Masturbation and guilt
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Masturbation and guilt
| Thu, 07-01-2004 - 11:28am |
I have noticed a number of postings on this site regarding masturbation, and this has created a question in my mind. I am a woman past middle-age (to put it tactfully), and I now live alone. During the last few years I have been masturbating from time to time. However, when and where I grew up, any discussion of masturbation was always laced with generous servings of guilt. When I was young, masturbation was NOT an activity to be indulged in by nice (read "religious") people. So I am asking the readers on this board who were raised in the Catholic Church or in other religious denominations that thought masturbation was a sin, do you still feel guilty about masturbating? Do previous teachings in your background still influence how you feel about masturbating or sex in general? I would like to hear from all ages and faiths.

Be Well,
Stephen
How is this any different than treating yourself to a chocolate bar, or a piece of cake? It's pleasure, nothing more. The "church", be it Catholic, Protestant, or any other religion is still in the dark ages about many things, sex being one of them. If you want to get technical about it, the Catholic church frowns on partner sex for pleasure, too. Sex is SUPPOSED to be for procreation, not for pleasure. That doesn't stop most people from using birth control and enjoying sex. If you truly believed that sex is "bad" except for reproduction, then I guess everyone over child bearing age shouldn't be having sex. Ridiculous.
The "church" is "man-made" rules. Rules can, and have been changed. How many years did Catholics occasionally eat meat on Friday, but feel guilty about it? Now, Catholics can eat meat on Friday.....and NOT feel guilty. Men made these rules, and men can change them. If they come out next year and say it's ok to masturbate....then you can do it without guilt, so why not just do it without guilt now.
I am 46 yrs old and of Lutheran religion, I never remember anything being said about masturbation.
I don't remember being told not to masturbate when I was growing up. It wasn't really discussed. I had some vague guilt when I first began doing it because I instinctively knew it was a private act and I had to sneak to do it. But as a formal teaching of the faith, no.
I think accepting that human beings have natural urges for sexual pleasure and that it's not realistic to expect a fully matured adult to do without it, is important. You aren't hurting anyone by masturbating, you're taking care of a very real need and it's a better alternative, IMO, than seeking out partners just for sex.