# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/101 "2007-12-22T20:20:07Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] If masturbation transmutes kittens to puppies, why isn’t the world devoid of felines and brimming with canines? Therefore, some mechanism is transmuting them back… what could it be? [/QUOTE] Teenage boys? (But that would mean lots and lots of dead kittens…so you’re asking why we have so many live adult cats?) ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/102 "2007-12-22T20:22:15Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] Perfectly moral (or, IMHO, not even an issue of morality or lack thereof). I tend to feel that folks who concern themselves with the self-stimulating habits of others should probably find better ways to occupy their time. Atheist. [/QUOTE] Ditto! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/103 "2007-12-22T21:34:00Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] A marriage can also be harmed if alcohol, television, or the Dope interferes with sex. Your point? [/QUOTE] Yes, and those things are bad when they do that. I think lust is a harmful interference in a marriage, so I find myself thinking that masturbation in itself is fine, but I personally have a very difficult time doing it without lusting. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/104 "2007-12-22T21:46:33Z")
Everyone lusts, don’t they? I mean, it’s not like you can stop yourself from _ever_ thinking lustful thoughts _ever_. ISTM that you can only drive yourself crazy trying. If you think you’re in control of your lust, you must be either in a meditative state 24/7, or deluded. FTR, what was that whole ladle stunt, if not masturbation? Riddle me this: You’re married. The new girl in the office is HOT, and you can’t help noticing. Just because you don’t stare at her or allow yourself to fantasize about doing the nasty with her doesn’t mean you don’t lust after her. Your options, necessarily, are (a) masturbate while thinking about her occasionally, with a clear conscience; (b) drive yourself crazy by thinking about her all day at work, which will eventually lead you to do something you regret (masturbate with a guilty conscience, _at best_); or © relieve the urge by cheating on your wife with her. Which is the moral choice? FTR, IME it is absolutely true that masturbating while fantasizing (sorry, “thinking lustful thoughts”) about a girl who turns me on but who I shouldn’t make a move on, absolutely does keep me from doing things I regret. Quite often, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/105 "2007-12-22T21:57:18Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] Everyone lusts, don’t they? I mean, it’s not like you can stop yourself from _ever_ thinking lustful thoughts _ever_. ISTM that you can only drive yourself crazy trying. If you think you’re in control of your lust, you must be either in a meditative state 24/7, or deluded. FTR, what was that whole ladle stunt, if not masturbation? [/quote] Everyone has lustful thoughts, but I dont think everyone chooses to then engage in perpetuating such acts. In your hypothetical situation, I think there is another option (d) dont worry about having lustful thoughts, but try and think about her for more than her body. If that doesn’t work, I usually think things like “wow she sure is beautiful,” and not “wow I wanna hump her brains out.” Oh, and of course the ladle thing was masturbation. I change my mind on issues of sex a lot. I think I may be the only Catholic that has pre-marital sex and yet tries to regulate masturbation and porn watching. BTW, what does ISTM stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/106 "2007-12-23T01:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] I was just reading commentary that said that he didn’t masturbate, but rather practiced coitus interruptus (he pulled out). Since God had told him to father a child for her, God was understandably annoyed at his disobedience. (But not at his masturbation, because he didn’t.) [/QUOTE] Surely God knows about pre-cum. Like birth control, masturbation could be an excellent tool for combatting greater ‘sins’ (abortion, pre-marital sex), but alas. No dice. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/107 "2007-12-23T01:05:28Z")
It must be okay. If God’s not a wanker, then I don’t know who is. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/108 "2007-12-23T01:30:41Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > BTW, what does ISTM stand for? It Seems To Me. (I hope so, anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/109 "2007-12-23T01:31:46Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] It Seems To Me. (I hope so, anyway.) [/QUOTE] I Smite Thee for Masturbating? ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/110 "2007-12-23T01:34:12Z")
No, the other way around–I masturbate because I’m smitten. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/111 "2007-12-23T02:12:00Z")
And let’s not forget the song… “Every sperm is sacred…” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/112 "2007-12-23T02:27:19Z")
[QUOTE=vivalostwages] And let’s not forget the song… “Every sperm is sacred…” [/QUOTE] Saint Monty. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/113 "2007-12-23T05:30:32Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Yeah, the only mention of “spilling seed” in the Bible is in the story of Onan, which doesn’t have anything to do with masturbation, although many have mistakenly thought it does. See posts #36 and #39. [/QUOTE] All I know is that this was the scripture cited when I was a youthful Methodist and church camp counselors inveighed against self-pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/114 "2007-12-23T12:32:18Z")
Generally no, but in my own particular case it would be as I would be depriving some lucky women of my consumate lovemaking. Sometimes it can become a burden you know. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/115 "2007-12-23T13:20:36Z")
Christian here. As a teen, I felt damn guilty, NOT because my church or parents said anything about it (my church probably would have been against it, my parents didn’t have a problem) but because of my (mis)understanding of JC’s words in Matthew 5 about lust=adultery in the heart & the soon-following warning against one’s hand sinning. BUT in the Greek, “lust” isn’t just sexual desire or fantasy- “epithumia” denotes a ravenous irrational passion that depersonalizes the person. Also, the Bible either specifically or by strong inference condemns adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality (at least some forms), bestiality, and pedophilia. However, God doesn’t seem to get around to forbidding something that is nigh universal. ---
**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 23, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/116 "2007-12-23T20:08:59Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] BTW, what does ISTM stand for? [/QUOTE] “I spank the monkey,” obviously. (All o’ y’all are slipping. Sheesh. ;)) ---
**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 23, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/117 "2007-12-23T20:24:07Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Yes, and those things are bad when they do that. I think lust is a harmful interference in a marriage, so I find myself thinking that masturbation in itself is fine, but I personally have a very difficult time doing it without lusting. [/QUOTE] I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s so bad about lustful thoughts, with or without masturbation. It seems to me that if you have lustful thoughts that you enjoy, that’s nothing but a good thing. If you have lustful thoughts and masturbation that you enjoy, that is also nothing but a good thing (assuming that these lustful thoughts and masturbation don’t affect anyone else negatively). ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/118 "2007-12-23T20:37:14Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s so bad about lustful thoughts, with or without masturbation. It seems to me that if you have lustful thoughts that you enjoy, that’s nothing but a good thing. If you have lustful thoughts and masturbation that you enjoy, that is also nothing but a good thing (assuming that these lustful thoughts and masturbation don’t affect anyone else negatively). [/QUOTE] I think lust devalues the lusted person into a walking sex symbol, and that it also fosters a preference for the image of a person instead of the actual person. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/119 "2007-12-23T20:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s so bad about lustful thoughts [/QUOTE] It depends on what you mean by “lust” (see **FriarTed** ’s post above). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776/120 "2007-12-23T22:44:59Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Christian here. As a teen, I felt damn guilty, NOT because my church or parents said anything about it (my church probably would have been against it, my parents didn’t have a problem) but because of my (mis)understanding of JC’s words in Matthew 5 about lust=adultery in the heart & the soon-following warning against one’s hand sinning. BUT in the Greek, “lust” isn’t just sexual desire or fantasy- “epithumia” denotes a ravenous irrational passion that depersonalizes the person. Also, the Bible either specifically or by strong inference condemns adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality (at least some forms), bestiality, and pedophilia. However, God doesn’t seem to get around to forbidding something that is nigh universal. [/QUOTE] Just ask yourself “what would Jesus beat it to?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masturbation-immoral/430776.md?page=7)