Fifty Shades of Gray Area—On Masturbation

Abstract

Chapter 2 explains the paradox of conservative Protestants’ interpretations of pornography use and masturbation. Though pornography and masturbation are functionally related, conservative Protestants seem to draw a distinction between the two. Conservative Protestants typically condemn pornography unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms, and yet they often take a rather ambivalent view toward solo masturbation, especially if it is done without the aid of pornography. This chapter shows that because conservative Protestants are committed to “biblicism” and “pietistic idealism,” they are more likely to focus on pornography use as the greater sin because it can more clearly be connected to explicit biblical proscriptions against lust and sins of the heart, while masturbation is not explicitly addressed in the Bible and does not necessarily involve the heart. Also, the rise of psychology within conservative Protestantism over the past few decades has served to heighten concern about pornography addiction, while debunking myths connecting masturbation with mental health issues.