5 Biblical Proofs Why Touching Yourself is Not a Sin
C J. Ahmed-08.03.2023
Touching yourself not forbidden in the bible. Among all the religious people, Christians are the most vocal and sometimes the most eccentric when it comes to prohibiting masturbation. The 18th century and the start of the 19th century saw the rise of protestant puritanism in the United States and Europe and was a period where many anti masturbation campaigns were carried out to stop people masturbating "yes" masturbating. Masturbation was thought to be a clear evil on mankind that was believed to cause many diseases and many inventions came in to use to prevent both men and women from masturbating. John Harvey Kellogg invented the Kellogg’s cornflakes to stop people from masturbating.
The modern world has embraced masturbation as a healthy practice but still most religious Christians are vehemently against it and this article is to answer all the common biblical arguments on self-pleasure.
Point-1-The Bible is Silent on Masturbation
With all the rhetoric you would have seen from so called Christian preachers, there is not a single direct verse in the bible forbidding masturbation. This is the single most powerful point to prove that masturbation is not a sin. Jesus said the following to the pharises,
“‘These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules."
(Matthew 15:9)
The right context of this verse is when the pharises who asked why his disciples do not wash their hands before eating and Jesus Christ (PBUH) criticized them by telling them that they follow only their man made rules. This verse in the bible criticizes man made rules and laws. If masturbation was not forbidden by Jesus in the bible then stating that masturbation is a sin is nothing short of a man made rule.
Point-2-The Lust Argument
The following passages are misquoted to forbid masturbation,
"But I say unto you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
(Matthew 5:28)
The above verse has nothing to do with masturbation. This verse only talks about ogling at women. Some try to use this verse to argue that for you to masturbate you will have to think about a woman or a man and that is lusting in the heart. This argument is just a made up lie using this verse because this verse is prohibiting ogling at a woman and fantasizing is not mentioned here. Lusting by looking is different from fantasizing.
Point-3-The Verse of Onan has been Taken Out of Context
The story of Onan spilling his seed is used as evidence by many Christians to forbid masturbation but if you take a close look in to the verse you will realize that the verse speaks nothing about masturbation.
"Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfil your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother. “But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also"
(Genesis 38:8-10)
In this verse what needs to be understood is that Onan engaged in coitus interruptus and not masturbation. Some try to use this verse to argue that masturbation is wasting semen. Onan spilled his semen because his child would not be his and this is what is mentioned in these verses.
Point-4-Verses on the Emission of Semen
Another ludicrous argument put forward is by the quoting of the below verse,
"When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening"
(Leviticus 15:16)
Some try to argue by quoting the above verse to mean that masturbation is emitting semen and emitting semen is unclean. This is what happens when you cherry pick verses in the bible. The above verse does not mention seminal emission through masturbation. Seminal discharge can happen through nocturnal emissions too. The following verses mention that seminal discharged through intercourse with your wife is also unclean,
"Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening. When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening"
(Leviticus 15:17-18)
These verses mention about seminal emissions being unclean and has nothing to do with masturbation.
Point-5-Bringing Unrelated verses
Some who acknowledge that there are no verses in the bible forbidding masturbation, bring unrelated verses to argue that masturbation is a sin. For an example the below verse is quoted,
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”
(Ephesians 4:29)
This verse is used to argue that the bible does not mention what unwholesome talk is and does not give the finer points, and what is unwholesome talk is what is beneficial. First if all this is the opinion of Paul and not Jesus Christ (PBUH) and my question is, what has this got to do with masturbation? Unwholesome talk is relative and even the bible has many references of unwholesome talk. Here are a few of them,
“When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts.” (Ezekiel 23:18-21)
“A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.”
(Proverbs 5:19)
"My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."
(Song of Solomon 5:4)
These are a few vulgar verses in the bible and giving a specific definition based on the personal opinions of an individual will not make masturbation a forbidden act.
From the above biblical proofs, it is clear that touching yourself or in other words, masturbation is not a sin.
Touching yourself not forbidden in the bible. Among all the religious people, Christians are the most vocal and sometimes the most eccentric when it comes to prohibiting masturbation. The 18th century and the start of the 19th century saw the rise of protestant puritanism in the United States and Europe and was a period where many anti masturbation campaigns were carried out to stop people masturbating "yes" masturbating. Masturbation was thought to be a clear evil on mankind that was believed to cause many diseases and many inventions came in to use to prevent both men and women from masturbating. John Harvey Kellogg invented the Kellogg’s cornflakes to stop people from masturbating.
The modern world has embraced masturbation as a healthy practice but still most religious Christians are vehemently against it and this article is to answer all the common biblical arguments on self-pleasure.
Point-1-The Bible is Silent on Masturbation
With all the rhetoric you would have seen from so called Christian preachers, there is not a single direct verse in the bible forbidding masturbation. This is the single most powerful point to prove that masturbation is not a sin. Jesus said the following to the pharises,
“‘These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules."
(Matthew 15:9)
The right context of this verse is when the pharises who asked why his disciples do not wash their hands before eating and Jesus Christ (PBUH) criticized them by telling them that they follow only their man made rules. This verse in the bible criticizes man made rules and laws. If masturbation was not forbidden by Jesus in the bible then stating that masturbation is a sin is nothing short of a man made rule.
Point-2-The Lust Argument
The following passages are misquoted to forbid masturbation,
"But I say unto you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
(Matthew 5:28)
The above verse has nothing to do with masturbation. This verse only talks about ogling at women. Some try to use this verse to argue that for you to masturbate you will have to think about a woman or a man and that is lusting in the heart. This argument is just a made up lie using this verse because this verse is prohibiting ogling at a woman and fantasizing is not mentioned here. Lusting by looking is different from fantasizing.
Point-3-The Verse of Onan has been Taken Out of Context
The story of Onan spilling his seed is used as evidence by many Christians to forbid masturbation but if you take a close look in to the verse you will realize that the verse speaks nothing about masturbation.
"Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfil your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother. “But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also"
(Genesis 38:8-10)
In this verse what needs to be understood is that Onan engaged in coitus interruptus and not masturbation. Some try to use this verse to argue that masturbation is wasting semen. Onan spilled his semen because his child would not be his and this is what is mentioned in these verses.
Point-4-Verses on the Emission of Semen
Another ludicrous argument put forward is by the quoting of the below verse,
"When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening"
(Leviticus 15:16)
Some try to argue by quoting the above verse to mean that masturbation is emitting semen and emitting semen is unclean. This is what happens when you cherry pick verses in the bible. The above verse does not mention seminal emission through masturbation. Seminal discharge can happen through nocturnal emissions too. The following verses mention that seminal discharged through intercourse with your wife is also unclean,
"Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening. When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening"
(Leviticus 15:17-18)
These verses mention about seminal emissions being unclean and has nothing to do with masturbation.
Point-5-Bringing Unrelated verses
Some who acknowledge that there are no verses in the bible forbidding masturbation, bring unrelated verses to argue that masturbation is a sin. For an example the below verse is quoted,
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”
(Ephesians 4:29)
This verse is used to argue that the bible does not mention what unwholesome talk is and does not give the finer points, and what is unwholesome talk is what is beneficial. First if all this is the opinion of Paul and not Jesus Christ (PBUH) and my question is, what has this got to do with masturbation? Unwholesome talk is relative and even the bible has many references of unwholesome talk. Here are a few of them,
“When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts.” (Ezekiel 23:18-21)
“A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.”
(Proverbs 5:19)
"My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."
(Song of Solomon 5:4)
These are a few vulgar verses in the bible and giving a specific definition based on the personal opinions of an individual will not make masturbation a forbidden act.
From the above biblical proofs, it is clear that touching yourself or in other words, masturbation is not a sin.