Don’t Be Ashamed

October 16, 2011 By 32 Comments

It’s disturbing because it implies that people should feel bad when they do it…

Glad s/he figured out there’s nothing wrong with it.

(via PostSecret)

Filed Under: General, Love 32 Comments
About Hemant Mehta

Hemant Mehta is the chair of Foundation Beyond Belief and a high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He began writing the Friendly Atheist blog in 2006. His latest book is called The Young Atheist's Survival Guide.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AnonymousBoy Larry Meredith

    Depends what you’re masturbating to. If it’s to that PETA website that mixes porn with graphic images of animal abuse you probably should feel bad about it.

    • dauntless

      Who are you to judge?

    • Anonymous

      What if you love bacon?

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=593675787 Glenn Davey

      I love my sex with a little animal cruelty mixed in ;) Gets the blood pumping. Makes me feel ALIVE!! Who are you to judge? Judgey judgerson…

    • Anonymous

      What if the animal abuse consists of turning a dead (and therefore abused) sheep into a “sheep skin” condom that the porn stars are using?

    • Sulris Campbell

      i feel like that is going to back fire for PETA after this campaign they will have to fight against people who want to kill animals for meat AND people with a newly formed animal slaughtering sex fetish

  • Trace

    I wouldn’t know….I have NEVER, EVER, done it.

    • Kevin_Of_Bangor

      You don’t know what you are missing.

    • Anonymous

      You wouldn’t know what?   

      • http://www.facebook.com/scott.j.jordan Scott James Jordan

        What masturbation is like, I assume.  I didn’t know myself until I tried it when I was 18.

        • Anonymous

          But her comment was a direct response to Hemants post.    So it still wouldn’t make sense.  He didn’t ask what it feels like to have an orgasm.   She’s either talking about feeling bad for doing it, or she is talking about realizing it isn’t wrong.   Those were the two themes of his post.

          I’m starting to feel like I can get to the bottom of this.   Let’s inject them.

          a) I wouldn’t know [about realizing it isn't wrong] ….I have NEVER, EVER, done it.
          b) I wouldn’t know [about feeling bad for doing it] ….I have NEVER, EVER, done it.

          I think b) has it.   Makes more sense.   It’s quite apparent she assumes it is wrong since she isn’t doing it, and that would make a) seem stupid.    So she’s bragging about b).

          Now I can respond appropriately with, ” I wouldn’t know either …. I have NEVER, EVER, felt guilty about it.”

    • Anonymous

      I wouldn’t know either …. I have NEVER, EVER, felt guilty about it.

  • Dannysmythe

    No, it’s disturbing because who knows who produced this. You posted it, did you create it? Do you have latent “mastabation must be wrong” feelings? Why else put this out there?

    • Scramble

      ? I’m confused. Are you accusing Hemant of making this secret, sending it in to Postsecret, then writing about it here? Because that makes no sense. He was a Jain before he was an Athesit, never a Christian. If that’s not what you’re saying, please clarify…

      • Scramble

        ugh. Atheist. Excuse the typo.

        • Nesh

          Actually, ‘A the sit’ is kinda catchy.

    • Anonymous

      Really?  It disturbs you that you don’t know who produced it?   What’s disturbing about that?   You afraid of something I haven’t figured out here?   Afraid they’re spreading the belief that at least one Christian masterbates without guilt?

    • Pinko

      Wait, what?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1491147076 Emily Dietle
  • Ronlawhouston

    Oh, don’t worry.  95% of American males masturbate, the other 5% are liars.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrian-Chester/682538320 Adrian Chester

    This was me for quite a while.  Also I had no idea that being sexually attracted to women was normal and not something to be ashamed of. Yay for Catholic sexual education! 

    • Anonymous

      Note to Adrian.   Your right hand is not a woman.  :)

      Damn, I just re-read your comment and realized I’d missed reading the “also”.  I’m posting anyway because it’s just too fun.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrian-Chester/682538320 Adrian Chester

        Nevermind, I cant help thinking of that quote, don’t knock masturbation, it is sex with someone I love! 

  • Thin-ice

    The ONLY reason I masturbate is because studies have shown that it may substantially reduce the chances of contracting prostate cancer. I regard it as my daily medicine that I must take.

  • Nigel McNaughton

    Haha, the image works for either sex doesn’t it.

  • Anonymous

    I read it as a statement by a Christian that masturbation is NOT something to be ashamed about, not “I’m not ashamed of my masturbation – but you should be.”

  • gsw

    I am with Thin Ice on this one – plus – if more young men & women were taught that masturbation is a harmless release of frustration, there would be a lot less of the “tease” pressure on young women to have sex before they are ready.

    wow, masturbation as a cure for date-rape!

    [Yes, I know, rape has nothing to do with sex - it is all about power and torture and machismo - I was just being facetious]

  • TiltedHorizon

    As if I did not have enough reasons to leave faith behind, now they want to take away my answer to the “Nothing good on TV” problem.

  • Rt

    If you masturbate and all you feel about it is “not bad”… your doing it wrong.

    • Anonymous

      Great idea.   Someone should post:

      “I am an atheist.”

      “I masterbate, frequently”

      “It’s great”

  • Nordog

    I’m reminded of a line from Rodney Dangerfield:

    I remember the first time I had sex.

    It was dark…

    …I was scared…

    …and alone.

    • Anonymous

      LOL