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Christian naturism
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Baptism of Jesus, Bordone, Giotto 1276-1336
Christian naturists are Christians found in most branches and denominations of Christianity who practice naturism or nudism. They find no conflict between the teachings of the Bible and living their lives and worshiping God without any clothing, believing that covering the body leads to its sexualization. Thus, the common notion that nudity and sexuality go hand-in-hand is seen as a worldly point of view. The Christian definition of the human body should be separate, distinct, and non-materialistic. If clothing truly controlled lust and immoral sexual activity, then these would not be occurring to any great extent.[1]
Many Christian naturists have very little disagreement with the core beliefs of long-established churches, and may even be a member. They feel the error of mandatory dress is cultural, rather than anything related to salvation. Nor is such an error unprecedented. For example, in the 20th century, churches largely abandoned any teaching which promoted racial separation and segregation.[2] Likewise, Christian naturists perceive a gap between scripture and Victorian era modesty (which to some extent is still observed today).
Organized Christian naturism is known to exist in the United States,[3] Canada,[4] United Kingdom,[5] the Netherlands,[6] and Brazil [7] mainly as a parachurch. Public rules of conduct are similar to those of family-oriented naturist resorts. Any inappropriate sexual activity (including lust) is considered to be against God's Word.[8] Although Christian naturists may frequent public beaches and secular resorts, most do not accept New Age and humanist philosophies which sometimes occur in other aspects of naturism.[9] This includes all forms of nature worship. (The etymology of the word "naturism" was never related to nature worship, but derived from the French au naturel, meaning "to be in the natural state.")[10]
Contents
Adam and Eve, by Albrecht Dürer (1507)
Christian naturists view the story of the Garden of Eden as a model for their beliefs.[12] When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the garden as a couple by God, they were both naked and "felt no shame". (Genesis 2:25) They see Adam and Eve being in the blameless state that God had intended them to be. God knew that they were naked, as this was how He had created them.
Even before Eve's creation, God had warned Adam "...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17) Despite God's warning, first Eve, then Adam, eat the forbidden fruit after being persuaded by the devil in the form of a serpent. (Genesis 3:1-6) Upon doing so, they immediately realize that they are naked, and sew fig leaves together as coverings.
Shortly thereafter, Adam and Eve hear God walking in the garden, which results with them fearfully hiding among the trees. God queries Adam, "Where are you?" In spite of the fig leaves, Adam replies that he is afraid because of his nakedness. God further asks Adam, "Who told you that you were naked?" Only God, Adam, Eve, and the devil are a party to this matter, as there are no other humans on the planet at this time. Therefore, Christian naturists believe it was the devil who told Adam and Eve that they were naked. Their shame was not of God; nor would the fig leaves cover this shame, regardless of their genitals being covered. God was displeased not only by their disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit, but also with Adam and Eve's subsequent attempt to cover up their bodies.[12]
Christian naturists maintain the fig leaves were worn in a futile attempt to hide what the couple had done from God—not each other, noting they were married, and equally guilty of the same original sin.[15] The second sin was to cover parts of the body.[16] The devil had chosen the sexual organs as the area of shame because, unlike God, he has no ability to create life. As the next chapter begins with Adam and Eve engaging in appropriate marital sexual relations,[17] they conclude the couple would have seen each other naked subsequent to the fall of mankind.
Having thus sinned, and no longer living nude by their own accord, God expels them from the Garden of Eden. He also made garments from animal skins to replace the fig leaves. Many Christians, both naturist and non-naturist, believe this was the first instance of a blood sacrifice.[18]
Other scripture
Painting Madonna and Child with St. Anne showing Christ unashamed to be naked, being without sin. The Virgin Mary is with her mother. Caravaggio, 1606 [19]
There are other references to nudity in the Bible, such as:
1 Samuel 19:24 He (Saul) stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" [20]
2 Samuel 6:20-23 As the Ark of the Covenant finally arrives in Jerusalem, King David dances nude within sight of slave girls. For this he is strongly denounced by his wife, Michal. David replies "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more humble than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." The Scripture immediately following adds: "And Michal (daughter of Saul) had no children to the day of her death." (For a woman in the ancient Near East to be barren was considered one of the worst curses possible.)[21]
2 Samuel 11 While King David was rebuked by God for his lust of Bathsheba (a married woman), nothing was said about her nude bathing.[22]
Isaiah 20:2 The Lord says to Isaiah: "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.[23]
Micah 1:8a (Micah speaking:) Because of this [Jacob's transgression] I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked.[24]
Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:22-23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"[25]
Mark 14:51-52 "A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."[26]
John 19:23-24 "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, ... "Let's not tear [the undergarment]," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it...." Many paintings and films depict Christ's crucifixion with Him wearing a loin cloth, but this is neither consistent with scripture nor with the normal method of a Roman crucifixion.[27]
Gospel of Thomas Although no major Christian group accepts this book as canonical or authoritative (its translation was unavailable until the 20th century), it relates a conversation between Jesus and his disciples:
His disciples asked, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?" Jesus answered, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid."[28]
Where nudity is forbidden
Despite the aforementioned beliefs, there are three areas in which Christian naturists may feel nudity is condemned by the Bible:[29]
If parents forbid children to ever be seen nude outside of their own family, generally such a prohibition begins within the months or years leading up to the age of reason or accountability. The exact age and circumstances may vary by denomination and culture. Quite the opposite of what Christian naturists believe, non-naturists (whether Christian or not), may feel that if children were to see others nude and be seen nude themselves, that is precisely what would cost them their innocence.[30] See also the article: Nudity and children.
Denominations
Protestant
Chapel at Cherokee Lodge
Non-denominational services are the most common among Protestant Christian naturists. Often someone's home or a portion of a secular naturist resort is used (with permission). Three annual Christian Nudist Convocations (AANR) are held regionally during the summer months.[31] In the U.S., a few resorts have chapels (permanent or makeshift) on their grounds for the purpose of providing worship services:[32]
While not actually a position of the Religious Society of Friends, naturism was the accepted norm for a time in one of their camps for children and teens. The Quakers are the only religious denomination in America with any such acceptance of naturism. The camps started in 1939 and sometime in the 1950s naturism among the coed campers was the norm for such activities as swimming, sauna and other appropriate activities. This practice was abandoned in the mid-2000s due to concerns about maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for the campers.
The founder of the Quaker camps (Farm and Wilderness Camps in Vermont) wrote in his book entitled “When Sparks Fly Upward”:
A study of comparative cultures leads to the suspicion that it could be, that our culture is wrong in this regard; that the evil that has falsely imputed to nudism is in fact an evil in our own minds. It has cut us off from a health-given, wholesome and joyous practice in which children thrive and adults may find an honesty and straight forwardness, and even a spiritual surety and strength that we grievously lack at present. This “piece of work” that is man, how are we to become convinced of its wonder if by the fetish of hiding the body we deny and destroy some of the health and most of its godlike beauty?
LDS naturists
This section may contain previously unpublished synthesis of published material that conveys ideas not attributable to the original sources. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. (October 2009)
Some individual members of the Latter Day Saint movement practice naturism or nudism.[33] Like Christian Naturists, LDS Naturists believe it is acceptable to remove their clothing and enjoy wholesome recreation without experiencing God's judgment.[34] However, the doctrine of the church as outlined in official church literature clearly states that church members should always dress modestly to show respect for God and themselves, and that revealing attire or appearance in public is always inappropriate.[35]
Latter-day Saints reject the Gnostic teaching that the human body is intrinsically evil and the spirit is good (see History below). Rather, they believe that the body is a sacred temple that houses the spirit.[36]
Latter-day Saints do not believe in the concept of original sin, i.e., that human nature is inherently sinful because of the fall of Adam. However, LDS scriptures confirm the understanding found in Genesis that it was God himself who properly and fully clothed Adam and Eve when the fig leaves were found to be lacking in Eden.[37][38]
One of the Thirteen Articles of Faith instructs members to obey the law: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Thus, where the law does not prohibit nudity, some LDS may participate in naturism. While LDS church leaders have condemned displays of pornography [39] and have cited the law in Denmark allowing nudity on public beaches as an example of the removal of moral barriers, [40] there appears to be no official stance or doctrine concerning social nudism or naturism.
Criticism
By far, the most frequent biblical argument against Christian naturism is that if God approved of people being nude, he would not have clothed Adam and Eve after they sinned, thus making it a reminder to man that we had, in fact, sinned.[41] The counter-argument is Adam and Eve had already clothed themselves upon sinning, and God merely replaced the fig leaves with animal skins. In other words, granting them free will, but demonstrating sin requires a blood sacrifice.[12]
Due to cultural tendencies to equate nudity with sex, many Christian denominations and groups are not supportive of naturism and nudism. Such groups may feel that the temptation of lust is too difficult. Christian naturists counter that the notion of Christians being unable to avoid lust where non-sexualized nudity is present has no scriptural basis whatsoever.[42][43] Furthermore, they believe Christ has given mankind the power to avoid sin.[44]
Christian naturists have been criticized for being nude around non-Christians (in the sense that some contact between Christians and non-believers takes place), given that they might have no inhibitions against lust and other carnal sin.[45] The best way to avoid such lust, naturists believe, is to live nude and be accustomed to bodies of various shapes, ages, and ethnicities in a non-sexualized setting. Furthermore, virtually all sexual abuse of minors, and rape among adults is initiated while both offender and victim are dressed.[citation needed] Other believers contend that nowhere does Scripture state the need to practice nudism to prevent lust. Naturists counter Scripture never speaks of both lust and the need for clothing in proximity to one another, either.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul speaks of the need for women to wear a head covering. However, it only applies to prayer and prophecy, and says nothing about covering the rest of the human body. Conversely, according to the passage, men must not have their heads covered. This due to man being the image and glory of God, and should not cover his head, as that would be figuratively covering the glory of God. The woman covers her head as she is the glory of man, and the glory of man ought to be covered when in the presence of God.[46] Today, many Western churches which are non-naturist do not require women to cover their heads in church.
In the Book of 1 Timothy, Paul urged the women in the Christian church to dress modestly, with "decency and propriety".[47] Critics contend it is in contrast to the beliefs of Christian naturism that the apostle urges them to dress at all. Christian Naturists counter that Paul was disallowing outlandish and/or expensive clothing (which is prohibited in Christian Naturism as well), and not referring to those who choose not to dress.
Other criticism, while it may not oppose naturism per se, is concerned that it will hinder witnessing, divide spouses, promote secrecy to prevent embarrassment, excommunication, etc.[48] As a result, some Christian naturists are isolated from other Christians and their churches. In their effort to find fellowship, many have formed local fellowships, while others are still accepted by their own church groups even though they are known as naturists.[49]
History
3rd-century baptism, St. Calixte Catacomb
Ancient
Originally, Jewish mikvahs, and later, early Christian baptisms[52] were performed with individual naked. This included mass baptisms involving men, women, and children. They signified the participant's restoration to man's original sinless condition, having their sins blotted out. Others claim that children were baptized first, then men, then women, all separately.[citation needed]
Public bathing was the common practice through the time of Jesus and still occurs today in a few cultures, including the Turkish bath or hammam, the Finnish sauna, Japanese onsen or Sentō, and the Korean Jjimjilbang. With the exception of the family-focused Finnish sauna, most public baths are gender-segregated today. Entire families took part in the public bath—including Christians. Jesus even preached at the public baths in Jerusalem [53] (John 5:1-7).
Some historic religious sects, both Christian and syncretist, have made nudism a general practice. Probably the best-known of these were the Adamites, though some of their beliefs were contrary to orthodox Christianity.[54] The post-resurrection belief of the unclothed body being evil or sinful may originate in Platonic asceticism (founded largely on the works of ancient Greek philosopher Plato) which was adopted and passed down by "Christian" Platonists in early church history. Platonism is a dualistic theology which proposes a realm of forms to include, on the one hand, "pure ideas", which are good; and, on the other hand, "matter", which is evil. When applied to humans, the soul is necessarily good, and the body is necessarily evil. Therefore, according to this philosophy, our "evil" bodies must be covered by clothing. Christian naturists reject such notions as unbiblical.[55]
Plotinus (c. 204 – 270 AD) was a major philosopher of the ancient world who is widely considered the founder of Neo-Platonism (along with his teacher Ammonius Saccas). His metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics. About 150 years later, Saint Augustine (354-430 AD) was heavily influenced by the teaching of Plotinus.[56] As one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity, St. Augustine strongly endorsed asceticism, which meant self-denial of worldly pleasure and total sexual abstinence. Eventually, this reached its peak in monasticism. Those pursuing a monastic life are usually called monks or brethren (brothers) if male, and nuns or sisters if female. While similar activities existed previously in pre-Christian times, early Christian monasticism attracted a large number of followers due to its enormous prestige and high social status in the period where the Roman Empire was near collapse.[57] St. Augustine is one of the very few saints considered important not only by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions, but by many Protestants as well (including Martin Luther and John Calvin).[58] Christian Naturists do not believe that monasticism, along with its clothing requirements and isolation, is how Jesus taught us to live. If asceticism is practiced, it begins by living nude.
Modern
By the middle of the 19th century, Queen Victoria had come to power in the United Kingdom.[59] The queen's influence was legendary, even spreading to other areas of Europe and America, which were outside of the British Empire. (Her ancestors were mainly German.) Due to previous sexual and other scandals of her predecessors in the House of Hanover, Queen Victoria placed a strong emphasis on her idea of morality and family values. For the first time, burgeoning middle classes could begin to identify with the reigning king or queen. At this point, it became quite unacceptable to be seen nude in public for whatever reason. Missionaries even brought clothing to various indigenous peoples who lived nude in humid, tropical climates. After her death in 1901, naturism and nudism began to emerge in northern Germany, and gradually spread elsewhere.
In the United States, the Christian naturism movement (which was the first naturism movement of any sort in the U.S.) began in the late 1920s. This occurred at nearly the same time as the start of the Great Depression, under the leadership of New Jersey Dutch Reformed minister Ilsley Boone.[60] Initially, he was vice president of the American League for Physical Culture. By October 1931, Boone had taken over as president, and renamed the club as the "American Sunbathing Association" (ASA). Soon, naturism began expanding nationwide.
In Rome, Pope Pius XI strongly condemned the naturism movement throughout the early 1930s, calling it "paganly immodest".[61] This prompted the head of the New York Legion of Decency, former New York Catholic Governor and presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith, to try to outlaw all nudism. A recent court ruling had declared private social nudity to be legal per current law. Eventually, their efforts failed in the state legislature.[61] After Boone's passing in the 1960s, the ASA became more secular, along with American society in general. In 1995, the ASA was renamed as the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), which currently has its headquarters in Florida.
Until the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) converted to co-ed facilities in the early 1960s, men and boys, including the swimming instructors, swam in a state of complete nakedness. Nylon was a relatively new invention at that time, and allowing cotton or wool swimsuits in the pool would increase the clogging of the filtration system.[62] The word gymnasium means to train in the nude. This is derived from the standard practice of athletes who used to train and compete without any clothing (though it originates from pre-Christian Greece).
Pope John Paul II began his papacy in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pope in four and a half centuries.[63] His views on naturism differed substantially from that of his predecessors. Authoring the book Love and Responsibility (1981), he wrote: Nakedness itself is not immodest... Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person, when its aim is to arouse concupiscence, as a result of which the person is put in the position of an object for enjoyment.
With the beginning of the modern internet in the mid-1990s, Christian Naturism became much more organized in the U.S. than ever before. The website Naturist-Christians.org founded in 1999 is the largest website devoted exclusively to Christian naturism. Annual Christian Nudist Convocations began early in the decade of the 2000s.
Timeline of requisite dress in Western civilization
Nudity portal
Notes
1. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) New Paradigms, September 5, 2010
2. ^ Encyclopedia of religion in the South, Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson, p.190-191
3. ^ "Supporting and Gathering Christian Nudists - Christian Nudist Convocation | CNC". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
4. ^ "Christian nudists to build village in Florida". Azcentral.com. 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
5. ^ "Home". Christiannaturist.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
6. ^ "Gan Eden de site voor Christen-naturisten". Ganeden.nl. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
7. ^ "Você está acessando a página Naturistas Cristãos". Naturistascristaos.org. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
8. ^ "CNC". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
9. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) "Divine Nature" Issue 13—January 20, 1996
10. ^ http://wordconnections.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/au-naturale-isnt-natural
11. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Rebuilding a Godly View of the Unclad Human Body, October 24, 2010
12. ^ a b c d "(peer reviewed section)". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
13. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) A Christian Nudist/Naturist Apologia Issue 127—August 2007
14. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Let's Not Make A Scapegoat Of The Apostle Paul, Issue 140—November, 2008
15. ^ Genesis 2:22.
16. ^ "The Second Sin". Figleafforum.com. 1994-11-12. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
17. ^ "Genesis 4:1 NIV - Cain and Abel Adam made love to his". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
18. ^ "Answers in Genesis answersingenesis.org c. 2011". Answersingenesis.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
19. ^ Simon Schama's Power of Art, pt. 1, BBC, 2007
20. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Contrasting Types Of Biblical Nakedness Issue 2—December 17, 1994
21. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Nakedness And Worship In The Bible Issue 3—January 21, 1995
22. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Objections To Becoming A Nudist Issue 11—November 13, 1995
23. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) A Path Of Healing, A Spiritual Journey Issue 5—April 17, 1995
24. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Second Negative By John Kundert Issue 55/Issue 56—May/June 2000
25. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Greg Responds To The Skeptic Issue 85—May 2003
26. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Clothing, Textile Culture And The Bible Issue 79—October 2002
27. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Unveiling Glory: Revealing God's Workmanship Issue 80—November 2002
28. ^ "Nudity as mentioned in the Bible". Religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
29. ^ Nudity as mentioned in the Bible Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance 1997-2007
30. ^ "Christian Naturism by Boyd Allen". Bacn.bravehost.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
31. ^ "Supporting and Gathering Christian Nudists - [http://www.christiannc.com Christian Nudist Convocation | CNC]". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
32. ^ "Cherokee". Cherokee-lodge.com. 2004-05-04. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
33. ^ Fruhwirth, Jesse (December 16, 2009). "Skinny-Dipper Crackdown". Salt Lake City News. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
34. ^ "LDS Skinny-Dipper Connection". January 1, 2010.[unreliable source?]
35. ^ "Dress and Appearance". Lds.org. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
36. ^ "My Body—a Temple". Friend. Intellectual Reserve. May 2002. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
37. ^ "Moses 4:27". Scriptures.lds.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
38. ^ "Genesis 3:21". Scriptures.lds.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
39. ^ Don L. Searle Jr., "The Obscenity Flood:Can It Be Stopped?," Ensign, Oct 1971, p. 12
40. ^ Giles H. Florence Jr., "Sea, Soil, and Souls in Denmark," Tambuli, Jun 1993, p37
41. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions about nudity". Catholicdoors.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
42. ^ "Reflections On Lust". Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section). Retrieved 2010-07-26.
43. ^ "On Lust". Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section). Retrieved 2010-07-26.
44. ^ "biblegateway.com". biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
45. ^ "Debate Introduction". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
46. ^ "Passage Lookup: 1 Corinthians 11". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
47. ^ "1 Timothy 2:9 New International Version". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
48. ^ "Naked for Christ? Christian Nudism". Themarriagebed.com. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
49. ^ "Nudism - Christian nudism, nudism & religion". Nudism.yaia.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
50. ^ Persecuted for Good Nudity - Christians and Nudity[dead link]
51. ^ "(peer reviewed section) - Debate Introduction". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
52. ^ "The Jewish Background of Christian Baptism". Bebaptized.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
53. ^ "A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
54. ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: Adamites". Newadvent.org. 1907-03-01. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
55. ^ Handbook of the History of Philosophy By Albert Stöckl, and Thomas A. Finlay p. 182-184, Gill Publishing 1887, Digitized by University of Michigan 2007
56. ^ Cross, Frank L. and Livingstone, Elizabeth, ed (2005). "Platonism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280290-9.
57. ^ The Making of the West by Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, and Bonnie G. Smith. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's. c. 2007 p. 232
58. ^ Augustine Through the Ages by John C Cavadini and Allan D Fitzgerald, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c. 1999, p. 718
59. ^ Hibbert, Christopher. Queen Victoria: A Personal History. Harper Collins Publishing, 2000.
60. ^ "A Brief History Of Nudism And Naturism In America" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-09-28.
61. ^ a b Monday, Mar. 18, 1935 (1935-03-18). "Pope on Nudism". Time.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
62. ^ https://sites.google.com/site/historicarchives4maleswimming/home/archives---mid-20th-century-to-current/photographs
63. ^ "Not in main article, See box "The Pope's Life"". BBC News. 2005-04-03. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
64. ^ "Genesis 3:21; - Passage Lookup - New International Version". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
65. ^ The Making of the West by Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, and Bonnie G. Smith. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's. c. 2007 p. 234
66. ^ a b A History of Private Life, Volume I, From Pagan Rome to Byzantium by Paul Veyne, Phillippe Ariès, Georges Duby, and Arthur Goldhammer (Translator)
67. ^ Travel Naturally, (49)
68. ^ "BSHP report". Retrieved 2011-09-28.
69. ^ "Town of Garrett Park". Garrettpark-md.gov. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
70. ^ Pauline Thomas. "Early Sports Fashion History to 1960". Fashion-era.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
71. ^ Pollak, Michael (2008-05-04). "Film Crew Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
72. ^ Time http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19850812,00.html |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 2010-04-03.
73. ^ Time http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840409,00.html |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 2010-04-03.
74. ^ "Education: Facing Up to Sex Abuse". Time. 1984-11-12. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
75. ^ "Office Crimes". Time. 1991-10-21. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
76. ^ "Controversy". Comm.unt.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
77. ^ "Naaktlopers (Naaktloopers) — GAMEO". Gameo.org. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
External links
Issues and debate
Nudity and related topics
Categories:
Christian naturism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Baptism of Jesus, Bordone, Giotto 1276-1336
Christian naturists are Christians found in most branches and denominations of Christianity who practice naturism or nudism. They find no conflict between the teachings of the Bible and living their lives and worshiping God without any clothing, believing that covering the body leads to its sexualization. Thus, the common notion that nudity and sexuality go hand-in-hand is seen as a worldly point of view. The Christian definition of the human body should be separate, distinct, and non-materialistic. If clothing truly controlled lust and immoral sexual activity, then these would not be occurring to any great extent.[1]
Many Christian naturists have very little disagreement with the core beliefs of long-established churches, and may even be a member. They feel the error of mandatory dress is cultural, rather than anything related to salvation. Nor is such an error unprecedented. For example, in the 20th century, churches largely abandoned any teaching which promoted racial separation and segregation.[2] Likewise, Christian naturists perceive a gap between scripture and Victorian era modesty (which to some extent is still observed today).
Organized Christian naturism is known to exist in the United States,[3] Canada,[4] United Kingdom,[5] the Netherlands,[6] and Brazil [7] mainly as a parachurch. Public rules of conduct are similar to those of family-oriented naturist resorts. Any inappropriate sexual activity (including lust) is considered to be against God's Word.[8] Although Christian naturists may frequent public beaches and secular resorts, most do not accept New Age and humanist philosophies which sometimes occur in other aspects of naturism.[9] This includes all forms of nature worship. (The etymology of the word "naturism" was never related to nature worship, but derived from the French au naturel, meaning "to be in the natural state.")[10]
Contents
- 1 Beliefs
- 2 Denominations
- 3 Criticism
- 4 History
- 4.1 Ancient
- 4.2 Modern
- 4.3 Timeline of requisite dress in Western civilization
- 4.4 Nudity and historical Christian sects
- 5 See also
- 6 Notes
- 7 External links
- Christian naturists believe that much of Christianity has misinterpreted the events of the Garden of Eden story and the Fall of Man. According to this interpretation, God could see the sin that Adam and Eve had committed by eating the forbidden fruit. It was for this reason alone that the couple was ashamed, and therefore tried to hide by covering their bodies with fig leaves. They were not motivated to dress by being able to see one another nude. (If that were the case, Adam and Eve would have immediately run off in opposite directions, rather than remain together.) When God subsequently clothed them with animal skins, He made no mandate for humans to be dressed in public, but left a reminder of the severe nature of sin requiring a blood sacrifice.
- The human body was God's final and greatest earthly creation. Requiring the body to be covered rivals the legalism of the Pharisees. Many people have been deceived into thinking that their clothing keeps them from sin, when in fact the opposite is true.[11]
- Other prominent figures in the Bible also participated in social nudity (see scripture below). Being nude is a wholesome way of life, and an acceptable state of dress which was never condemned by God in the Bible. Christian naturists note there is no command in the Adam and Eve story, or elsewhere in the Bible, to wear clothing.[12]
- While "openness" and "loving people for who they are" are common concepts throughout Christianity, they are especially emphasized in Christian naturism through "body acceptance." Having a perfect body as the world sees fit is totally unimportant for both males and females of all ages.[13]
- Many of the prohibitions of present-day nudity (both within Christianity and society at large) originate from the 19th-century Victorian era, rather than scripture. Two centuries ago, except for a Puritan minority, Christians did not generally equate nudity with sexuality.[14]
Adam and Eve, by Albrecht Dürer (1507)
Christian naturists view the story of the Garden of Eden as a model for their beliefs.[12] When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the garden as a couple by God, they were both naked and "felt no shame". (Genesis 2:25) They see Adam and Eve being in the blameless state that God had intended them to be. God knew that they were naked, as this was how He had created them.
Even before Eve's creation, God had warned Adam "...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17) Despite God's warning, first Eve, then Adam, eat the forbidden fruit after being persuaded by the devil in the form of a serpent. (Genesis 3:1-6) Upon doing so, they immediately realize that they are naked, and sew fig leaves together as coverings.
Shortly thereafter, Adam and Eve hear God walking in the garden, which results with them fearfully hiding among the trees. God queries Adam, "Where are you?" In spite of the fig leaves, Adam replies that he is afraid because of his nakedness. God further asks Adam, "Who told you that you were naked?" Only God, Adam, Eve, and the devil are a party to this matter, as there are no other humans on the planet at this time. Therefore, Christian naturists believe it was the devil who told Adam and Eve that they were naked. Their shame was not of God; nor would the fig leaves cover this shame, regardless of their genitals being covered. God was displeased not only by their disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit, but also with Adam and Eve's subsequent attempt to cover up their bodies.[12]
Christian naturists maintain the fig leaves were worn in a futile attempt to hide what the couple had done from God—not each other, noting they were married, and equally guilty of the same original sin.[15] The second sin was to cover parts of the body.[16] The devil had chosen the sexual organs as the area of shame because, unlike God, he has no ability to create life. As the next chapter begins with Adam and Eve engaging in appropriate marital sexual relations,[17] they conclude the couple would have seen each other naked subsequent to the fall of mankind.
Having thus sinned, and no longer living nude by their own accord, God expels them from the Garden of Eden. He also made garments from animal skins to replace the fig leaves. Many Christians, both naturist and non-naturist, believe this was the first instance of a blood sacrifice.[18]
Other scripture
Painting Madonna and Child with St. Anne showing Christ unashamed to be naked, being without sin. The Virgin Mary is with her mother. Caravaggio, 1606 [19]
There are other references to nudity in the Bible, such as:
1 Samuel 19:24 He (Saul) stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" [20]
2 Samuel 6:20-23 As the Ark of the Covenant finally arrives in Jerusalem, King David dances nude within sight of slave girls. For this he is strongly denounced by his wife, Michal. David replies "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more humble than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." The Scripture immediately following adds: "And Michal (daughter of Saul) had no children to the day of her death." (For a woman in the ancient Near East to be barren was considered one of the worst curses possible.)[21]
2 Samuel 11 While King David was rebuked by God for his lust of Bathsheba (a married woman), nothing was said about her nude bathing.[22]
Isaiah 20:2 The Lord says to Isaiah: "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.[23]
Micah 1:8a (Micah speaking:) Because of this [Jacob's transgression] I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked.[24]
Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:22-23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"[25]
Mark 14:51-52 "A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."[26]
John 19:23-24 "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, ... "Let's not tear [the undergarment]," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it...." Many paintings and films depict Christ's crucifixion with Him wearing a loin cloth, but this is neither consistent with scripture nor with the normal method of a Roman crucifixion.[27]
Gospel of Thomas Although no major Christian group accepts this book as canonical or authoritative (its translation was unavailable until the 20th century), it relates a conversation between Jesus and his disciples:
His disciples asked, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?" Jesus answered, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid."[28]
Where nudity is forbidden
Despite the aforementioned beliefs, there are three areas in which Christian naturists may feel nudity is condemned by the Bible:[29]
- Where it is forced on a person against their will (e.g. prisoners). God did not strip Adam and Eve of their fig leaves leaving them naked, but rather made them garments from animal skin requiring a blood sacrifice.
- When associated directly with sin (orgies, temple prostitution, etc.) or indecent exposure (in the modern sense). In particular, situations where a person has completely undressed causing surprise and shock to those not expecting such an encounter. (Some indecent exposure laws may be considered as too stringent, however.)
- Where people are suffering from the lack of food, clothing, and shelter. The need for clothing could be due to a cold climate, hostile environment, and/or cultural necessity.
If parents forbid children to ever be seen nude outside of their own family, generally such a prohibition begins within the months or years leading up to the age of reason or accountability. The exact age and circumstances may vary by denomination and culture. Quite the opposite of what Christian naturists believe, non-naturists (whether Christian or not), may feel that if children were to see others nude and be seen nude themselves, that is precisely what would cost them their innocence.[30] See also the article: Nudity and children.
Denominations
Protestant
Chapel at Cherokee Lodge
Non-denominational services are the most common among Protestant Christian naturists. Often someone's home or a portion of a secular naturist resort is used (with permission). Three annual Christian Nudist Convocations (AANR) are held regionally during the summer months.[31] In the U.S., a few resorts have chapels (permanent or makeshift) on their grounds for the purpose of providing worship services:[32]
- Bluebonnet Park (AANR), Alvord, Texas
- Cedar Waters Village (unaffiliated), Nottingham, New Hampshire
- Cherokee Lodge (AANR), Crossville, Tennessee
- Glen Eden (AANR), Corona, California
- Lake Como Resort (AANR), Lutz, Florida
- Oaklake Trails (AANR), Depew, Oklahoma
- White Tail Resort (AANR), Ivor, Virginia
- White Thorn Lodge (AANR), Darlington, Pennsylvania
While not actually a position of the Religious Society of Friends, naturism was the accepted norm for a time in one of their camps for children and teens. The Quakers are the only religious denomination in America with any such acceptance of naturism. The camps started in 1939 and sometime in the 1950s naturism among the coed campers was the norm for such activities as swimming, sauna and other appropriate activities. This practice was abandoned in the mid-2000s due to concerns about maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for the campers.
The founder of the Quaker camps (Farm and Wilderness Camps in Vermont) wrote in his book entitled “When Sparks Fly Upward”:
A study of comparative cultures leads to the suspicion that it could be, that our culture is wrong in this regard; that the evil that has falsely imputed to nudism is in fact an evil in our own minds. It has cut us off from a health-given, wholesome and joyous practice in which children thrive and adults may find an honesty and straight forwardness, and even a spiritual surety and strength that we grievously lack at present. This “piece of work” that is man, how are we to become convinced of its wonder if by the fetish of hiding the body we deny and destroy some of the health and most of its godlike beauty?
LDS naturists
This section may contain previously unpublished synthesis of published material that conveys ideas not attributable to the original sources. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. (October 2009)
Some individual members of the Latter Day Saint movement practice naturism or nudism.[33] Like Christian Naturists, LDS Naturists believe it is acceptable to remove their clothing and enjoy wholesome recreation without experiencing God's judgment.[34] However, the doctrine of the church as outlined in official church literature clearly states that church members should always dress modestly to show respect for God and themselves, and that revealing attire or appearance in public is always inappropriate.[35]
Latter-day Saints reject the Gnostic teaching that the human body is intrinsically evil and the spirit is good (see History below). Rather, they believe that the body is a sacred temple that houses the spirit.[36]
Latter-day Saints do not believe in the concept of original sin, i.e., that human nature is inherently sinful because of the fall of Adam. However, LDS scriptures confirm the understanding found in Genesis that it was God himself who properly and fully clothed Adam and Eve when the fig leaves were found to be lacking in Eden.[37][38]
One of the Thirteen Articles of Faith instructs members to obey the law: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Thus, where the law does not prohibit nudity, some LDS may participate in naturism. While LDS church leaders have condemned displays of pornography [39] and have cited the law in Denmark allowing nudity on public beaches as an example of the removal of moral barriers, [40] there appears to be no official stance or doctrine concerning social nudism or naturism.
Criticism
By far, the most frequent biblical argument against Christian naturism is that if God approved of people being nude, he would not have clothed Adam and Eve after they sinned, thus making it a reminder to man that we had, in fact, sinned.[41] The counter-argument is Adam and Eve had already clothed themselves upon sinning, and God merely replaced the fig leaves with animal skins. In other words, granting them free will, but demonstrating sin requires a blood sacrifice.[12]
Due to cultural tendencies to equate nudity with sex, many Christian denominations and groups are not supportive of naturism and nudism. Such groups may feel that the temptation of lust is too difficult. Christian naturists counter that the notion of Christians being unable to avoid lust where non-sexualized nudity is present has no scriptural basis whatsoever.[42][43] Furthermore, they believe Christ has given mankind the power to avoid sin.[44]
Christian naturists have been criticized for being nude around non-Christians (in the sense that some contact between Christians and non-believers takes place), given that they might have no inhibitions against lust and other carnal sin.[45] The best way to avoid such lust, naturists believe, is to live nude and be accustomed to bodies of various shapes, ages, and ethnicities in a non-sexualized setting. Furthermore, virtually all sexual abuse of minors, and rape among adults is initiated while both offender and victim are dressed.[citation needed] Other believers contend that nowhere does Scripture state the need to practice nudism to prevent lust. Naturists counter Scripture never speaks of both lust and the need for clothing in proximity to one another, either.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul speaks of the need for women to wear a head covering. However, it only applies to prayer and prophecy, and says nothing about covering the rest of the human body. Conversely, according to the passage, men must not have their heads covered. This due to man being the image and glory of God, and should not cover his head, as that would be figuratively covering the glory of God. The woman covers her head as she is the glory of man, and the glory of man ought to be covered when in the presence of God.[46] Today, many Western churches which are non-naturist do not require women to cover their heads in church.
In the Book of 1 Timothy, Paul urged the women in the Christian church to dress modestly, with "decency and propriety".[47] Critics contend it is in contrast to the beliefs of Christian naturism that the apostle urges them to dress at all. Christian Naturists counter that Paul was disallowing outlandish and/or expensive clothing (which is prohibited in Christian Naturism as well), and not referring to those who choose not to dress.
Other criticism, while it may not oppose naturism per se, is concerned that it will hinder witnessing, divide spouses, promote secrecy to prevent embarrassment, excommunication, etc.[48] As a result, some Christian naturists are isolated from other Christians and their churches. In their effort to find fellowship, many have formed local fellowships, while others are still accepted by their own church groups even though they are known as naturists.[49]
- In May 2002, a pastor in southern California was terminated due to his Christian Naturism beliefs. The church was affiliated with the Grace Gospel Fellowship and Grace Bible College.[50]
- A written debate titled Is Social Nudism Condemned By The Bible As Sinful? with Mark Roberts of the Westside Church of Christ, Irving, Texas in the affirmative, and John Kundert of the Fig Leaf forum, Winnipeg, Manitoba in the negative is available online.[51] See the external links below.
History
3rd-century baptism, St. Calixte Catacomb
Ancient
Originally, Jewish mikvahs, and later, early Christian baptisms[52] were performed with individual naked. This included mass baptisms involving men, women, and children. They signified the participant's restoration to man's original sinless condition, having their sins blotted out. Others claim that children were baptized first, then men, then women, all separately.[citation needed]
Public bathing was the common practice through the time of Jesus and still occurs today in a few cultures, including the Turkish bath or hammam, the Finnish sauna, Japanese onsen or Sentō, and the Korean Jjimjilbang. With the exception of the family-focused Finnish sauna, most public baths are gender-segregated today. Entire families took part in the public bath—including Christians. Jesus even preached at the public baths in Jerusalem [53] (John 5:1-7).
Some historic religious sects, both Christian and syncretist, have made nudism a general practice. Probably the best-known of these were the Adamites, though some of their beliefs were contrary to orthodox Christianity.[54] The post-resurrection belief of the unclothed body being evil or sinful may originate in Platonic asceticism (founded largely on the works of ancient Greek philosopher Plato) which was adopted and passed down by "Christian" Platonists in early church history. Platonism is a dualistic theology which proposes a realm of forms to include, on the one hand, "pure ideas", which are good; and, on the other hand, "matter", which is evil. When applied to humans, the soul is necessarily good, and the body is necessarily evil. Therefore, according to this philosophy, our "evil" bodies must be covered by clothing. Christian naturists reject such notions as unbiblical.[55]
Plotinus (c. 204 – 270 AD) was a major philosopher of the ancient world who is widely considered the founder of Neo-Platonism (along with his teacher Ammonius Saccas). His metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics. About 150 years later, Saint Augustine (354-430 AD) was heavily influenced by the teaching of Plotinus.[56] As one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity, St. Augustine strongly endorsed asceticism, which meant self-denial of worldly pleasure and total sexual abstinence. Eventually, this reached its peak in monasticism. Those pursuing a monastic life are usually called monks or brethren (brothers) if male, and nuns or sisters if female. While similar activities existed previously in pre-Christian times, early Christian monasticism attracted a large number of followers due to its enormous prestige and high social status in the period where the Roman Empire was near collapse.[57] St. Augustine is one of the very few saints considered important not only by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions, but by many Protestants as well (including Martin Luther and John Calvin).[58] Christian Naturists do not believe that monasticism, along with its clothing requirements and isolation, is how Jesus taught us to live. If asceticism is practiced, it begins by living nude.
Modern
By the middle of the 19th century, Queen Victoria had come to power in the United Kingdom.[59] The queen's influence was legendary, even spreading to other areas of Europe and America, which were outside of the British Empire. (Her ancestors were mainly German.) Due to previous sexual and other scandals of her predecessors in the House of Hanover, Queen Victoria placed a strong emphasis on her idea of morality and family values. For the first time, burgeoning middle classes could begin to identify with the reigning king or queen. At this point, it became quite unacceptable to be seen nude in public for whatever reason. Missionaries even brought clothing to various indigenous peoples who lived nude in humid, tropical climates. After her death in 1901, naturism and nudism began to emerge in northern Germany, and gradually spread elsewhere.
In the United States, the Christian naturism movement (which was the first naturism movement of any sort in the U.S.) began in the late 1920s. This occurred at nearly the same time as the start of the Great Depression, under the leadership of New Jersey Dutch Reformed minister Ilsley Boone.[60] Initially, he was vice president of the American League for Physical Culture. By October 1931, Boone had taken over as president, and renamed the club as the "American Sunbathing Association" (ASA). Soon, naturism began expanding nationwide.
In Rome, Pope Pius XI strongly condemned the naturism movement throughout the early 1930s, calling it "paganly immodest".[61] This prompted the head of the New York Legion of Decency, former New York Catholic Governor and presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith, to try to outlaw all nudism. A recent court ruling had declared private social nudity to be legal per current law. Eventually, their efforts failed in the state legislature.[61] After Boone's passing in the 1960s, the ASA became more secular, along with American society in general. In 1995, the ASA was renamed as the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), which currently has its headquarters in Florida.
Until the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) converted to co-ed facilities in the early 1960s, men and boys, including the swimming instructors, swam in a state of complete nakedness. Nylon was a relatively new invention at that time, and allowing cotton or wool swimsuits in the pool would increase the clogging of the filtration system.[62] The word gymnasium means to train in the nude. This is derived from the standard practice of athletes who used to train and compete without any clothing (though it originates from pre-Christian Greece).
Pope John Paul II began his papacy in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pope in four and a half centuries.[63] His views on naturism differed substantially from that of his predecessors. Authoring the book Love and Responsibility (1981), he wrote: Nakedness itself is not immodest... Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person, when its aim is to arouse concupiscence, as a result of which the person is put in the position of an object for enjoyment.
With the beginning of the modern internet in the mid-1990s, Christian Naturism became much more organized in the U.S. than ever before. The website Naturist-Christians.org founded in 1999 is the largest website devoted exclusively to Christian naturism. Annual Christian Nudist Convocations began early in the decade of the 2000s.
Timeline of requisite dress in Western civilization
- Prehistorical According to scripture, Adam and Eve begin wearing clothing [64]
- c. 1200 BCE The veil, which covers parts of the head and face of females, is introduced in Assyria, and the custom eventually spreads throughout the Mediterranean region
- c. 400 CE Saint Jerome is known to have advised young females contemplating joining a monastery to avoid the thermae (Roman public baths and pools) [65]
- c. 500 CE The Roman Catholic Church covers the loins of Christ on its crucifixes [66]
- 634 CE Start of Islamic conquests which bring the hijab (dress code which affects both males and females) to former Christian regions in the Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and later, Asia Minor and the Balkans
- c. 700 CE Nude baptisms cease in the Catholic and other state-controlled churches as the Carolingian Empire begins in Western Europe [66]
- 1558 Puritan movement starts in England, and soon thereafter in America, which equates dress with chastity and morality
- c. 1780 End of the female "extreme decolletage" gowns where the entire breast was bared, with the return to more "classical revival styles"
- c. 1790 Beginning of the mechanized manufacturing of clothing in factories due to various inventions and improvements of the power loom, cotton gin, knitting machine, etc. (formerly, clothing was quite valuable)
- 1837 Victorian era brings Puritan dress and sexual values to all of the British Empire and beyond
- c. 1850 London Missionary Society forbids public nudity in Polynesian culture (Hawaii, Samoa, etc.), though this was partially ignored for the first few decades
- c. 1870 Introduction of the swimsuit; previously swimming was done nude by both sexes, as wearing clothing of past eras was quite cumbersome [67]
- c. 1880 British Empire and the United States begin to send children of indigenous peoples to (abusive) boarding schools with mandatory dress and English language requirements [68]
- c. 1920 Rural population of the U.S. becomes the minority, causing skinny dipping to decline as more people migrate to the cities [69]
- c. 1945 Nylon swimwear first becomes available to the public at the close of World War II [70]
- c. 1960 YMCA transforms to all co-ed facilities and nude swimming ends; soon followed by the cessation of male nude swimming at U.S. public schools as well [71]
- c. 1985 Greater awareness of AIDS,[72] and several high-profile cases of alleged sexual abuse of minors make the issue of nudity and children far more contentious than in previous decades [73][74]
- c. 1991 Several high-profile cases of alleged sexual harassment in the U.S. increase the issue of nudity between males and females [75]
- Adamites - A sect in North Africa in the 2nd through 4th century that believed they were "re-establishing Adam and Eve's innocence".
- Naaktloopers ("naked walkers") = A group of 11 Anabaptists in Amsterdam who, on Feb 11, 1535, stripped and ran naked through the streets proclaiming the "naked truth". They were later executed.[76][77]
Nudity portal
Notes
1. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) New Paradigms, September 5, 2010
2. ^ Encyclopedia of religion in the South, Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson, p.190-191
3. ^ "Supporting and Gathering Christian Nudists - Christian Nudist Convocation | CNC". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
4. ^ "Christian nudists to build village in Florida". Azcentral.com. 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
5. ^ "Home". Christiannaturist.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
6. ^ "Gan Eden de site voor Christen-naturisten". Ganeden.nl. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
7. ^ "Você está acessando a página Naturistas Cristãos". Naturistascristaos.org. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
8. ^ "CNC". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
9. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) "Divine Nature" Issue 13—January 20, 1996
10. ^ http://wordconnections.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/au-naturale-isnt-natural
11. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Rebuilding a Godly View of the Unclad Human Body, October 24, 2010
12. ^ a b c d "(peer reviewed section)". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
13. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) A Christian Nudist/Naturist Apologia Issue 127—August 2007
14. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Let's Not Make A Scapegoat Of The Apostle Paul, Issue 140—November, 2008
15. ^ Genesis 2:22.
16. ^ "The Second Sin". Figleafforum.com. 1994-11-12. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
17. ^ "Genesis 4:1 NIV - Cain and Abel Adam made love to his". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
18. ^ "Answers in Genesis answersingenesis.org c. 2011". Answersingenesis.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
19. ^ Simon Schama's Power of Art, pt. 1, BBC, 2007
20. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Contrasting Types Of Biblical Nakedness Issue 2—December 17, 1994
21. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Nakedness And Worship In The Bible Issue 3—January 21, 1995
22. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Objections To Becoming A Nudist Issue 11—November 13, 1995
23. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) A Path Of Healing, A Spiritual Journey Issue 5—April 17, 1995
24. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Second Negative By John Kundert Issue 55/Issue 56—May/June 2000
25. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Greg Responds To The Skeptic Issue 85—May 2003
26. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Clothing, Textile Culture And The Bible Issue 79—October 2002
27. ^ Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section) Unveiling Glory: Revealing God's Workmanship Issue 80—November 2002
28. ^ "Nudity as mentioned in the Bible". Religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
29. ^ Nudity as mentioned in the Bible Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance 1997-2007
30. ^ "Christian Naturism by Boyd Allen". Bacn.bravehost.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
31. ^ "Supporting and Gathering Christian Nudists - [http://www.christiannc.com Christian Nudist Convocation | CNC]". Christiannc.com. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
32. ^ "Cherokee". Cherokee-lodge.com. 2004-05-04. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
33. ^ Fruhwirth, Jesse (December 16, 2009). "Skinny-Dipper Crackdown". Salt Lake City News. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
34. ^ "LDS Skinny-Dipper Connection". January 1, 2010.[unreliable source?]
35. ^ "Dress and Appearance". Lds.org. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
36. ^ "My Body—a Temple". Friend. Intellectual Reserve. May 2002. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
37. ^ "Moses 4:27". Scriptures.lds.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
38. ^ "Genesis 3:21". Scriptures.lds.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
39. ^ Don L. Searle Jr., "The Obscenity Flood:Can It Be Stopped?," Ensign, Oct 1971, p. 12
40. ^ Giles H. Florence Jr., "Sea, Soil, and Souls in Denmark," Tambuli, Jun 1993, p37
41. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions about nudity". Catholicdoors.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
42. ^ "Reflections On Lust". Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section). Retrieved 2010-07-26.
43. ^ "On Lust". Fig Leaf Forum (peer reviewed section). Retrieved 2010-07-26.
44. ^ "biblegateway.com". biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
45. ^ "Debate Introduction". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
46. ^ "Passage Lookup: 1 Corinthians 11". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
47. ^ "1 Timothy 2:9 New International Version". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
48. ^ "Naked for Christ? Christian Nudism". Themarriagebed.com. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
49. ^ "Nudism - Christian nudism, nudism & religion". Nudism.yaia.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
50. ^ Persecuted for Good Nudity - Christians and Nudity[dead link]
51. ^ "(peer reviewed section) - Debate Introduction". Fig Leaf Forum. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
52. ^ "The Jewish Background of Christian Baptism". Bebaptized.org. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
53. ^ "A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
54. ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: Adamites". Newadvent.org. 1907-03-01. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
55. ^ Handbook of the History of Philosophy By Albert Stöckl, and Thomas A. Finlay p. 182-184, Gill Publishing 1887, Digitized by University of Michigan 2007
56. ^ Cross, Frank L. and Livingstone, Elizabeth, ed (2005). "Platonism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280290-9.
57. ^ The Making of the West by Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, and Bonnie G. Smith. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's. c. 2007 p. 232
58. ^ Augustine Through the Ages by John C Cavadini and Allan D Fitzgerald, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c. 1999, p. 718
59. ^ Hibbert, Christopher. Queen Victoria: A Personal History. Harper Collins Publishing, 2000.
60. ^ "A Brief History Of Nudism And Naturism In America" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-09-28.
61. ^ a b Monday, Mar. 18, 1935 (1935-03-18). "Pope on Nudism". Time.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
62. ^ https://sites.google.com/site/historicarchives4maleswimming/home/archives---mid-20th-century-to-current/photographs
63. ^ "Not in main article, See box "The Pope's Life"". BBC News. 2005-04-03. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
64. ^ "Genesis 3:21; - Passage Lookup - New International Version". BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
65. ^ The Making of the West by Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, and Bonnie G. Smith. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's. c. 2007 p. 234
66. ^ a b A History of Private Life, Volume I, From Pagan Rome to Byzantium by Paul Veyne, Phillippe Ariès, Georges Duby, and Arthur Goldhammer (Translator)
67. ^ Travel Naturally, (49)
68. ^ "BSHP report". Retrieved 2011-09-28.
69. ^ "Town of Garrett Park". Garrettpark-md.gov. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
70. ^ Pauline Thomas. "Early Sports Fashion History to 1960". Fashion-era.com. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
71. ^ Pollak, Michael (2008-05-04). "Film Crew Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
72. ^ Time http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19850812,00.html |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 2010-04-03.
73. ^ Time http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840409,00.html |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 2010-04-03.
74. ^ "Education: Facing Up to Sex Abuse". Time. 1984-11-12. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
75. ^ "Office Crimes". Time. 1991-10-21. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
76. ^ "Controversy". Comm.unt.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
77. ^ "Naaktlopers (Naaktloopers) — GAMEO". Gameo.org. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
External links
Issues and debate
- Is Social Nudism Condemned By The Bible As Sinful? A written debate
- Religious Tolerance: Nudity as mentioned in the Bible
- Is personal, parental or social nakedness morally acceptable in a Christian society? Discussion paper
- Answers to objections to nudism Critique of Henri Blocher’s book In the Beginning (French, 1979, English, 1984).
- Jeff Bowman's Page Pastor excommunicated from church affiliated with the Grace Gospel Fellowship (GGF) and Grace Bible College in 2002.
- Christian Nudist Convocation (annually during the summer months by region in the USA)
- Fig Leaf Forum (despite name, has grown to be more than just a forum)
- Christian Naturist Village
- Naturist-Christians.org
- The Biblical Naturist Blog
- Latter-day Saint Skinny-dippers' Connection
Nudity and related topics
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