Wow.

OP, kudos for you to post here and verify your doubts about what you hear. I'm sorry for all the people posting here telling you you are ignorant, because imo you are exactly the opposite: although everybody around you is saying certain stuff, you are keeping a critical mind and you're thinking for yourself, which is very, very admirable.

By all the other posters on here, you've already found out that most of the stuff you have heard is not true. To add a little, I live in Northern Europe, male, uncircumcised (because no one is over here), and I am able to hold a job, have friends, and a monogamous relationship. That would all be impossible if I couldn't control myself.

The sort of stuff you're friends are saying has been claimed in all parts of the world. Over here, in Europe, not too long ago the Church claimed you'd get all sorts of diseases or problems if you masturbated. Sex before marriage was taboo, showing even a little bit of skin was very much frowned upon. So wherever you live, these kind of bullshit 'facts' are or has been spread everywhere.

The reason people say stuff like this is interesting. Most commonly, I think, it's out of fear. Sex drive is a strong drive in most people, but trying to ignore it or suppress it is exactly what you shouldn't do, because that often results in problems. Because then, you are actually susceptible to dishonest behavior: you are proclaiming that you are of chaste mind, you have no impure thoughts-- but you can't control that. Humans, men and women, have 'impure' thoughts. And there's nothing wrong with that, but when you fool yourself into thinking there is something wrong, you might panic, or blame 'the devil' or 'witches' for putting those impure thoughts in your head. Often, men blame women for putting impure thoughts in their head, which (1) is the world upside down, and (2) who cares? As long as you don't act upon them.

But to do that, you need to acknowledge the thoughts, and acknowledge that you are in full control. That it's your own mistake if you cheat or indulge in other dishonest behavior. Also, you have to acknowledge that maybe your partner (man or woman) is a lying cheater, and it's his or her own choice to do so.

This is very hard. And painful. So it's a lot easier to blame foreskin/ the devil/ witches. "It wasn't me, it was the devil!" "My husband is a great guy, but he was corrupted by porn!"

People, unfortunately, are all too often looking for someone or something to blame if they fuck up. It's hard to take responsibility.