Is masturbation sin? Can we separate the act from the sinful desires that accompany it?
The Bible does not directly address the subject, so we should be careful in how we frame and answer questions about this topic.
Both testaments make it crystal clear that lust is wrong. (For an exhaustive, and exhausting, list of passages, see the relevant sections in my Till the Nets Are Full (formerly Shining Like Stars.) All I will say is that masturbation normally takes place in the context of lust. On this Jesus spoke quite clearly. Having done that, is there anything else we need to say?
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