[Moxie.]

Hi there,

Growing up, I had similar experiences. I was raised in the Catholic church and spent my teens attending a non-denominational church, so I'm definitely familiar with the rhetoric surrounding sex and masturbation in those communities, as well as the emotional toll that it can take if you do choose to engage in one or both. I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing those struggles at all.

As Dez stated, there is nowhere in the Bible that explicitly forbids masturbation. Instead, priests and pastors have made the claim that masturbation falls under the category of "sexual impurity", which is mentioned in the Bible. However, there is no passage that serves to back this up. Personally, I don't think it's sinful to masturbate and it certainly isn't something that God would punish you for. Even in the event that it is considered a sin, God is said to be forgiving of sin. Give yourself a little bit of grace there.

In spite of what you've been taught, masturbation is normal, natural, and can even be healthy. There is nothing wrong with exploring your body and learning what gives you pleasure. In fact, it can even be beneficial, as it will help you understand what you enjoy and allow you to guide a future partner when you do choose to have sex. Masturbation can also be helpful when it comes to releasing stress or helping you to relax.

While it's entirely up to you, please know that this isn't something that you need to confess to your church (if that's a practice at your particular church) or speak to anyone about if you're not comfortable doing so. It's perfectly fine for you to engage in masturbation and keep that as something private for yourself. It doesn't make you a bad person and it doesn't go against God or your faith, regardless of what you may have been taught by your parents or church leaders.