Hi, Disturbed!

As Bach has already said, welcome to CBF. One thing I can tell you is that no-one here will mind if you post on this board. Although I haven't posted much in the past year, the guys have been very welcoming to the token straight guy in their midst (me), so I can't imagine anyone here smacking you because you're attracted to minors of the opposite sex. Every so often, there is a thread or two of discussion about masturbation here. Opinion is divided, but since you were asking the question, I'll give you my own experience. I discovered how to give myself pleasure when I was five. It was only when I was seven that I made the mental association between what I was doing and women. Prior to that, it was purely a physical thing. Christ exercised His claim on my life when I was 21. My life changed radically, but this one habit was far more difficult to free myself from than my other addictions, including cigarettes. After several days of unsuccessfully resisting, I woke from sleep in mid-act, and in my sincere desire to stop God heard my wordless prayer. By the grace of God, I have not been ensnared by this temptation since then. In my own church community, there are sources that address this kind of issue, and the consensus of two thousand years is that not only the mental images but also the physical act of masturbation are the result of our fallen nature. It requires a great struggle, and it will never be completely overcome in this life. However, if we are sincere in our desire to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), He will provide the grace we require to overcome this. I realize that can sound like "blaming the victim" but my own experience is proof of it. I forget who said it, but somebody has made the comment that we are bound by chains of our own choosing. Dirk