Is it OK to masturbate to get rid of a boner?

Last updated on March 27, 2023

Question:

I read Lies Pornography Tells Men and it’s really good. I think I look at porn sometimes when I get bored because it helps me to get erect and masturbate, but I guess that means I’m only going to get turned on by stuff that isn’t real.

Sometimes I find that I get aroused for no reason, like when I wake up in the morning or sometimes during the day. It’s really awkward because it’s hard to hide. Is it OK to masturbate then so that I get rid of the boner?

What happens if your seminal vesicles are full and you don’t ejaculate? I used to have dry orgasms before I started puberty, but now there’s always some semen coming out.

Answer:

I know it feels good, but chasing after pleasures for pleasure’s sake will eventually get you into trouble. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,  instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). There is nothing wrong with eating when you are hungry, but eating solely because you like the flavors will make you fat. In a similar fashion, there is nothing wrong with masturbating because the urge to have a release is strong, but looking at porn so you can experience an orgasm is sinful (I Thessalonians 4:3-5). You are better off waiting until the need is there and then enjoy satisfying the need.

Morning erections actually have a purpose. See: Why is my penis erect when I wake up?

Spontaneous erections (random erections during the day) are due to the body not yet knowing when erections are needed. As you get older they will gradually fade away. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need need to ejaculate. As your seminal vesicles get full, you will experience erections more often, but the opposite is not always true: erections don’t always mean your seminal vesicles are full. It is fine to regularly masturbate to keep your sexual desires and erection to a reasonable level, but you won’t be able to totally eliminate them.

If you don’t ejaculate when your seminal vesicles get full, you’ll find your thoughts constantly being interrupted by thoughts of sex. If you are able to have wet dreams, you end up masturbating in your sleep. If you aren’t able to have wet dreams, after a period of time you’ll find yourself instinctively handling yourself when you are distracted and doing odd and inappropriate things. If you keep putting it off, you’ll have a spontaneous ejaculation, where semen comes out at a random time.