# Is masturbation immoral **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776 "2007-12-21T01:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/41 "2007-12-21T11:40:45Z")
Was raised Presbyterian. Always felt sinful and dirty and guilty as a child when I would masturbate. Did it anyway. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t, and I don’t remember a time when I didn’t feel guilty about it, growing up. These days? I’m 29 years old. I don’t honestly remember when I stopped feeling guilty. It’s been well over a decade. These days it’s just a very pleasant way to relax. I don’t think twice. Nobody ever told me as a child that it was immoral or wrong. Nobody ever mentioned it. Nobody ever caught me doing it. I just remember instinctively thinking that of course it was wrong, and that I shouldn’t be doing it. Who knows where I got that idea? I wish somebody could tell me. Now I feel kinda sorry for my girlfriends, some of whom never masturbated til years after they lost their virginity. It’s far easier, from what I gather, to enjoy sex if you already know what you’re aiming for. I always knew what I was aiming for. I dunno why I felt such guilt at an early age. I dunno why I _stopped_ feeling guilty. You could say I grew up, or you could say I “lost my religion,” or any number of things. All I can say now is that I’m not sorry at all. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/42 "2007-12-21T12:16:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mordwynd] She did pretty much say it was spitting on God’s gift. [/QUOTE] Yeah, well… lubrication helps. You don’t mention your age, gender, or religion. No matter, your feelings on the subject come through loud and clear. Feel free to stir the soup. I think it becomes a problem if it interferes with personal relationships, but most people are able to reconcile the two. Personally, as an atheist, I encourage God to kill kittens on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/43 "2007-12-21T12:31:06Z")
If loving me is wrong, I don’t want to be right. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/44 "2007-12-21T12:52:50Z")
Don’t any of you ever see a thread title and go, “guest”, without even looking at the name. And by “guest”, I mean. . .you know. Come on. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/45 "2007-12-21T14:25:04Z")
He could be a troll, but I don’t care - the discussion is interesting. I forgot to mention my religion in my previous post - none of your business. Religion is a private matter. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/46 "2007-12-21T14:35:39Z")
The discussion is interesting? Whether masturbation is immoral? That question is 8 million ways of retarded. He just wants to point and laugh at all the dopers talking about whacking off. He’ll come back in a month and go, “am I a bad person for eating a whole bag of Doritos while sitting at my computer.” It’s so fucking predictable at this point. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/47 "2007-12-21T14:45:34Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Religion is a private matter. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but so is masturbation. Unless you’re doing it up on a soapbox on a busy street corner. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/48 "2007-12-21T14:47:34Z")
If it results in somebody else having to clean up after you, it’s immoral. Like if you had blown your nose on your neighbor’s couch. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/49 "2007-12-21T14:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Yeah, but so is masturbation. Unless you’re doing it up on a soapbox on a busy street corner. [/QUOTE] I think I own that movie, too… ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/50 "2007-12-21T15:02:24Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] How do I know? I’m in the group. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Before, my palms were so hairy that I had to shave them every morning, and by the afternoon they were already thick with coarse, dark hair again. [/QUOTE] > [@Catholic Highschool Girls In Trouble](#): > > **Voiceover:** Finally an adult motion picture has the **courage** to reveal the **thruth** about masturbation! > **Some guy** comes out of bathroom staring at his hands (giant claws): Aaaahh! aahhhhhaaaahgghh! [http://imdb.com/title/tt0076257/](http://imdb.com/title/tt0076257/) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/51 "2007-12-21T16:16:57Z")
Not only is it not immoral, the meddling prudes who argue that it is and try to make people feel guilty about doing it are engaging in an enormously immoral act themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Mordwynd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mordwynd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mordwynd)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/52 "2007-12-21T16:21:58Z")
For the record **Trunk** , I don’t have a membership here because I’m a teenager with no way to get a membership. Sorry for wanting to ask a question that other people seem to have no problem answering, if you got a problem with it, then go somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/53 "2007-12-21T20:26:15Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] It’s so fucking predictable at this point. [/QUOTE] While it’s certainly possible you are correct, for the moment let’s give the OP the benefit of doubt. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/54 "2007-12-21T22:08:33Z")
Yes, it’s immoral, and yes, I’m a churchgoer (Catholic). ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/55 "2007-12-21T22:23:28Z")
I think it’s not immoral. I’m athiest. Those that consider it immoral, please, for which animals is it immoral? Only for humans? For humans and primates? For all social animals? For absolutely all animals? How about animals that fertilize their mates without intercourse, like male fish who ejaculate into the water near the female? ---
**Author:** ![Mordwynd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mordwynd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mordwynd)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/56 "2007-12-21T22:31:23Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Yes, it’s immoral, and yes, I’m a churchgoer (Catholic). [/QUOTE] Could you explain why it’s immoral? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/57 "2007-12-21T23:00:30Z")
What kind of god would give people access to something pleasurable and completely harmless and then declare it immoral? I’m an atheist, but I didn’t buy that concept even when I was a believer. Sorry, but if you aren’t hurting yourself or anyone else, it’s not a sin. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/58 "2007-12-21T23:15:26Z")
[QUOTE=Mordwynd] Could you explain why it’s immoral? [/QUOTE] Sex exists for the unification of two married people and masturbation is seuxal activity that is contrary to that. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/59 "2007-12-21T23:18:01Z")
I was raised Presbyterian (a rather stuffy, boring kind of Protestant.) Now, I’m sort of halfway between Taoist and Presbyterian. No, it is not immoral to come unscrewed. Onan’s great sin was not masturbation. God, having an out-of-character day, told Onan to commit adultery and make a bastard child with his sister-in-law. Onan disobeyed God, which pissed Him off. If Onan had simply refused to boff his SIL, and hadn’t spilled his seed, the sin would have been the same. However, Mordwynd, don’t get your hopes up. You won’t change your friend’s mind. She came to her conclusion by faith. No amount of logic will defeat a position that was not reached by logic. Sorry. She believes that the only good use for her goodies is chugging out babies for the next Crusade, and you can’t change that. Years later, when 5 little kids drive her stark raving nuts, she may begin to question her teachings. Alas, too late. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/60 "2007-12-21T23:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Sex exists for the unification of two married people and masturbation is seuxal activity that is contrary to that. [/QUOTE] Sex exists for the propagation of the species. Anything anybody wants to do that brings no harm to another is nobody’s business but theirs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776.md?page=4)