Hi Chris,

The way I see it, the straight people are all having fun and getting thier rocks off...why can't I? The way I see it, as long as you aren't hurting yourself or others, then what the heck, right?

I don't think this is a legitimate argument. What straight people (or any people) do is irrelevant to how we are supposed to live. Our standard should be what God expects of us.

I couldn't agree more with that article. You know, I believe a person can achieve a kind of purity of the heart without having to beat themselves up and try to purge every single pleasurable thing from thier lives. I have heard all the arguments against masturbation, but I still do it without feeling guilty about it.

I tend to like the article, though I don't agree with everything in it. As I see it, the "purity" crowd gets a lot wrong (including the issue of masturbation). But, I don't believe the problem is with the goal of purity. God expects us to be pure! The problem is with how we define purity. Those advocating purity often focus on the negative -- don't do this, don't do that -- and essentially outlaw anything and everything that has even a hint of the sexual. And that's legalism! God never outlawed sexuality. He didn't create it to be this dirty thing to be feared. But, he DOES expect us to treat the gift with respect and in a holy way. I, personally, believe that sex should be saved for marriage. But does that mean that a single person can't masturbate and enjoy the gift they have been given? No, I believe God is perfectly fine with that. If our hearts are pure, it's all good. What about fantasies? This is a bit more complicated, but I do believe there can be pure "Godly fantasies" -- even of a sexual nature -- just as there can be unholy fantasies that degrade and distort God's good gift. And I think it's up to each person to have the Holy Spirit show them what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable; what is pure, and what is not pure. But to say that ALL enjoyment of sexuality outside of marriage is sin, goes too far (IMO).

Blessings,
Rainboy