Is touching yourself a sin?

StreetPreacher said:

touching yourself is sin no matter how you look at it.

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on what basis?....next youll be saying that sex is a sin

Sex can wait, touch!

Maynard Keenan said:

Sex can wait, touch!

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Dont mastrubate!

Dukey said:

on what basis?....next youll be saying that sex is a sin

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Sex outside of marriage is sin (fornication). After one is married, then sex with someone besides your spouse is sin (adultery).

bobznew said:

Another thought here...

How many people (please, no show of hands necessary) have, at some point have asked God to help you stop masturbating?

Now, how many of you have asked God to help you START masturbating?

I think each person is capable of drawing his/her own conclusions on this matter.

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Bob - I respect your point here, but I'm just not sure it really proves the point. Now you're definitely right about the second half - many people ask God for help stopping. But for many people, it's been pounded into their heads all their lives that masturbation and any form of sex is evil evil evil. (BTW - not saying sex before marriage is cool, I'm just referring to the two in tandem!) So are people asking for help because it's really wrong or because they think it is? I mean, I don't believe that having a drink is bad - some people think any form of alcohol is strictly verboten. So likely, nobody is asking God to help them start drinking, but surely people are going to ask God to help them to not drink. That doesn't mean it's wrong. Not trying to pick at you here, but I just disagreed with ya.

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue. I think that the attitude that it's this evil thing destroys a lot of young Christians though. I read a quote by a pastor, probably on this board somewhere, so please forgive me if I'm stealing your quote. "It's not a good habit to get into." But the way I see it - young people are going to have sexual desires no matter what. That's part of hormonal changes and the development of their bodies. Given the choice between having a young man go and make out with some girl because he's so filled with lust he feels out of control, or masturbating to relieve the sexual tension occasionally, I think it's a given.

Now, maybe my view of this is just entirely too liberal. I do think there is a problem when people get into pornography or make masturbation a habit - there are plenty of other, more constructive, ways to work off tension. When it becomes a regular thing, I believe it actually increases the desires for sex and makes it harder to deal with. It becomes an obsession and people can get fixated on sex. And there are many ways to divert ones attention from things without resorting to masturbation. By fulfilling those desires too often, your body gets used to that sensation and wants it more and more. Not to say it's definitely going to make you have sex, because you make that decision for yourself, but it's certainly going to make you want to do it a whoooole lot more. It may lead to you getting interested in pornography or flirting with temptation with the opposite sex. And why make it harder on yourself?

A lot of younger people seem to really struggle with this. They feel like they're evil because they've done something that is going to get them thrown out of heaven when Jesus never said anything specific about it at all. I think that if it were a mortal sin, He would have been a bit more specific.

Maybe I'm just being crazy liberal about this. But it's something that I've looked into, and after having read what I can, the way I see it - don't let it become an addiction. Don't let it become a god before you, just like anything: sex, money, anything! Sex should be an amazing thing in the marriage bed - and masturbation has the potential to ruin it and preserve it. If you're going to burst if you don't relieve yourself somehow - by all means, do what you need to do to save your purity for your future spouse. I don't think that that takes away your virginity. But by the same token - don't make it a frequent activity and get certain pictures or expectations in your head that your future partner can't live up to or fulfill because you've set them so high by making sexual pleasure a part of your life for long before you meet them.

I hope no one is offended! I'm not trying to condemn anyone who thinks it is absolutely wrong. I just think that God would have been specific if it were something that were a really serious problem. I mean, He made it clear that we should save ourselves for marriage, but not so much here. I have done a lot of reading and things after seeing that there is a lot of debate in the church, and this is just sort of the conclusion I've come to after all that reading. Hope I haven't stepped on any toes!

God Bless.

Maynard Keenan said:

Sex can wait, touch!

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LOL Maynard. I didn't catch that when I read through the thread before. That's pretty catchy.

Garnet said:

I just think that God would have been specific if it were something that were a really serious problem.

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He was!
matthew 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Now, if you can touch without thinking of anyone, or having a desire to have sex, then knock yourself out. But I doubt that it is possible..
God bless!

pro_odeh said:

He was!
matthew 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Now, if you can touch without thinking of anyone, or having a desire to have sex, then knock yourself out. But I doubt that it is possible..
God bless!

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Pro -

I agree that this is a scripture that warns against lust and giving in to lust. But what I'm saying is that if it were something that were as huge a deal as fornication or homosexuality, it would have been mentioned more clearly. In my opinion, at least. It's not that it wasn't an activity common in young boys way back in His time - it isn't something that's just cropped up in our time. It doesn't seem like He would be trying to trick us by giving us cryptic scriptures about it.

Me personally? I'd rather not because it just leads to more lust. But what I was trying to say was that I think it's one of those things that was left unclear and it comes down to what a person believes about it. I don't think anyone should point fingers and condemn a fourteen year old boy who's bursting with hormones and tell him his feelings are evil, and that's what a lot of people do. Just don't let it be a habit, because when it does, sex becomes a god before you. The quote I mentioned before went on to say that if seemed absolutely necessary to relieve some tensions, then do it and move on. Learn to refocus your attentions and learn what leads you into temptation.

I don't know, maybe I'm completely off-base here.

Garnet, I know what you mean. But just to get some things clear..
You mention fornication or homosexuality as big deals. But remember that in Gods eyes, all sins are the same.
And another thing. There are many christians that dont find the Bible clear on homosexualety (although I cant undertand how they make that happen), even if it is a huge deal as you say.

For some masturbation can be an ease of tention, and to get out sexual feelings. But I know that for most of the time it is being misused. And that is too sad. The act in itself is not a sin (Rom 14, 14), as I have said before, but it usually brings a lot with it. I am warning others to start doing it. Because its often a bad circle witch leads to other sins. And it also makes your lust for sex bigger.

Now, I am not condemning those who do it. But Im saying this, so I wont be a stumble rock for those who struggle with the issue. Because many boys (and girls?) have this as 'the big' sin in their life. And it is a problem..

But if some can touch without sinning, knock yourself out. But keep it for yourself, and dont tempt others to get into it.. Not all are so strong in faith.. Read Rom. 14, and think about it for a while..
God bless!

Just to clear that up - I'm not trying to encourage anyone to do it or to say it's a positive thing. Hopefully I didn't draw anyone into temptation. I think I made it pretty clear in my post how I felt - I just see a lot of the teenagers on this forum with broken hearts over this issue, and wanted to help them see another way of looking at it. That's all.

To help make this a more constructive post - one thing I have found that helps turn you away from those lusts is to put on a Christian CD or get out the Bible and get really into it. Don't just try to not think about it - it's like trying to ignore the elephant standing in the corner. You just keep looking at it anyway. Put on your favorite CD and sing along and eventually you just forget what was tempting you. And get away from the temptations - I quit reading a certain newspaper column because it was causing me to have thoughts I didn't like. I miss reading it because it was funny, but it feels better now. Get a Net-Nanny or only use the Internet with your door open, if it's a porn thing.

I think you're right pro_odeh - the problem is what comes along with is; the increased desire for sex, sometimes pornography, or increased sexual activity with other people. I wasn't disagreeing with you there.

I think Romans 14 is an excellent scripture in this case. I think that for most people, avoiding masturbation is a better idea, cause most people will be led into more temptation. (Myself included - I definitely am not trying to say I am more faithful or stronger than ANYONE - cause it's definitely not true.) Excellent choice.

All in all - don't start but don't beat yourself up if you struggle with it sometimes. Fair enough?

Garnet said:

To help make this a more constructive post - one thing I have found that helps turn you away from those lusts is to put on a Christian CD or get out the Bible and get really into it. Don't just try to not think about it - it's like trying to ignore the elephant standing in the corner. You just keep looking at it anyway. Put on your favorite CD and sing along and eventually you just forget what was tempting you. And get away from the temptations - I quit reading a certain newspaper column because it was causing me to have thoughts I didn't like. I miss reading it because it was funny, but it feels better now. Get a Net-Nanny or only use the Internet with your door open, if it's a porn thing.

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These are good advices! Follow them guys!

Garnet said:

All in all - don't start but don't beat yourself up if you struggle with it sometimes. Fair enough?

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God bless!