masturbation and religion?

masturbation and religion? (Holy shit you gave up what for lent?)

How many people have been told that masturbation is against their religion but still do it? I have. Right now I am giving it up for lent, thank god only a few more days, and my wife just had a baby 2 weeks ago, so no play for me in a while...lol. Anyone else?


Response #1: (I was a naughty catholic girl)
I suppose growing up Catholic, some nun along the way said something about touching oneself as being "bad". Like most things I learned in the Catholic church, I ignored this advice.

Response #2: (I like to get in the mood by fixing myself a good stiff drink)
Good Lord, isn't it hard enough getting laid without playing hard to get with yourself???

Response #3: (Jacking off is bad um-kay)
I always heard that masturbation was "bad" because it wasn't procreative (is that a word?) - and that sex was something you did with your spouse, not yourself. Luckily I learned that there's not a thing wrong with masturbating!

Response #4: (I am all for masterbation if it saves the kids...)
I consider myself to be religious and I don't think that under certain circumstances mastrubation is NOT bad at all. More and more conservative Theologens are supporting masturbation for un-married folks in lew of falling victim to premarital sex.

Response #5: (Oh my you bad boy. Do you want to play dirty catholic girl?)
I believe that this message comes across in many forms. from the way we made fun of it as kids, to this kind of hidden message that it's bad for some reason, i do believe people get that message. growing up, i went through a lot of pain because of that very message. i thought i was unclean and unsaved because i had to use this as an outlet. i believed i was sinning and evil to the core. then i read a book Orle (sp?) Roberts wrote geared toward teens. In it he adressed this and said that it wasnt directly written about, and kind of said that in his mind it was okay. that really gave me a lot of relief, because i was really beating myself up over it. no, i do not believe it is a sin, and when i am in the mood i do it. it provides outlet for fantasies i cannot live, and it bridges the gap between my drive and my wife's lesser drive. i see it as a healthy extension of my sex life, and i enjoy it.

Response #6: ( a bit of history, do we really care?)
Christian churches have misinterpreted a passage in Genesis 38 about Onan "spilling his seed" and incurring God's wrath as a teaching against masterbation. The real point (in most Biblical scholars view) is that Onan was supposed to impregnate his dead brother's wife (Tamar) and practiced "coitus interuptus" instead. He did this because of the way inheritances worked. If she had a son, he would stand to inherit a piece of his father's estate (the father in question was Judah). Onan didn't want his share diluted by this extra share. So God smote him. Tamar ended up seducing Judah himself and her son's lineage led to King David and eventually to Jesus

Response #7: ( The bible as a great smut book)
I have some issues with the lesson in this book of the Bible. God smote Onan for spilling his seed on the ground to avoid impregnating his dead brother's wife and losing a hunk of his inheritance but it was OK for her to seduce and be impregnated by her father in law. It's little things like this that make me take a less than literal view of the Bible. I do not honestly believe there is anything that indicates masturbation is outlawed by any major religion in the world. I was reading about the Puritans the other night. They had some very strict laws about what was and wasn't acceptable. I think a great many of the taboos they dreamed up have become the basis for many of the hang-ups we have today.

Response #8: (you mean it is wrong for me to skip out on work to play with myself?)
As a christian, my point of view is this. Most look at it in the same light as alcoholism, Is it bibicaly wrong to drink? Absolutly not. What is wrong is when it gets out of hand and we fall into to the wrongs associated with out of control alcoholism or masturbation. Is it wrong to refuse your spouse sex then go masturbate? Yes. Is it wrong to neglect your job to masturbate? Yes. Is it wrong to neglect your children to masturbate? Yes. As for the story of Onan in Gen 38, the Lord was angry NOT for spilling his seed, but for failing to using it to impregnate his "relative".

Response #9: (Masturbation = happy less crabby people)
Well I suppose that one should not avoid their job, partner, children but one might be jollier if they alleviate themselves on occasion. To masturbate does not mean that these other things are going by the wayside. And likewise, if I have no "relative" does that mean I should be dry til I find one? I sure hope not.

Response from poster: ( Is lent over yet?)
Great posts. I only stopped because i found myself half way through lent, my wife was about to give birth and I hadn't given anything up for lent. So I figured that I would give up masturbation. I only have a few more days. Its been 2 weeks, so I'm sure I can wait a few more days, but man has it been hard.

Response # 10: (555-5555 and you too can talk to god... he said it was all right for me to get frisky with my johnson- it is all good.)
I find that I had to have a conversation with God and as a matter of course know that masturbation is a fine and loving thing to give myself. As a child I did not find religion to be kind or overly loving really. Rather demonizing actually. I like my current deal. And if I had to wait til I was coupled or having sex with someone else that would be rather lonely and oft a long wait. Better to be happy and satisfied. There are so many other things that just are not so good in life. Why deprive yourself of something so satisfying that is not harming others. It is a good thing.