Here's my take: masturbation is natural. Ergo, it's not bad. Not something you do in public, but not something you should be afraid of doing lest God smite you with hairy palms.

Seriously though, masturbation isn't anything wrong. It's not perverted, it's not immoral, it's not harmful in any way (unless you overdo it, which can result in bruising, among other things). As release for repressed sexual energy, it should actually be encouraged. I mean, kids are already told sex is bad. If they can't jack off in front of pictures of Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson, what else are they going to do? Your libido needs some kind of release. Wouldn't most people agree that a private release in the bathroom is better than used condoms and the chance of a pregnancy? (This is arguing from a pro-abstinence viewpoint; I personally don't find anything wrong with release through safe and informed sex.)

As for doing it in public, well, humans have been addicted to sex for centuries, and you don't see it happen in public that often. People do make some kind of effort to be inconspicuous, so it's not as if you're going to see two naked people on a park bench. Likewise, the only people you're likely to see wanking in broad daylight lack the kind of self-control to realize that exposing yourself is not the kind of thing people normally to. The average person is at least going to find a bathroom stall. But masturbation isn't always going to become habitual. For most people (and I'm just going out on a limb here) it's just something they do every once in a while. Like anything else, getting addicted indicates a problem.

As for it being a sin...well, I'll use my old line here: if you don't like it, don't do it. I don't care if Father O'Brien or Rabbit Benjamin think I'm sinning if I disappear into the bathroom with a Maxim. That's their right to think that, but their opinions don't matter squat to me.

I have a friend who claims he doesn't masturbate, when he told us, we laughed and called him a liar.

I have a hard time beleiving that anybody (specially guys) don't masturbate, its totally normal, and well enjoyable, so the question is why DON'T people do it, I mean really. It seems stupid not to.

Being able to understand how your body works, and what feels good to you, is kinda helpful once you are in a situation where your ready to have sex.

Atleast thats my thoughts on it.

Edit: Fina beat me to it

...by 2 hours

man I suck, any way what he said wanking is true, masturbation is not going to hurt you kids, nor will it turn you in to a coven of devil worshipers, if anything it will deal with all the sexual frustration and angst teens/pre-teens have to deal with

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Originally posted by YunKhong:
However, if masturbation becomes a habitual activity and the person is driven to do it at certain times each day, it might encourage masturbation to be taken place even in public places.

Just like if you shower habitually, you might strip and run naked across the first set of lawn sprinklers you see running outside, right? Thank God humans possess a little thing called self-control.

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More over, masturbation for men is also known to drain the calcium in our body causing pains in the bones and fatigue in the legs.

Is it really? Wikipedia doesn't seem to think so. Nor does Web MD. In fact, the only site I can find that seems to support this theory is anael.org, and if the big banner at the top of this faux medical article about how we all need to find a spiritual purpose in life isn't a dead giveaway, the suggestion that we should "avoid dirty jokes" seals the deal.

Here's the real scoop, for anyone who's wondering: aside from the rare poor sap whose heart can't handle sexual activity, the health consequences of masturbation -- according to the reality-based medical community, at least -- are unanimously positive. Independent studies have shown that masturbation relieves depression, reduces stress, prevents prostate cancer, and may even lower the risk of coronary heart disease and help with insomnia (source).

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Most religious groups have condemned masturbation too, claiming that it inhibits self-control and it constitutes a grave moral disorder.

A grave moral disorder that, according to Web MD, effects 89% of females and 95% of males respectively. Wow, we're all sick perverts. I wonder what other basic aspects of human nature constitute "grave moral disorders"?

Anyway, the moral of this post is: if you're gonna go around spreading BS, at least disguise it a bit more carefully, or come up with something that can't be proven or disproven.

Happy wanking!

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Err...I don't think that's going to become a trend any time soon...

Especially since indecent exposure is a crime.

quote:

However, if masturbation becomes a habitual activity and the person is driven to do it at certain times each day, it might encourage masturbation to be taken place even in public places.

Err...I don't think that's going to become a trend any time soon...