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What's Wrong With Pornography?

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
I've heard this argument from the gay choice side, it doesn't hold any value to compare low intelligence behavior to high intelligence behavior. Dogs do things like eat poop, smell butts, and hump your leg.... does that justify human behavior if a human felt the urge to do it? We would think a person mad. If it is not natural to the purpose of the body then it's always a question of being unnatural and usually it has some implications attached.

Well, I basically agree that just because something happens in other species, that doesn't mean it is good and healthy for humans.

What I disagree with is your concept of 'natural to the purpose of the body'. Being gay or masturbating *is* being true to the nature of the bodies of those that do it. To compare either to eating poop seems rather extreme.

So the question isn't whether something is 'natural' or the 'purpose' of the body. It is whether an activity is healthy and part of a reasonable life. For those who are gay, having sex with those of the same gender is *more* healthy than having sex with those of the opposite gender (mentally, if not otherwise). And, in general, masturbation tends to relieve stress and thereby promotes mental and physical healthy also. The 'implications' of NOT masturbating are, for many (if not most) people, worse than those of doing so. For example, more than a few days without an orgasm can make many people irritable and more uptight. That increases their own stress as well as the stress of those who have to deal with them.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
Not at all. But I like to think about my answers and I have other responsibilities than just writing on RF.
OK sorry... I tend to get anxious when I see people online and they haven't responded to my post.
 
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Jos

Well-Known Member
The 'implications' of NOT masturbating are, for many (if not most) people, worse than those of doing so. For example, more than a few days without an orgasm can make many people irritable and more uptight.
If that's true then why do all the people doing NoFap including myself feel better after we abstain from masturbating to porn?
 

VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
Porn may be alright for some I hold no views on weather it's wrong or not but there are a few sex-repulsed asexuals who use it to self-harm which isn't good
 
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Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
If that's true then why do all the people doing NoFap including myself feel better after we abstain from masturbating to porn?

You are a minority? I did say *most* people, not all.

Look. if you don't want to masturbate, don't do it. Nobody will force you to. But don't bother those of us that get something out of it. For most people, it is beneficial.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
You are a minority? I did say *most* people, not all.

Look. if you don't want to masturbate, don't do it. Nobody will force you to. But don't bother those of us that get something out of it. For most people, it is beneficial.
I just don't get how you feel don't feel any shame or guilt at all... and I'm not saying this to make myself look better than you guys but almost every time I did it I felt shame, guilt and disgust with myself... you have never felt that at all after masturbating to porn?
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
I just don't get how you feel don't feel any shame or guilt at all... and I'm not saying this to make myself look better than you guys but almost every time I did it I felt shame, guilt and disgust with myself... You have never felt that at all after masturbating to porn?

Certainly I never felt disgust. Maybe a slight bit of guilt and shame when very young (13 or so), but I quickly got over that. I think it was mostly remnants of my religious upbringing.

Shame about the human body seems, to me, to be unhealthy. At the very least, it discourages communication that is vital in a relationship and promotes self-hatred. All too often, that ultimately comes from some sort of religious teaching, usually from one of the Abrahamic religions.

Guilt and shame concerning sexuality of all sorts, not just masturbation, is, I believe, an evil. it is taking something beautiful and special and making it dirty and vile. And that is one of the horrible crimes some religions have perpetrated.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
Porn may be alright for some I hold no views on weather it's wrong or not but there are a few sex-repulsed asexuals who use it to self-harm which isn't good
That's really sad. I'm kinda like a sex-repulsed asexual myself but I would never use it to self harm... why would they do such a thing? They probably deal with low self esteem or something...
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
That's really sad. I'm kinda like a sex-repulsed asexual myself but I would never use it to self harm... why would they do such a thing? They probably deal with low self esteem or something...


I'm more repulsed by the violence that can be seen in a football game than I ever could be with sex.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
Certainly I never felt disgust. Maybe a slight bit of guilt and shame when very young (13 or so), but I quickly got over that. I think it was mostly remnants of my religious upbringing.

Shame about the human body seems, to me, to be unhealthy. At the very least, it discourages communication that is vital in a relationship and promotes self-hatred. All too often, that ultimately comes from some sort of religious teaching, usually from one of the Abrahamic religions.

Guilt and shame concerning sexuality of all sorts, not just masturbation, is, I believe, an evil. it is taking something beautiful and special and making it dirty and vile. And that is one of the horrible crimes some religions have perpetrated.
I grew up in a religious home and it was impossible for me not to feel guilt even though sex was never discussed. Was your upbringing deeply religious or was it not as serious?
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
I grew up in a religious home and it was impossible for me not to feel guilt even though sex was never discussed. Was your upbringing deeply religious or was it not as serious?

I was raised by my grandparents through elementary school, then went to live with my mother. My grandmother was very religious (Lutheran), my grandfather went along for the ride, and my mother was more a squishy seeker type.

I went to Sunday and Wednesday school all through elementary school, but once I got away, I never went back. I remember having a severe crisis of conscience when I realized that people wanted me to say I *believed* all the catechisms I had been merrily memorizing: how could I not lie and also not upset my grandmother?

By the time I started masturbating, I was out of my grandparent's house and no longer felt guilt for not agreeing with them.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
I was raised by my grandparents through elementary school, then went to live with my mother. My grandmother was very religious (Lutheran), my grandfather went along for the ride, and my mother was more a squishy seeker type.

I went to Sunday and Wednesday school all through elementary school, but once I got away, I never went back. I remember having a severe crisis of conscience when I realized that people wanted me to say I *believed* all the catechisms I had been merrily memorizing: how could I not lie and also not upset my grandmother?

By the time I started masturbating, I was out of my grandparent's house and no longer felt guilt for not agreeing with them.
OK interesting... I guess everyone's just different. That sounds like an even more serious religious upbringing than mine and yet I'm more reserved than you are... it doesn't make sense.
 

VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
That's really sad. I'm kinda like a sex-repulsed asexual myself but I would never use it to self harm... why would they do such a thing? They probably deal with low self esteem or something...
being the fact I am a sex-repluse asexual who has done that(2 weeks no self-harm I'm proud of myself...) well the reason I did was because of extreme self-hate.I wanted to suffer cause myself harm but I didn't want any proof I was self-harming least anyone asked questions. I soon became addicted to the disgust and pain I felt and need help from a therapist to help me stop.
 
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Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
OK interesting... I guess everyone's just different. That sounds like an even more serious religious upbringing than mine and yet I'm more reserved than you are... it doesn't make sense.

Well, individual personalities have something to do with it. I was also very interested in the sciences when I was young, and that served to counteract some of the religious teachings. I also distinctly remember thinking of the stories in the Old Testament as being cute moral stories, but not actual facts: more like Aesop's fables than history.

But yes, everyone is just different. This is true for religion and especially true for sexuality.

Part of me feels sorry that you don't/can't experience the good stuff about sexuality that I do. But I also realize that you have your own tastes, values, and desires that differ from mine.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
being the fact I am a sex-repluse asexual who has done that(2 weeks no self-harm I'm proud of myself...) well the reason I did was because of extreme self-hate.I wanted to suffer cause myself harm but I didn't want any proof I was self-harming least anyone asked questions. I soon became addicted to the disgust and pain I felt and need help from a therapist to help me stop.
I'm glad you're recovering... yeah maybe we might secretly be addicted to the pain and to feeling disgust but how does someone get to such a point though? That's a really dark place to get to. Maybe it's all just a cry for help.
 

VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
I'm glad you're recovering... yeah maybe we might secretly be addicted to the pain and to feeling disgust but how does someone get to such a point though? That's a really dark place to get to. Maybe it's all just a cry for help.
It's not as difficult as one may think to get to that point. And yeah maybe,through I didn't ask for any help or wanted it for a while
 
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Jos

Well-Known Member
Well, individual personalities have something to do with it. I was also very interested in the sciences when I was young, and that served to counteract some of the religious teachings. I also distinctly remember thinking of the stories in the Old Testament as being cute moral stories, but not actual facts: more like Aesop's fables than history.

But yes, everyone is just different. This is true for religion and especially true for sexuality.

Part of me feels sorry that you don't/can't experience the good stuff about sexuality that I do. But I also realize that you have your own tastes, values, and desires that differ from mine.
Don't feel sorry for me, I'm OK. I learned a lot talking to you so thanks for that.
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
It's not as difficult as one may think to get to that point. And yeah maybe,through I didn't ask for any help or wanted it.
Yeah I know. I've kinda experienced it myself. We live in a world that pushes us to be perfect and measure up to its standards and a lot of us don't and I guess that contributes to us getting to that point.
 
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