Is masturbating without fantasizing a sin?

The bible is clear, we can beat sin, but no one can beat MB, maybe for periods, but 95% people do. Maybe once your hormones die out you can if you want.

Maybe the reason no one can defeat it is because we're not supposed to.
I know the circle of guilt and repenting many teens feel, I lived with it myself young in fundy church circles, no plan I formed ever stopped me long, resulting in fear and guilt....sad.

If you think MB is one of those horrible sins and are male. Do yourself a favor and get a prescription for some spirolactone and estradiol. That'll clear up that devious fapping that has tempted you for so long :3 Props to those that get it

Ha, this is a subject that was debated many times on the internet! This is my opinion( I do not say that it is the right one): this at the verse from 1Cor 10:31 (So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.). Does masturbation bring glory to God? Also, do you feel guilty of doing it? Could you go and tell all your friends that you touch, without feeling shame? Shame can be a sign to wrong behavior or sin.
Now, for me, masturbation is a sin. But this is only my point of view, and I don't claim others to believe this. The NLT translation for Romans 14:23 is:But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.Because of this verse, if I touch, I will consider that I sin. But maybe others don't.

Logeth,
Yup, I agree with your thoughts. I agree its sin if a person can't give God glory and thank Him for it.
Personally I've been thanking God for masturbation for 30 years or more. Its been one of the great blessing in my life. I tell people I touch and they say something like that's too much info. I just smile at them. No guilt no shame, just the joy of the Lord.

Always looking for a loophole.

Do I think it's wrong to lust in the heart for another woman? Yes.

But I'd rather have fantasies and lust and touch than to commit adultery w/ another woman in the flesh. It is simply my nature - even tho that nature has changed, I still live in the flesh. I have more control over it and I feel guilty from it because of the Spirit of God.

But the Bible seems clear the affect of adultery in the context of scripture as immorality outside of the marriage (doesn't matter if you aren't married, it's still outside of wedlock) is far worse. All Jesus seemed to be pointing to (lust of the heart vs. the physical act) was the fact we cannot save ourselves and that our nature is sinful and we should not judge each other.

Men - we know we love our wives and would never stray physically outside the marriage (at least I hope we wouldn't) but our bodies certainly have overwhelming needs that quite honestly, I'll never understand.

Hi ghs,
Did I read you correctly? Saying sex before we get married is adultery? Do you see anywhere in the Bible that adultery is viewed that way. I see the Bible say saying adultery is taking an other man's wife.

ghs1994 said:

Always looking for a loophole.

Do I think it's wrong to lust in the heart for another woman? Yes.

But I'd rather have fantasies and lust and touch than to commit adultery w/ another woman in the flesh. It is simply my nature - even tho that nature has changed, I still live in the flesh. I have more control over it and I feel guilty from it because of the Spirit of God.

But the Bible seems clear the affect of adultery in the context of scripture as immorality outside of the marriage (doesn't matter if you aren't married, it's still outside of wedlock) is far worse. All Jesus seemed to be pointing to (lust of the heart vs. the physical act) was the fact we cannot save ourselves and that our nature is sinful and we should not judge each other.

Men - we know we love our wives and would never stray physically outside the marriage (at least I hope we wouldn't) but our bodies certainly have overwhelming needs that quite honestly, I'll never understand.

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No where in the bible does it say sexual desire equals adultery. The bible is clear, only married people can commit adultery. Many pull the verse in Matt out of context, that is about lust, the desire to take another man's wife.

dayhiker said:

Logeth,
Yup, I agree with your thoughts. I agree its sin if a person can't give God glory and thank Him for it.
Personally I've been thanking God for masturbation for 30 years or more. Its been one of the great blessing in my life. I tell people I touch and they say something like that's too much info. I just smile at them. No guilt no shame, just the joy of the Lord.

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WOw! This is the first time I hear somebody saying this and it`s strange what I`ve read, but I think that it`s awesome that you are free from shame and condemnation! Way to go! But I am just curious: why is it a blessing? This is really not a judgmental question, just curiosity.

The Protestant focus on masturbation is different than the Catholic focus.

The Protestant focus is on lusting after a woman because, based on the Protestant view of sola scriptura it is proof-texted by certain passages.

But the Catholic does not proof-text a certain verse to tell us what we can or cannot do (athough the passage about Onan spilling his seed is interesting), but looks at God over-all intention in the gift of sex.

The Catholic view is that any sexual stimulation should be done with two things - love and life. Without these two present, any deliberate sexual [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] is a grave abuse of God's gift and greatly offends God. In masturbation, there is no love (except maybe self-love) and there is no possibility to life.

Birth Control (love without life), in vitro fertilization (life without love), homosexuality (love without life) are also grave abuses of God's gift because both love and life are not present.

I find the Catholic position on sexuality to be far more consistent than the Protestant view. The Protestant view is reduced to splitting hairs on this verse or that verse. The letter of the law kills - it leads to legalism or finding lookholes to do what what you always wanted to do in the first place. It is the spirit of law that brings life. To me, it seems that the Catholc Church looks at the spirit of law, and not just to the letter.

Of course, to find the spirit of law, it is helpful to have a living magisterium.

Sure, Masturbation is a blessing, because God created me a sexual being. The hormones work very well and so I desire an [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 we feel guilty we rush to the [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] as if it will be a lesser sin since it takes less time. I odten have taked the time to enjoy this blessing of God.
I'm not one who thinks Christians are to ascetic. So the pleasure that I've experienced over the years has made my life a lot better. When I see men struggling to not be the sexual beings God created them to be, I really feel for them. Just as we look at nature and thank God for the beauty, we should be able to enjoy the sexuality God created us with.
Today we have hundreds of ways to entertain ourselves. Often we have the money to pay for that entertainment. Most of world history there was very little entertianment, few pleasures. Yet God created us so that we had free entertainment in our sexuality. When I think of the church condemning Christians for enjoying that very gift that God gave, it really bothers me.
So that's why I post here, hoping a few will be able to get freedom and enjoy what God created in them with a thankful heart.

How many teen boys and girls have started to touch, then been told by the church that its sinful. They felt so dirty and guilty that they made all kinds of promises to God to stop. But then found days to at most weeks they were doing it again. Eventually, the guilt or they came to think there was no God because God didn't set them free from that sin. So they stopped going to church, stopped attending youth group and it was years before they might turn back to God.
How much better to be told, go to your room, enjoy the gift of sexuality God gave you. Spend some time thanking God for how much He loves you to give you so much pleasure. Then got about doing what you have to do.

OK, I got preachy .. thanks I needed to preach abit.

Logeth said:

WOw! This is the first time I hear somebody saying this and it`s strange what I`ve read, but I think that it`s awesome that you are free from shame and condemnation! Way to go! But I am just curious: why is it a blessing? This is really not a judgmental question, just curiosity.

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I know that guilt, man did I ever live with it as a young man, moreso as a Sunday School teacher and Youth Minister back then. I knew one sincere teen that got so guilty over not being able to stop MB that he eventually took his life, afraid that he was comitting adultery over and over and thought better to repent and die than risk his soul. Sadly, he talked to many leaders in the fundy church and all told him the same, sin, adultery, etc...tell that crap to a 17 year old. Worse is this movement in fundy churches like "Every Mans Battle" that instill more guilt, want you to tell someone everytime you have a sexual thought or MB....solves nothing and instills a life long trip of guilt.

If people have a problem with MB blame God as MB becomes a natural habit starting at age two and becomes sexual after puberty, two things beyond our control. Sure, with enough guilt and fear some may obstain if they're married, OTT, 95% still do single or married.

I now see it as a blessing as long as it does no harm. It does take years to rid yourself of the guilt you're indoctrinated with for years. What makes me mad is even those older telling everyone it's a sin admit they did it when young and most continue until old age makes it no longer needed.

Has someone posted if they can do it without fantasizing yet? I am genuinely curious if there are people who can without fantasizing. Don't be all hank hill shy on it >_>

Amber the Duskbringer said:

Has someone posted if they can do it without fantasizing yet? I am genuinely curious if there are people who can without fantasizing. Don't be all hank hill shy on it >_>

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I have read some that make such claims, it's also a common teaching, that MB is OK as long as you have no sexual thought in many fundy churches, just to relieve the tension only. However, that's being legalistic and unrealistic for most. Maybe a young lad at 15 can do so, most can't. Certainly women need more mental stimulation.

Science has proven we have a hormonal connection between our brain and privates, you can fight it all you want, but seldom will you win, it's hard to defeat the way God designed the natural body. Why do you think wet dreams are so sexually explicit that you can [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] without touching yourself....again, brain body.

I think healthy amounts of sexual fantasy are natural and needed during MB, obvious within limits, no thoughts of harm such as rape, incest, etc..
It's dangerous when we try to rewire our neural pathways other than how they were designed. For those that try, they create neural pathways of guilt and fear and often guilt will arise from any sexual thought or pleasure, even in marriage.

It's just fact, before puberty we're asexual, after puberty we become very sexual.

dayhiker said:

Sure, Masturbation is a blessing, because God created me a sexual being. The hormones work very well and so I desire an [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 we feel guilty we rush to the [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] as if it will be a lesser sin since it takes less time. I odten have taked the time to enjoy this blessing of God.
I'm not one who thinks Christians are to ascetic. So the pleasure that I've experienced over the years has made my life a lot better. When I see men struggling to not be the sexual beings God created them to be, I really feel for them. Just as we look at nature and thank God for the beauty, we should be able to enjoy the sexuality God created us with.
Today we have hundreds of ways to entertain ourselves. Often we have the money to pay for that entertainment. Most of world history there was very little entertianment, few pleasures. Yet God created us so that we had free entertainment in our sexuality. When I think of the church condemning Christians for enjoying that very gift that God gave, it really bothers me.
So that's why I post here, hoping a few will be able to get freedom and enjoy what God created in them with a thankful heart.

How many teen boys and girls have started to touch, then been told by the church that its sinful. They felt so dirty and guilty that they made all kinds of promises to God to stop. But then found days to at most weeks they were doing it again. Eventually, the guilt or they came to think there was no God because God didn't set them free from that sin. So they stopped going to church, stopped attending youth group and it was years before they might turn back to God.
How much better to be told, go to your room, enjoy the gift of sexuality God gave you. Spend some time thanking God for how much He loves you to give you so much pleasure. Then got about doing what you have to do.

OK, I got preachy .. thanks I needed to preach abit.

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Well that`s an interesting point of view! And I see that many from here agree that masturbation it`s not a sin; sincerely, is the FIRST time I hear Christians saying this and that`s why I am shocked. Man, in my country people are still arguing about women not wearing dresses as being a sin, so there is no chance to even try to say that MB is not a sin- you would be damned forever.

Fapping is good for you. Schlicking too girls. Don't report this, think about it. We have wet dreams yes? Those are obviously signs our bodies need to ya know. I think if everyone took the time to burp the worm there would be less war.

Logeth,
There is a young Romanian who posts on another message board I read. He posts quite a bit about stories on TV. Its pretty amazing how different that that is than here. It was at least 60 yrs ago that most of those ideas were being talked about here in the USA. Though some still have that attitute today.

Logeth said:

Well that`s an interesting point of view! And I see that many from here agree that masturbation it`s not a sin; sincerely, is the FIRST time I hear Christians saying this and that`s why I am shocked. Man, in my country people are still arguing about women not wearing dresses as being a sin, so there is no chance to even try to say that MB is not a sin- you would be damned forever.

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funnky said:

this is so g ay

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Really? In what way?

Freedom63 said:

Please do not pay any attention to this advice. It is nonsense and it is most certainly not biblical.

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Hey, if you want to reject the constant teaching of the Church from Jesus all the way till now then you just go right ahead. However, I will say that you are wrong and that you should do your research.

Ave Maria said:

Hey, if you want to reject the constant teaching of the Church from Jesus all the way till now then you just go right ahead. However, I will say that you are wrong and that you should do your research.

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You have yet to provide a single scripture. I have researched this topic EXTENSIVELY by the way. You go ahead and embrace the non-biblical teaching of your church all you want. But don't try to present it as God's teaching without even a shred of biblical support!!

Freedom63 said:

You have yet to provide a single scripture. I have researched this topic EXTENSIVELY by the way. You go ahead and embrace the non-biblical teaching of your church all you want. But don't try to present it as God's teaching without even a shred of biblical support!!

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Fine, I will provide Scripture:

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
(Acts 15:28-29 RSV)

Masturbatio is unchastity.

Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
(1 Corinthians 6:18-20 RSV)

It is definitely not glorifying God by masturbating.

We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
(1 Corinthians 10:8 RSV)

This verse is referring to sexual immorality which is what masturbation is.

But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
(Ephesians 5:3-5 RSV)

Masturbation is impurity.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
(Colossians 3:5 RSV)

Masturbation is impurity and results from passion.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you.
(1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 RSV)

Again, masturbation is unchastity.

Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
(Acts 15:19-20 RSV)

Again, masturbation is unchastity.

Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
(Romans 13:11-14 RSV)

This clearly says we are not to gratify the desires of the flesh. Masturbation results from desires of the flesh.

Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife he spilled the sperm on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also.
(Genesis 38:8-10 RSV)

As you can see here, God slew Onan because he spilled his seed on the ground. Are you not doing the same when you touch? All sexual acts are to be open to life. Masturbation most certainly is not open to life.