So I have a question, and I hope to ask it in a way that does not offend anybody. Also hope that it was not previously discussed and I missed it.
I was raised Catholic by my grandmother. But decided that it was not for me, I had issues with certain parts of the belief that, for the most part are irrelevant to my question, so I won't go into them. I have also tried going to some nondenominational (?) Christian churches, but again did not feel that they were right for me. Anyway, among these many attempts to find a right place for me, I was always told nudity was wrong, especially in a mixed group with someone you are not married to. I was even given grief, by a youth group I was once a part of, over a comment I had once made about a girl's bikini when we went swimming at a member's pool. In case it matters, a girl came out wearing a suite that was practicaly not there and I had said "hey, girl's name, with a suit that small, we my as well go skinny-dipping". I got a couple of evil looks, and had a conversation with some later. No issue with the girl in the bikini, quite a bit of grief over my comment, which was by the way, I admit was a bit inappropriate and I did apologize for it. But I was also kinda testing the water about how receptive they were about the idea. But the main problem with the group was my suggestion of nudity amongst us.
So in a long winded kind of way, my question is;
How do people of any religious belief, especially those with strong stances against being socially nude find a way to get the two issues to coexist within themselves? I hope I phrased it right.
Again, I'm not asking to be the cause of any trouble, to be a wiseass, or to offend. If someone is offened, I apologize, and you don't need to comment if you don't feel like it. But, I am sincerely asking as someone who is ignorant of information and am asking for that information. The only way to learn, is to ask. Right?
Sincerely, Stitch.
Replies
- GA
gator1Jan 16, 2010Hey, Stitch...I'm no expert and although I don't see a conflict between being Christian and being a nudist, probably the best resource would be the Christian Naturists group on here. They have a lot of discussion, a number of them are very active church leaders, and they can discuss or direct you to good reading on the topic on various websites.
That was a great question, by the way!
Gator1ReactReply - MEMemberJan 16, 2010Welcom to the site, Liloandstitch. That is a great and sincere question. But one that I can't answer. Although I have strong spiritual beliefs I don't consider myself "religious" and am not affiliated with any one particular church. My biggest difficulty was accepting the "label" nudist as I don't much care for labels. Being on this site and entering into discussions with many people here on the forum helped me to define for myself what a nudist/naturist is and to accept that particular label. (although I don't know where to put it as I have no clothes on!) Jen
ReactReply - TH
ThomasJan 16, 2010[quote]Hey, Stitch...I'm no expert and although I don't see a conflict between being Christian and being a nudist, probably the best resource would be the Christian Naturists group on here. They have a lot of discussion, a number of them are very active church leaders, and they can discuss or direct you to good reading on the topic on various websites. That was a great question, by the way! Gator1[/quote] Good question Stich, and good answer Gator. I am not an expert either but I can say I am a strong Christian and have no conflict with also being a nudist. There is nothing in the bible prohibiting nudity that I have found. Adam and Eve were created nude, it was only by the influence of the devil that they became ashamed of being nude.ReactReply - MI
Miss_LindaJan 16, 2010Why would anyone think there is something wrong with being seen wearing only that which we wore when we were born?
ReactReply - MEMemberJan 17, 2010
You may be counted amongst the people who care to entertain the thought that
we all came from apes, lol but for the educated the possibility of that in non
existent to the infinite power! Our existence had to come from intelligent
design, or if you think life came from some cosmic goop made of love sick ameba
you might as well eat drink and be merry - party till you die and become
fertilizer for the next pile of goop in the evolution chain.
On the other hand for those who carry on the belief of what the American
people have been founded on from day one, "One Nation Under God" in it's truest
intent, we need first respect the divine designer of creation, the Bible has and
is the only writings to survive the test of time, and no other writing of
intellectual matter has been made that even comes close to the number of copies
in more languages of the bibles content. The Bible tells of Jesus Christ and the
purpose of His existence, and if you want to dig up secular history you will
find many times more proof of the existence of Jesus Christ and his death on the
cross, and resurrection, than the evidence of the existence of Julius Caeasar.
That said back to the topic of Christianity and naturisms coexistence in
harmony, to take a glimpse of the well recorded his-story from the Bible we will
see early on that the intelligent designer, here in after called God, did create
man and woman in His own image and likeness, naked un ashamed! Now ask your self
who could make it better than God? Now that that is settled we always hear the
old "but God clothed them" not so God gave Adam and Eve a old animal hide He
tore in half, and gave it to Adam and Eve as part of their punishment while
being evicted from the Garden of Eden because they were going to need it to lay
on and cover up with at night to keep from being ate up by mosquitoes. Besides
it was in an area that was tropical, extremely warm and humid in an area where
few or no clothing is ever worn.
Bottom line if you are a believer in God and His Son Jesus Christ you are to
live for Him and by His word, do not try to be as they call it "men pleasers" or
as we see many trying to be denomination pleasers, as it is very hard to please
God and please the mass of denominational leaders, they can't even get along
with each other, even though they all claim to be interpreting the same Bible
book. Keep your relationship with Jesus Christ personal, the way God likes it.
And remember when God made man and woman He made the naked unashamed, He looked
at all that He made and said it was all very good - you can not make it better
than God!ReactReply - MEMemberJan 17, 2010
I have no problems at all with being Christian and a naturist. As you say, we are all born naked. The Bible does not prohibit naturism at all. although there are warnings about rude stuff that the misguided associate with naturism. You might as well say that The Bible says not to go into a supermarket because of its warnings against materialism.
For me, naturism and being a Christian have a common goal of finding freedom. The truth shall set you free indeed. Alleluia!ReactReply - SC
scnudistJan 17, 2010I too see that naturism is in complete harmony with Christianity. Adam and Eve were clothed and ashamed because of their sin. It was sin that they were ashamed of. The fact that they saw eachother as naked with sin in their hearts. Before there was sin, there was nudity. As a Christian, we are supposed to live our daily lives according to the teachings of Christ and we are supposed to strive to be as sin free as possible. Though we will never be free of sin in this life, we are to live our lives as Christ lived His. We are to strive to avoid sin and turn from sin toward God. Even Pope John Paul II said nudity in and of itself is not sinful. Indeed, it is the thoughts and desires that are associated with it. Especially in todays society, nudity is heavily associated with sex...they pretty much go hand in hand. To me, for a naturist/nudist to be at a place where they can be nude around others, not have the sexual desires and thoughts that society pushes but to realize the innocence and freedom of nudity, in fact one's God given right to be nude; they have overcome the sin associated with nudity. If you have overcome the sin, then you as a Christian are living a Godly life as you are supposed to.
ReactReply - THThomasJan 17, 2010[quote]I do not mean to judge all Americans when I say this, but I find it quite rediculous to claim that you belong to God's nation so to speak. I guess that here in Canada we are the Evil doer's right? The contradictions within the Bible are so evident and have absolutely no evidence to support their claims, especially when it comes to the Old Testament. Adam & Eve? Give me a break! I guess that it was ok to sleep with your brother and,or sister in those days than? Noa's Ark? I guess that there were not any gay people or species in those times because every species on earth were saved on that boat. I am very spiritual and I believe it is important not to follow those who claim to have found the word God, but to follow those who are in search of.[/quote] We Americans do not claim to be God's nation, rather we are One Nation Under God. The difference being our nation was founded by people with strong religious beliefs and as such our laws and values were established accordingly. That doesn't say other nations don't have same values, it simply says that we do. This in not intened as a start of a strong political dissention, but simply an answer to the above comment.ReactReply
- MEMemberJan 17, 2010"A serious question was asked, and yet all you seem to want to do is denegrate Christians".What's the problem ? - The thread header is 'RELIGOUS BELIEFS AND NUDITY' Surely we can discuss ALL religions ? - or is Christianity outside the remit ?ReactReply
- MEMemberJan 17, 2010
Is America a Christian Nation? See for your self http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdhWitlgkd0
ReactReply - CA
catbirdJan 17, 2010Stitch, you really asked a good question.
I am both a Christian and a nudist. I do not feel any conflict. As has already been pointed out there is nothing in the Bible against nudity. Adam and Eve put on fig leaves because they were hiding from God after they had disobeyed God. Where the Bible says clothe the naked, that means fulfill any needs that you find in other people (i.e., donating clothing to The Salvation Army).
I praise God that Jesus willingly was crucified to save us from our sins. To perfectly obey the spiritual laws is impossible, because we are not perfect. Jesus gave us grace for that reason.
However within The Body of Christ, there is much prejudice against nudity. The prejudice boils down to the misguided nudity = sex. Nudity in itself doesn't = sex. For this reason, I have not shared with my parishioners that I am a nudist. There is no reason to.
I even pray and read the Bible while nude.
I pray for you to nurture your spirituality. but yet be nude.ReactReply - ST
SteveJan 17, 2010Interesting thread. Looking forward to where it is headed. :)
ReactReply - STSteveJan 17, 2010
Concerning nudity or any other topic - what is "the word of god"? How do we know it? Where do we find it?
ReactReply - KE
kenoHickJan 17, 2010Isn't there a bible story where the followers were fishing from a boat and all of them were naked? Then one went swimming. I heard it in bible class when I was real young. I got happy because it proved it was ok to skinnydip.
ReactReply - MEMemberJan 17, 2010[quote] So in a long winded kind of way, my question is; How do people of any religious belief, especially those with strong stances against being socially nude find a way to get the two issues to coexist within themselves? I hope I phrased it right. Again, I'm not asking to be the cause of any trouble, to be a wiseass, or to offend. If someone is offened, I apologize, and you don't need to comment if you don't feel like it. But, I am sincerely asking as someone who is ignorant of information and am asking for that information. The only way to learn, is to ask. Right? Sincerely, Stitch. [/quote] Come on people, stay on topic. The question is "how do people of ANY religious belief...." I really do not see the need for specific religions to be bashed or exalted here... Must every non-humorous post turn into an off-topic battle? (This question IS rhetorical, please do not waste any of our time actually answering it). JenReactReply
- GAgator1Jan 17, 2010[quote][quote]...[/quote] The passage does not specify whether the others were nude, but it's a safe assumption. One would expect that being nude while fishing was common practice in hot climates.[/quote] My understanding of that was a matter of practicality with the heat, but also not having but one cloak which any laborer could easily ruin in a working environment. Gator1ReactReply
- THThomasJan 17, 2010[quote][quote]Come on people, stay on topic. The question is "how do people of ANY religious belief...." I really do not see the need for specific religions to be bashed or exalted here...[/quote] Gentle lady, as I noted in my first post, religious opposition to nudity/nudism is not confined to Christianity. However, since I'm Christian, I can address the issue from that perspective. I neither know nor care what Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism et al teach about it. You'll not find me bashing any religion here.[/quote] I agree nudenma, I answered a a Christian since that is my belief and what I know about.ReactReply
- MA
macnudeJan 17, 2010bump
ReactReply - GE
Gerry-4Jan 19, 2010[quote]I am starting to find that there are those here who are very obcessed with nudity as they are pushing their religious views. It is like a little gang that is very millitant and short sighted, with way too many judgements towards what others believe. I know that this is a little off the topic, but I can not help to feel that maybe these individuals are not so much trying to spread the word, but only trulely trying to convince their selves that they have the truth.[/quote] Don't take it personally, Berrimtl. I tend to believe the way you do and I like your arguments, but this may not be the proper forum for them. You might find likeminded people at the Atheists/agnostics Retreat Group. Last time I checked, it still wasn't active. but you might be able to bring some life to it. As for the original question, Liloandstitch, it ultimately boils down to what YOU are comfortable with given your take on life and the values gleaned from holy books, people you consider to be moral examples, and, quite possibly, the company you keep. Stay with us and you'll have no quarrels from us about whether you should ever be naked in mixed company. We do that all the time!ReactReply - STSteveJan 19, 2010
Also important to remember that the original post had a question addressed to "people of any religious belief". So while I don't agree with the religious views presented, I took it to mean that I had nothing really to say on that subject. But given the question, I think it is appropriate for the people who were asked to espouse their belief while they reconcile it wth nudity. As tempting as it is to steer the discussion towards belief vs. non-belief, this may not be the place to do it. New thread ????
BTW - the Atheist/Agnostic Retreat group is active. For some reason, it was deleted from the group list for awhile, but you can find it now.ReactReply - PH
PhilfreeeukJan 19, 2010[quote][quote]I am starting to find that there are those here who are very obcessed with nudity as they are pushing their religious views. It is like a little gang that is very millitant and short sighted, with way too many judgements towards what others believe. I know that this is a little off the topic, but I can not help to feel that maybe these individuals are not so much trying to spread the word, but only trulely trying to convince their selves that they have the truth.[/quote] Don't take it personally, Berrimtl. I tend to believe the way you do and I like your arguments, but this may not be the proper forum for them. You might find likeminded people at the Atheists/agnostics Retreat Group. Last time I checked, it still wasn't active. but you might be able to bring some life to it. As for the original question, Liloandstitch, it ultimately boils down to what YOU are comfortable with given your take on life and the values gleaned from holy books, people you consider to be moral examples, and, quite possibly, the company you keep. Stay with us and you'll have no quarrels from us about whether you should ever be naked in mixed company. We do that all the time![/quote] Well said Gerry!Atheist/Agnostics Retreat.ReactReply - CO
Curt, or CowboyJan 20, 2010[quote]How do people of any religious belief, especially those with strong stances against being socially nude find a way to get the two issues to coexist within themselves?[/quote] By paying attention to the religious teachings of that faith, and not the dogma. Example: Genesis 3:7-11 is usually taught to mean nude, when it does not say nude, it says naked. I take naked to mean something has become blindingly apparent that was not, or should not, be so in polite company such as a naked blade for an unsheathed scabbard. They knew that God could see into their hearts, and THAT is what they were trying to hide. It's been twisted into a dogmatic stance about being nude, when it never meant that at all. IMHO.ReactReply - STSteveJan 20, 2010[quote] Which of these people are Christians? Which are atheists? [/quote] The tall guy in the back - he looks like a Methodist to me. :)ReactReply
- THThomasJan 20, 2010[quote]Also important to remember that the original post had a question addressed to "people of any religious belief". So while I don't agree with the religious views presented, I took it to mean that I had nothing really to say on that subject. But given the question, I think it is appropriate for the people who were asked to espouse their belief while they reconcile it wth nudity. As tempting as it is to steer the discussion towards belief vs. non-belief, this may not be the place to do it. New thread ???? BTW - the Atheist/Agnostic Retreat group is active. For some reason, it was deleted from the group list for awhile, but you can find it now.[/quote] Well said BCN. thankfully most of the responses were answers based on their beliefs and did not attack others.ReactReply