A college student might not be too surprised to overhear talk of masturbation -- as part of a crude joke in a crowded bar or a conversation in the men's locker room. But today, students walking by room 130 in Minor Hall will hear discussion of the normally taboo topic broadcasted through the microphone of a lectern stand.
At 7 p.m. today, John Portman, Professor of Religious Studies, will take the stage to give a lecture entitled, "Therapeutic Masturbation: Science and Religion in Conflict."
To some, the topic may be come as a surprise.
"I was a little surprised when [Portman] posed the topic," said third-year College student Leah Rosenberg, Director of the Bioethics Society.
Rosenberg said the lecture covers masturbation in a light it is not normally seen in.
According to an article in "The New Scientist," men who ejaculate more than five times a week in their 20s are a third less likely to get prostrate cancer, Rosenberg said.
This research on masturbation is relevant, especially when coupled with the fact that prostrate cancer is a top killer of men in the United States.
Portman's lecture will discuss the difficulty of meshing this new scientific discovery with the anti-masturbation stances of many religions.
The issue is further complicated when religious tenets calling for a 'preservation of life' seem to contradict the prohibition of masturbation as it has now been proven to be an action that may help prolong a man's life.
"A lot of religions prohibit masturbation," Rosenberg said. "But these religions also have a higher belief in the preservation of life.
Therapeutic masturbation is only one ofmany medical discoveries that have come into conflict with religious beliefs. "Traditional morality is [constantly] challenged by scientific advancement," Rosenberg said.
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