Is Masturbation a Sin?

What does the Bible say about self-pleasure?

People ask this as "according to the Bible" and "does the Bible allow it?" The answer starts with one story in Genesis that gave the act a name many centuries later, and then a handful of passages from the Gospels and Paul's letters.

The story of Onan

In Genesis 38:6-11, Judah gives Tamar to his eldest son, Er, as a wife, and Er dies. Judah tells his next son, Onan, to raise children for his dead brother. Onan withdraws during intercourse with Tamar so that no child will be his brother's, and Yahweh is displeased with what he did. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 sets out the duty behind the story: when a married man died without a son, his brother married the widow, and the first son carried the dead man's name.

The story is about intercourse and a family duty. Jewish readers, including Rashi in the commentaries gathered on Sefaria, read Onan's wrong as refusing that duty to Tamar and to his brother. Some Christian commentators treat the spilling of seed itself as the point. Both readings are held.

The word "onanism" came much later. Thomas Laqueur, in Solitary Sex (Zone Books, 2003), traces an early eighteenth-century tract called Onania, which borrowed Onan's name. Samuel-Auguste Tissot's L'Onanisme (1758) then spread a medical fear of it, as Jean Stengers and Anne Van Neck describe in Masturbation: The History of a Great Terror.

Some questions only get asked late at night.

The passages people cite

Five passages from the Gospels and Paul's letters come up again and again, and each was written into a setting of its own:

• Matthew 5:27-30. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes up the commandment against adultery and turns to lust in the heart, with sayings about an eye or a hand that causes a person to stumble.
• 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Paul writes to Corinth against joining with a prostitute, and says "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you" and "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price."
• 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. Paul answers questions the Corinthians had sent him about marriage, sex between spouses and self-control.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8. Paul asks each believer to control "his own body," where the Greek word skeuos literally means "vessel," which some readers take as one's own body and others as one's spouse.
• Romans 14:23. The close of a chapter about food and conscience, on acting from faith rather than against your own conscience.

Commentators split on whether these passages reach solitary acts at all. Some apply their teaching on lust, the body and self-control to it; others read each one as speaking to the situation it names.

What does the church say about masturbation?

Many people want the Catholic answer by name, and others want to know what their own church teaches. Each tradition below speaks in its own words, listed in no order of preference.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2352, says: "By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. ‘Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.’ ‘The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.’ For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of ‘the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order’" The paragraph goes on to name that relationship as the one in which mutual self-giving and procreation reach their full meaning within true love.

The same paragraph ends: "To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability." That last sentence is part of the teaching. The Catechism cites Persona Humana, a 1975 declaration, section 9, for this teaching, and the Diocese of Westminster's 2020 FAQ says that "for many reasons it is possible that the person would not be wholly at fault."

The Orthodox Church in America says sexual activity is "meant to be shared" within lifelong marriage, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's 1985 bioethics introduction calls autoerotic activity an improper expression of human sexuality.

Among Protestants, The Gospel Coalition and GotQuestions reason from lust, the body and marriage to a no. Other evangelical and mainline writers hold that Scripture is silent and leave it to conscience, to motive, and to whether it is tied to lust or pornography. For Spanish readers, Coalición por el Evangelio says, "el acto autocomplaciente de la masturbación es un pecado," which means "the self-pleasing act of masturbation is a sin."

In Jewish teaching, the Talmud discusses hotzaat zera levatalah, the wasting of seed, in Niddah 13a. Orthodox authorities keep the prohibition, and Conservative and Reform authorities read its scope in different ways.

Some ask what happens spiritually. Each tradition answers in its own terms, chastity for some and conscience for others, and your own priest, pastor or rabbi can tell you how your church reads it.

Will God forgive me, and how bad of a sin is it?

This is the question under the question for many people: how serious a sin is it? If you have confessed this many times and cannot put it down, some people have put that weight into words. Posted on Reddit in r/Christianity in August 2024, one person wrote, "The guilt I associate with it weighs down on me more than any other sin." Another in the same thread wrote, "I didn’t want to pray and constantly felt unworthy of fixing the relationship."

The traditions that teach it is wrong also look at the person. The Catechism's last sentence above asks for a person's immaturity, habit and anxiety to be taken into account, and the Diocese of Westminster says the person may not be wholly at fault. Nobody can give a verdict for God on your life.

At this point, the passage Bible Nudge offers for guilt and regret can help. Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise recalling God's character. In the World English Bible:

Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

What it gives is a description of what God has done with transgressions, with no step to perform first, for somebody who has already asked many times. It speaks of mercy in the wide terms of a song, open to anyone who reads it. Read Psalm 103:8-12 slowly once, and hold its question: "What are you still holding that this says has already been carried away?" Bible verses for forgiving yourself reads the psalm at more length.

If what frightens you is that this might be the sin that cannot be forgiven, have I committed the unforgivable sin is written for that fear. One idea of ours: take the question once to one priest or pastor, and keep the answer they give rather than asking again and again.

One question, written down, is easier to carry to someone.

Is it a sin if you're single, not married, or married?

The answers here depend on the tradition. GotQuestions holds that sexual expression belongs within marriage and applies 1 Corinthians 7:2-4 to the unmarried reader, and it has a separate page for a married person whose spouse is away. Authentic Intimacy writes to single and married readers alike (2023), and notes that many Christian ministries tie the question to pornography and fantasy. Catholic teaching in paragraph 2352 makes no separate rule for single or married people, and the Orthodox Church in America frames sexuality as something shared within marriage.

Widowed, divorced and single people ask this too, at every age. Posted on Reddit in r/Christianity in April 2025, one man began, "I’m a 63 year old man and I lost my wife two years ago." If you are married and your spouse is away, ill or unwilling, a suggestion of ours: talk it over with your own pastor or priest, and with your spouse when that is possible, rather than carrying it alone.

Is it normal for women too?

Many women ask whether it is normal for them, and the answer from health bodies is yes. Planned Parenthood says people of any gender or age may masturbate, with or without a partner. Its Spanish page says, "La masturbación es totalmente normal y no tiene nada de malo," which means "Masturbation is completely normal and there is nothing wrong with it." The American Academy of Pediatrics says it is "done by both boys and girls and is normal behavior."

Among Christian writers, Authentic Intimacy writes to women as well as men. If you are a woman reading this, the question is yours to ask as much as anyone's. Every tradition above speaks to women and men alike, and the same mercy and the same people to talk to are yours.

Is masturbation bad for mental health?

This question often comes with others: why does my body want it, what should I do when the urge comes, and how do I stop? Health bodies answer in health terms. Planned Parenthood says it becomes a problem when it interferes with school, work, relationships or daily life, and the American Academy of Pediatrics calls it "a regular part of normal adolescence."

The World Health Organization's ICD-11, at 6C72, describes compulsive sexual behavior disorder as "a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour," lasting six months or more with marked distress or impairment. It also says that "Distress that is entirely related to moral judgments and disapproval" is a different thing.

Joshua Grubbs and colleagues, in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology (2019), found that conflict between a person's behavior and their moral beliefs, which they call moral incongruence, can feed a sense of being addicted. Together these give you a way to tell a behavior you disapprove of from one that is out of your control, and a name for the loop of promise, lapse and shame.

Where it does feel out of control, the people to see are a doctor and a certified sex therapist. AASECT describes certified sex therapists as licensed mental-health or healthcare professionals with specialized training, and keeps a directory. Where the fear itself is the problem, more than the act, the International OCD Foundation describes sexual and religious intrusive thoughts, and intrusive thoughts about God is written for that.

For teenagers, and for parents

The American Academy of Pediatrics says, "Masturbation is an aspect of childhood sexuality," and that a child who does it is not "oversexed, promiscuous, or sexually deviant." It says shame and secrecy may be unhealthy for a child's sexual development. Its page on young children (2022) adds that frequent or public behavior can be a sign of stress or possible abuse.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' page for parents says masturbation is normal in childhood and adolescence, among boys and girls, and that shame and secrecy can be unhealthy for a child's development. Catholic teaching puts its emphasis on chastity and formation, with the mitigating factors above, while health bodies and mainline churches stress development and avoiding shame.

Posted on Reddit in r/Christianity, one adult looked back: "My church basically taught that puberty was a sin, and it wasn't exactly great for my mental health."

If you are a parent, one line of our own you could use is this: "Your body is growing the way bodies do. You can ask me anything, and nothing you ask will change how much I love you." If you are a young person reading this, a trusted adult and a doctor are the people to talk to.

Where a child may be describing abuse or unwanted contact, reach a service: RAINN and Childhelp in the United States, and the NSPCC helpline in the United Kingdom.

A light left on says the door is open.

What lands badly, and what to say instead

People describe how some words stay with them. In the r/Christianity thread posted on Reddit, one person wrote, "Often shame and even pain are a result of being told that exploring their own bodies is sin." Another put it this way: "We’ve basically created a shame loop."

The lines people report hearing include "filthy," "dirty," "God is disgusted," "you are betraying your future wife," "you are an addict" said as a label, "you will go to hell," and "just stop and pray." The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that a parent's embarrassment, anger and moral outrage can create unhealthy guilt and secrecy.

You may recognize a line you once said, or one said to you. Some better lines of our own:

• "You are loved, and you can talk to me about this."
• "If it ever feels out of your control, a doctor or counselor can help, and I will help you find one."
• "You can bring this to God exactly as you are."

Questions people ask

These three come up often, and each answer adds something the sections above leave out.

Does the Catechism say the same thing in Spanish?

Yes. The Spanish Catechism, at paragraph 2352, opens, "Por masturbación se ha de entender la excitación voluntaria de los órganos genitales a fin de obtener un placer venéreo." The paragraph keeps the same closing sentence on immaturity, habit and anxiety.

Do any conservative writers say the Bible leaves it unnamed?

Yes. GotQuestions en español says, "La Biblia nunca menciona o declara específicamente, que la masturbación sea o no pecado," which means "The Bible never specifically mentions or declares whether masturbation is or is not a sin." It reads Genesis 38 as Onan's refusal to provide an heir, and still argues from wider principles.

What other words do Spanish speakers use for it?

Spanish-language church and health pages use masturbación, autoerotismo, onanismo, placer a solas and pecado solitario, the "solitary sin." Pureza and castidad, purity and chastity, are the words churches use for the ideal they teach. Knowing the words helps when you search or talk to a priest or pastor in Spanish.

Where to go next

If shame has turned into thoughts of harming yourself, reach a person tonight. In the United States, call 988, text 988 or chat with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, with help in Spanish too. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Samaritans is on 116 123. In Australia, Lifeline is on 13 11 14.

In Mexico, there is the Línea de la Vida; in Argentina, the Centro de Asistencia al Suicida; in Colombia, Línea 106; and in Spain, the Ministry of Health. Anywhere else, Find A Helpline lists services by country.

Where a behavior feels out of control, see a doctor, or find a certified sex therapist through the AASECT directory. Where a child may be at risk, reach RAINN or Childhelp in the United States, or the NSPCC helpline in the United Kingdom.

One next step: write down the one question you most want answered, and take it once to one priest or pastor, or to a doctor or certified sex therapist if it feels out of your control. Tonight, read Psalm 103:12 once.

Bible Nudge offers one passage with the verses around it, for whatever you are carrying. Find a passage.