Is it the case that Christians think masturbation is wrong?

Question

What about Muslims and Jews and others? I would particularly like to hear from the Christian perspective.

Answer 1

It could be.

Answer 2

Like anything, don't assume that all Christians have the same answer on such subjects (in fact, maybe you should be a little worried if you get a standard answer from so-called 'religious people' on such difficult questions...)

Yes some Christians believe that masturbation is wrong. They would perhaps explain that anything that takes you away from God's purpose (which is much more higher and divine than our own selfish pleasures of the flesh) is an evil pursuit. Some christians also believe that watching TV is also wrong, using the internet, wearing make-up etc etc.

Others believe that masturbation is an ok thing - its ok to enjoy the body God gave you etc, not to be ashamed of it. But that if you start getting carried away and spending all day every days getting jiggy with yourself, well maybe its become an addiction and therefore a distraction from putting God and other people first.

Answer 3

The more enlightened Christian sects seem to accept the concept that masturbation is okay. At least they don't tell you that you will burn in hell if you touch your body. The Catholic religion of course still lives back in the 17th Century and thinks sex is something for procreation only. They don't allow their priests to marry or even masturbate and now the Church is in moral and financial ruin mainly because denying your God given sexuality is not such a good idea after all. The Evangelicals have some wacky anti-sex ideas too. I know I attended their church as a child and couldn't believe the nonsense they were preaching. Even then I couldn't see anything wrong with playing with my weenie! Then you have the fundamentalist Muslims who think it's a major sin to masturbate but okay to fly planeloads of innocent passengers into buildings full of innocent people and the virgins will be waiting for them afterwards! (I'm only talking about the extremists here, not the entire Muslim religion) I'm not really anti religion...it can be and has been a force for good throughout history...you just have to ignore some of the nonsense that comes from the more wacky variety. God (or Allah or whoever!) bless us all, including us masturbators! Amen!

Answer 4

Josephine,
Oh, I try to keep it going about once a day. Other than lusting after some in my own heart at times, I'm not sexually active.

It is wrong, sure. But I am not Christian because I am so pure, I am Christian because I trust God and His promises. If my sinlessness were anything to consider, I would be hellbound for sure.

It's all about trusting God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Not what sin is what sin. But look how rare my answer is compared to other Christians. They don't know what to do with the issue of sin. They think that they can live clean lives. While I admit that, if there is a sin to be had, I am most likely guilty of it.

Answer 5

There is actually little in scripture directly relating to masturbation...my thought is that there is no prohibition...so the act itself must not be inherently wrong

On the other hand, lust is always prohibited

The visual imagery one uses during masturbation would seem to be the issue then....can we put our mind in a place that is sexual and not lustful....i think we can no matter our marital staus....we can visualize our wives or future wives

lust for others outside the marriage state...use of material that objectifies women such as porn....these are more clear cut prohibitions....

As a man thinks, so he is

The sin of Onan by the way was disobedience to God's direction to fulfill his brother's lineage...not the action itself

Answer 6

Many religious people believe masturbation is wrong. However the biblical origin of Onan 'spilling his seed on the ground' is thought to refer to coitus interruptus rather than masturbation.

Many other religious people have a much more open minded approach to sexual matters.

This is a good thing since the vast majority of men and women do it.

Answer 7

Well, I've heard that some Christians argue that God doesn't think masturbation itself is wrong, as it doesn't particularly say it in the Bible; but say looking at porn and that kind of stuff is wrong - that part is the sin.

I'm a Catholic and I agree with these arguements.

Answer 8

The thing is that Christians believe sex is just for procreation, not for fun. In the case of Catholics priests and nuns, they don't even have sex, they have it forbidden. That's why they end up molesting small children, they have to get around that inforced repression. The tabu they put over sex just makes it more attractive for the young people put in "only women" religious schools. Those end up loving sex more than anyone else, since the forbidden is always more attractive. I guess religion is slowly fading away..

Answer 9

In the Bible it says that a man should not drop his seed on the ground/dirt....
I would love to hear more on it also.I hear some Preachers say Dont masturbate. I think if not tempered properly Masturbation can become addictive and lead to Porn..

Porn leads to disturbing and misguided ideas of sexuality and closeness.

*standing by for answers*
I think i'd chose the lesser of two evils, Chossing to releive myself, rather than be sexually active outside of Marriage....

Answer 10

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to say that it is wrong. Jesus only ever said that fornication is wrong once in the Bible and never mentioned masturbation, and as for Onan? That was not masturbation, it was coitus interruptus, pulling it out before ejaculation, that was his sin.

Answer 11

Don't you remember the Monty python song?

"Every sperm is sacred"

They believe that contraception is wrong, and, in a way, masturbating is wasting sperm, so therefore, killing life before it has a chance to grow. It's probably equal in crime to using a condom in sex. Killing the baby before it's given a chance.

Glad I'm an athiest w*nker!