[futurehope]

Interesting points. Especially the idea of "original sin". Buddhism has the idea of "original purity", that we are all enlightened by our very nature, we just don't realize it. So right from the start we have been perfect and complete. But because of our delusion we try to "get stuff" to make us happy, which causes suffering. Maybe not such a different idea from the Christian one...as it acknowledges we are all deluded, and suffering ("sinners"), which covers up our originally pure state.

Anyway... thinking about the M issue... I've thought for a while, as some people have been saying, that it is basically harmless, stress relief. And it could be. I think it depends on what you use to get yourself off. If it is reinforcing unhealthy stereotypes from P....it could be unhealthy. On the other hand, it could be thinking about your partner and the last time you made love...or anticipating the next time. But then, if s/he is around, I guess you don't need to M. For myself, I think I am changing my opinion a bit these days... I do live with my partner, so I don't feel the need to get instant gratification whenever I feel like it. I can wait until she is ready, so I don't need to M. I feel that it would be sexually greedy to do so. On the other hand, if I was single, I would definitely need some sort of sexual release....celibacy isn't for me. So, in that case, I would do so, but would try to keep it healthy and not do it too often and fixate on harmful, poisonous imagery. This is quite strange for me to say, as I've always, in the past, been of the opinion that M is completely harmless, and of course you should get sexual gratification when you want it. Maybe that's been part of my problem?