A
female
age
26-29,
*murfygirl101
writes:So, i'm 16 years old and i'm basically wondering if you think msterbating is a sin or a bad thing. Even though i don't go to church i still want to be a really good person and not do anything that's considered a sin. Whenever i look this question up, theres always answers like " you'll burn in h*ll" which scares me, but others don't think it's bad. Is it bad? To be honest i don't have alot of "thoughts" when i'm doing it. What do you think? Reply to this Question
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female
reader, smurfygirl101 +, writes (15 October 2012):
smurfygirl101 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThanks everyone!!
A
female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (14 October 2012):
 I don't think it's a sin at all.
I always say "If God didn't want us to masturbate he would have made our arms shorter"
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A
male
reader, C. Grant  +, writes (14 October 2012):
 I don't think it's a bad thing, not at all. It can help you deal, harmlessly, with urges that otherwise might lead you to do things you're not ready for. It helps you learn about your body, which will be very handy in the future when you're in a relationship.
There are ways that it can be a bad thing. If you do it so much that you neglect other worthwhile parts of your life. If you aren't discrete, so that you creep out other people. Both of those things are easily avoidable. So no problem.
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reader, anonymous, writes (14 October 2012): No, its NOT a sin, its perfectly natural, normal and healthy.
Religions might suggest otherwise, but in the real world, no it isn't a sin.
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A
male
reader, daletom +, writes (14 October 2012):
About two generations ago the Christian protestant (Presbyterian) pastor Dr. Charlie Shedd wrote in "The Stork is Dead" (and echoed in other books) that masturbation is not just a neutral activity that people may undertake for either good or evil purposes, but may actually be a gift from God. He argues that it can be used to avoid truly sinful sex, or that it can become a compulsive, degrading and harmful addiction.
On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that procreation is the only "proper" use of human sexuality, and every male ejaculation should be in a situation where conception is realistically possible. They officially condemn masturbation as shown by Pope Paul VI, in "Persona Humana - Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics," issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 1975-DEC-29:
"...masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act...the deliberate use of the sexual faculty outside normal conjugal relations essentially contradicts the finality of the faculty. For it lacks the sexual relationship called for by the moral order, namely the relationship which realizes ‘the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love.’ All deliberate exercise of sexuality must be reserved to this regular relationship."
I'm a little surprised that you use a religious term like "sin" since you don't have a church affiliation. This is an example of many ethical and moral questions you will face over the next ten years or so of your life. It will take a LOT of courage, and perhaps more maturity than than you have at your age, but it's a question you should ask of clergymen or other religious leaders who have given serious thought to the subject of "sin", being a "really good person", etc. Some of them, like the Roman Catholic position, will have reasoned answers based on a systematic theology and long-standing precedent. Others have not developed an extensively integrated theology so they will rely more on personal opinions.
You don't have to admit to them "I have been masturbating . . .", but rather find somebody who can comfortably discuss their group's position on this matter. After hearing a few explanations you will be in a better position to decide how you will deal with this in your own life.
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A
female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (14 October 2012):
 It used to be classified as a sin, but sex in general used to be sinful. There are still laws in Massachusetts against sex in any other position than missionary position. These laws are not being followed up on, in these modern times, but they haven't been removed to my knowledge, and serve as a fine example of what what considered sinful before. The foreskin of a mans penis was also removed for this reason, to make masturbation more difficult, and as such prevent boys and men from masturbating.
However. Times change, and how we percieve things change. How we interpret the Bible, or other religious texts, also change. In Norway we now allow for homosexuals to be married in church. This was sinful in the past, now it is accepted by the church. Because whereas the previous decades were primiarily focused on sin, punishment and revenge, our views are now leaning more towards Jesus, forgiveness and love.
In such a modern view, love is the essential aspect of how we interpret the Bible. You've probably heard this many many times: "Jesus loves you" or "God loves you". The love between homosexuals is just as pure a love as the love between heterosexuals. And as such, their relationship is equal, because the love is equal. It is then no longer sinful.
The same goes for masturbation. If it is done as an act of love towards yourself, that makes you feel good, and allows you to love and respect yourself, then it is not a sin. But if you use it in a bad way, to lower someone else, to put someone down, to disrespect yourself, or otherwise use it for something that is otherwise sinful (such as masturbating while thinking of a married man, or a child etc.) then is starts to cross the border again.
That's just my religious take on it, as nothing is sinful unless you're religious. The word "sin" comes from religion after all. If you're not religious then there are no sins. If you're not religious, then all you need to do is follow the law of the humans, and not break it. And since there are currently no laws against masturbation, you would not be breaking any.
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