Masturbation and religion

    • We are Presbyterian and go to Church Weekly. Masturbation is not discussed in my church or home.

      The first time I masturbated was a couple of years ago when I was 14. I remember after the first time I masturbated my whole body felt amazing, but then I started feeling really silly and embarrassed.

      I have got a lot better at controlling my body and really enjoy playing with myself when I get Horne. When I finish I still feel silly and get embarrassed.

      i have never been caught, but I would be mortified if my Dad ever caught me. I would be embarrassed if mom did too but not nearly as bad.

    • Are you and/or your family religious?

      Yes

      If so, what religion are you?

      Evangelical Christian

      Does your religion have a position on masturbation, like saying masturbation is a sin?

      Its a sin and the punishment for it is hell

      If your religion condemns or frowns upon masturbation or says its a sin or something like that, do you masturbate anyway or refrain from it?

      Most of the time I refrain but I have given in sometimes when I am weak

      If so, do you confess that you masturbate at confessional?

      I get myself to church asap, get busy kneeling down in the pews, repent and ask forgiveness

      Have your parents, siblings, friends, or anyone else caught you or otherwise know you masturbate?

      Mum caught me once. It was after she caught me I decided to stop/try to stop as much as possible

      If your parents know, what is their reaction or feelings about you masturbating?

      I got grounded for it

      If you don't masturbate because of religious reasons or religious or overbearing parents, have you had wet dreams or ejaculations from other methods?

      Yes it happens sometimes

      I know a lot of you won't agree with my belief that masturbation is a sin and that it's punishable with hell but I had to answer honestly, I can't lie. The actual act of masturbating itself might not be an actual sin but it's the lustful/sinful thoughts that go with it that would be the problem, and let's be honest no one masturbates without having those thoughts. The Lord would like it if we focus our minds on worshipping him and not giving in to lustful thoughts. I'll stop before people think I am trying to preach, I am not, that's just what I think.
      I worship God, hard. It's not always easy, I won't pretend it is. It's much easier to give in to sin and there is always the temptation, it's a battle every day.

    • James_is_Grounded wrote:

      Are you and/or your family religious?

      Yes

      If so, what religion are you?

      Evangelical Christian

      Does your religion have a position on masturbation, like saying masturbation is a sin?

      Its a sin and the punishment for it is hell

      If your religion condemns or frowns upon masturbation or says its a sin or something like that, do you masturbate anyway or refrain from it?

      Most of the time I refrain but I have given in sometimes when I am weak

      If so, do you confess that you masturbate at confessional?

      I get myself to church asap, get busy kneeling down in the pews, repent and ask forgiveness

      Have your parents, siblings, friends, or anyone else caught you or otherwise know you masturbate?

      Mum caught me once. It was after she caught me I decided to stop/try to stop as much as possible

      If your parents know, what is their reaction or feelings about you masturbating?

      I got grounded for it

      If you don't masturbate because of religious reasons or religious or overbearing parents, have you had wet dreams or ejaculations from other methods?

      Yes it happens sometimes

      I know a lot of you won't agree with my belief that masturbation is a sin and that it's punishable with hell but I had to answer honestly, I can't lie. The actual act of masturbating itself might not be an actual sin but it's the lustful/sinful thoughts that go with it that would be the problem, and let's be honest no one masturbates without having those thoughts. The Lord would like it if we focus our minds on worshipping him and not giving in to lustful thoughts. I'll stop before people think I am trying to preach, I am not, that's just what I think.
      I worship God, hard. It's not always easy, I won't pretend it is. It's much easier to give in to sin and there is always the temptation, it's a battle every day.
      I believe that grounding for jerking off is definitely over the top, or maybe you was punished for watching porn ;) when it comes to masturbation it is better to do it in moderation.
      It is hard to expect that a teenager or even a young adult in their twenties will not have sexual thoughts, and thanks to masturbation you can easily discharge yourself, probably better than casual sex

    • James_is_Grounded wrote:

      ...The Lord would like it if we focus our minds on worshipping him and not giving in to lustful thoughts...
      Without lustful thoughts, he would only be worshipped for one generation and then the worshipping would cease after that generation died childless.

      Given the earlier age of marriage and later puberty at the time the bible was written, lusting after a woman who is not your wife would almost always mean:
      1. Lusting after a woman who is someone else's wife.
      2. Lusting after another woman despite being married yourself.
      There was no need to address the case of single guys lusting after single girls because, by the time you were getting sexual thoughts, you were married.

    • seashellginger wrote:

      if certain priests did it more maybe they wouldn’t abuse children?
      I remember seeing that summed up in the expression "Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers".

      I did see an article published some time ago which was was, I think, a response to concerns that increased access to porn might be over-sexualising those who watch it, especially guys, or causing them objectify women and that an increase in sexual assaults may result. The author of the article didn't have access to figures on porn consumption but used access to the Internet as a proxy for that. As more people became connected to the Internet, so the rates of sexual assault decreased with the curves (once one had been inverted) closely matched.

      Of course, it could be coincidence and it could be that the Internet is somehow educating guys about not committing sexual assault but that does seem less likely than a reduction in sexual frustration helping guys who previously struggled to control themselves. To me it reinforces the idea that sexualisation isn't something external. In guys, the desire to cum regularly comes from within, from testosterone, and it is better to direct thar desire into something harmless than try to resist it.

      But I am not sure why sexual frustration alone would cause the clergy to molest the altar boys. Surely they can't suppose that their God thinks that is preferable to either masturbation or a secret affair with a woman or man their own age or the use of a prostitute. How could that be true when the majority of people see what they do as utterly disgusting.

      So maybe it's more a case that the requirement for celibacy discourages those whose sexual desires are normal while the presence of the altar boys encourages those who wish to molest them. The Anglican church also faces this problem but, without the celibacy requirement, there is more competition for entry to the clergy.

    • Are you and/or your family religious? My family is Christian and we live in a Islamic country, but I am not sure I believe. My parents do not push it on me and I don't have to participate at church if I don't want to.


      If so, what religion are you? I call myself agnostic rather than atheist


      Does your religion have a position on masturbation, like saying masturbation is a sin? In Christianity it is a sin I believe, because it would be lusting and fornication


      If your religion condemns or frowns upon masturbation or says its a sin or something like that, do you masturbate anyway or refrain from it? I refrain from it just in case God is judging me, but I have no problem if others do it.


      If you don't masturbate because of religious reasons or religious or overbearing parents, have you had wet dreams or ejaculations from other methods? N/A but I do still have sexual dreams even without masturbating I think that is uncontrollable and normal

    • Sean2001 wrote:

      seashellginger wrote:

      if certain priests did it more maybe they wouldn’t abuse children?
      I remember seeing that summed up in the expression "Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers".
      I did see an article published some time ago which was was, I think, a response to concerns that increased access to porn might be over-sexualising those who watch it, especially guys, or causing them objectify women and that an increase in sexual assaults may result. The author of the article didn't have access to figures on porn consumption but used access to the Internet as a proxy for that. As more people became connected to the Internet, so the rates of sexual assault decreased with the curves (once one had been inverted) closely matched.

      Of course, it could be coincidence and it could be that the Internet is somehow educating guys about not committing sexual assault but that does seem less likely than a reduction in sexual frustration helping guys who previously struggled to control themselves. To me it reinforces the idea that sexualisation isn't something external. In guys, the desire to cum regularly comes from within, from testosterone, and it is better to direct thar desire into something harmless than try to resist it.

      But I am not sure why sexual frustration alone would cause the clergy to molest the altar boys. Surely they can't suppose that their God thinks that is preferable to either masturbation or a secret affair with a woman or man their own age or the use of a prostitute. How could that be true when the majority of people see what they do as utterly disgusting.

      So maybe it's more a case that the requirement for celibacy discourages those whose sexual desires are normal while the presence of the altar boys encourages those who wish to molest them. The Anglican church also faces this problem but, without the celibacy requirement, there is more competition for entry to the clergy.
      I've read that for priests it can be a form of sexual immaturity, they become celibate at an early age so their sexual thoughts are based on what they felt as they approached and went through puberty. For some any sexual experience they may have had would have been with a male friend of a similar age, and probably would have been considered experimenting. So they may base their feelings and desires solely on the experiences they had as a boy.

    • maseb wrote:

      Sean2001 wrote:

      seashellginger wrote:

      if certain priests did it more maybe they wouldn’t abuse children?
      I remember seeing that summed up in the expression "Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers".I did see an article published some time ago which was was, I think, a response to concerns that increased access to porn might be over-sexualising those who watch it, especially guys, or causing them objectify women and that an increase in sexual assaults may result. The author of the article didn't have access to figures on porn consumption but used access to the Internet as a proxy for that. As more people became connected to the Internet, so the rates of sexual assault decreased with the curves (once one had been inverted) closely matched.

      Of course, it could be coincidence and it could be that the Internet is somehow educating guys about not committing sexual assault but that does seem less likely than a reduction in sexual frustration helping guys who previously struggled to control themselves. To me it reinforces the idea that sexualisation isn't something external. In guys, the desire to cum regularly comes from within, from testosterone, and it is better to direct thar desire into something harmless than try to resist it.

      But I am not sure why sexual frustration alone would cause the clergy to molest the altar boys. Surely they can't suppose that their God thinks that is preferable to either masturbation or a secret affair with a woman or man their own age or the use of a prostitute. How could that be true when the majority of people see what they do as utterly disgusting.

      So maybe it's more a case that the requirement for celibacy discourages those whose sexual desires are normal while the presence of the altar boys encourages those who wish to molest them. The Anglican church also faces this problem but, without the celibacy requirement, there is more competition for entry to the clergy.
      I've read that for priests it can be a form of sexual immaturity, they become celibate at an early age so their sexual thoughts are based on what they felt as they approached and went through puberty. For some any sexual experience they may have had would have been with a male friend of a similar age, and probably would have been considered experimenting. So they may base their feelings and desires solely on the experiences they had as a boy.
      Interesting points. I can see how a person who is sexually confused having arrested development and never truly growing up so they develop feelings for youth. There's other theories out there too but I won't get into it cuz talking about child molesters pisses me off.

      I have one friend who says he doesn't bate. For him it's religious. He's catholic. I know many Catholics bate, but not all. I'm sure he gets horny and has urges but he just resists them. Everyone gets urges to bate or have sex unless there's physically something wrong.
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