having sex/yada yada yada, most people fail to mention that the previous versus' talk about a lepersy outbreak, why this is never mentioned by people trying to prove it a sin? because it's detrimental to their case.
Science: the benefits of sex are based on [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse], therefore touching yourself should be the same
"Sex is a very good impetus for the strengthening of the immune system. It has been tentatively proved that those people, who have sex on a regular basis, are much more protected against various viral diseases than those, who prefer abstinence: healthy sex saturates blood with antibodies. Therefore, sexually active men and women suffer from widespread infectious diseases such a flu and cold less frequently. As for sexually transmitted diseases, the answer is obvious: a condom makes perfect."
"American scientists, who continuingly study sexual possibilities of homo sapiens, discovered that the moment of [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] gives a very powerful incentive to a large number of chemical reactions and physical procedures in the body. The speed of blood circulation reaches its maximum, whereas the oxygen-enriched blood reaches all internal organs, including brain, very quickly. Hypothalamus - the center for control of the hormonal system - also governs the work of learning and memorizing centers.
"
**i don't encourage sex outside of marriage***
I have also read from a few reliable sources that a study was conducted on the relation between [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] and prostate cancer, to summerize the the study of the 10,000+ men who [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] about once a day from the age of ~22 to 40 had 40% fewer cases of prostate cancer; men who [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] fewer than 7x's a month was the base of comparison. this study said that these finds were very interesting, but not final. more research was needed, but it makes you think
"The idea that avoiding masturbation will somehow make a person less likely to commit other sexual sins is not Biblically supported, and we think such an idea comes from what Paul calls "self-imposed religion" in Colossians:
(NIV Col 2:20-23 )
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their selfimposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
"Masturbating shows no sign of self control, or denying yourself to honor the Lord. As with fasting, not masturbating is denying your flesh and depending on the Lord.
This assumes that the Lord intends us to not touch, something He has not told us. 1 Cor. 10:13 reads:
(NIV 1 Cor. 10:11-13 )
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Is masturbation a temptation to be avoided, or is it actually the means of escape from sexual sin, provided by God for singles, and for married folks who are refused sex? ..."
" It is impossible for someone to touch and not fantasize. Anyone who says they can do this is lying!!
We have heard this a number of times, but no one can tell us how they know it's true. There are reports of very young children self discovering masturbation (to [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]) when they had no idea what sex was. These children obviously masturbated without sexual fantasies. If someone tells me they can do this, who am I to call them a liar? Isn't it easier to control one's thoughts for the time it takes to touch than to do it all day with the push of an unreleased sex drive?"
"We have heard a lot of explanations of why masturbation is sin, but we have yet to have anyone give us a good explanation for why the Bible does not say it is. Is there any other sexual sin which is not directly and clearly identified as sin in the Bible? There are passages which clearly label as sin such things as fornication, adultery, lust, incest, rape, homosexuality, and even bestiality. Surely the urge to touch is more common than most of these, and much stronger than many of them, and yet the Bible says nothing about it. If God felt it necessary to tell us not to have sex with animals, why didn't He also find it necessary to tell us not to touch?"
personally i feel that by running around saying "touching yourself IS A SIN!!!" (note, not stating you think it is) as if it says so right int he Bible is putting words in God's mouth. no where does it directly say it, or from what i've seen (my mom agrees with me and she reads the whole Bible about once a year) i don't see it indirectly said either. therefore by stating that it is a sin and that the Bible says so is a lie and heresy against the word of God. it is an on going debate with *opinions*