Nudist 205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Naturism
Nudist 205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Naturism
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205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Nudist
Nudity is oftenmore comfortable and practical than clothing.
1. There aretimes when clothing is physically uncomfortable. Nudity, on the other hand, isoften much more comfortable.
2. For manyactivities, nudity is often far more practical than clothing.
3. Clothingalso restricts movement, and encumbers the athlete. Studies done by the WestGerman Olympic swim team showed that even swimsuits slow down a swimmer.
4. A nudist isnot a body lacking something (that is, clothing). Rather, a clothed person is awhole and complete naked body, plus clothes.
5. Manypsychologists say that clothing is an extension of ourselves. The clothes wewear are an expression of who we are. The Naturist's comfort with casualnudity, therefore, represents an attitude which is comfortable with the self asit is in its most basic state, without modification or deceit.
6.Clothes-compulsiveness creates insecurity about one's body. Studies show thatnudism, on the other hand, promotes a positive body self-concept.
7. Nudismpromotes wholeness of body, rather than setting aside parts of the body asunwholesome and shameful.
8.Clothes-compulsiveness locks us into a constant battle between individualityand conformity of dress. Nudity frees us from this anxiety, by fostering aclimate of comfortable individuality without pretense.
9. The practiceof nudism is, for nudists, an immensely freeing experience. In freeing oneselfto be nude in the presence of others, including members of the other sex, thenudist also gives up all the social baggage that goes along with the nuditytaboo.
10. The senseof "freedom" that comes from the nudist experience is consistentlyrated by nudists as one of the main reasons they stay in it.
11. Nudism, byfreeing the body, helps free the mind and spirit. An irrationalclothes-compulsiveness may inhibit psychological growth and health.
12. The nudist,literally, has nothing to hide. He or she therefore has less stress, a factsupported by research.
13. Clothinghides the natural diversity of human body shapes and sizes. When people arenever exposed to nudity, they grow up with misunderstandings and unrealistic expectationsabout the body based on biased or misinformed sources--for instance, fromadvertising or mass media.
14. Clothinghides and therefore creates mystery and ignorance about natural body processes,such as pregnancy, adolescence, and aging. Children (and even adults) who growup in a nudist environment have far less anxiety about these natural processesthan those who are never exposed to them.
15. Childrenare not born with any shame about nudity. They learn to be ashamed of their ownnudity.
16. Shame, withrespect to nudity, is relative to individual situations and customs, notabsolute.
17. Thedominant idea that clothing is necessary for reasons of modesty is a culturalassumption. It is an assumption that is not shared by all cultures, nor by allmembers of our own culture.
18. There isevidence that modesty is not related to nakedness at all, but is rather aresponse to appearing different from the rest of the social group--forinstance, outside the accepted habits of clothing or adornment.
19. Shame comesfrom being outside mores, not from specific actions or conditions. Becausenudity is unremarkable in a nudist setting, nudists may even forget that theyare nude--and often do.
20.Psychological studies have shown that modesty need not be related to one'sstate of dress at all. For the nudist, modesty is not shed with one's clothes;it merely takes a different form.
21. Manyindigenous tribes go completely naked without shame, even today. It is onlythrough extended contact with the "modern" world that they learn tobe "modest."
22. Even inNorth America, nudity was commonplace among many indigenous tribes prior to thearrival of Europeans.
23. For someindigenous tribes, nudity or near-nudity is an essential part of their culture.
24. Yetmissionaries have consistently sought to impose their own concepts of"decency" on other cultures, ignoring the elaborate culturaltraditions regarding dress already in place.
25. Mostanthropologists consider modesty an unlikely reason for the development ofclothes.
26. Manypsychologists and anthropologists believe that modesty about exposure of thebody may well be a result of wearing clothes, rather than its cause.
27. It isinteresting to note that it is only possible to be immodest once an acceptedform of modesty has been established.
28. Modestywith respect to nudity is a social phenomenon, not biologically instinctive.This is evidenced by the fact that nudity is venerated in art.
29. Nudity isnot, by itself, erotic, and nudity in mixed groups is not inherently sexual.These are myths propagated by a clothes-obsessed society. Sexuality is a matterof intent rather than state of dress.
30. Nudists, asa group, are healthier sexually than the general population.
31. Sexualsatisfaction in married couples shows a correlation to their degree of comfortwith nudity.
32. Studiesshow significantly less incidence of casual premarital and extramarital sex,group sex, incest, and rape among nudists than among non-nudists.
33. Studieshave demonstrated that countries with fewer hangups about nudity have lowerteen pregnancy and abortion rates.
34. Clothesenhance sexual mystery and the potential for unhealthy sexual fantasies.
35. Clothingfocuses attention on sexuality, not away from it; and in fact often enhancesimmature forms of sexuality, rather than promoting healthy body acceptance.
36. Completenudity is antithetic to the elaborate semi-pornography of the fashion industry.
37. Clothingoften focuses attention on the genitals and sexual arousal, rather than awayfrom them.
38. The fashionindustry depends on the sex appeal of clothing.
39. Differencesof clothing between the sexes focus attention on sex differences.
40. Manypsychologists believe that clothing may originally have developed, in part, asa means of focusing sexual attention.
41. Partialclothing is more sexually stimulating (in often unhealthy ways) than fullnudity.
42.Modesty--especially enforced modesty--only adds to sexual interest and desire.
female exposure allegedly inspires."
43. Topfree inequality (requiring women, but not men,to wear tops) produces an unhealthy obsession with breasts as sexual objects.
44. Theidentification of breasts as sexual objects in our culture has led to thediscouragement of breast-feeding, the encouragement of unnecessary cosmeticsurgery for breast augmentation, and avoidance of necessary breast examinationsby women.
45. Naturism isthe antithesis of pornography.
46. Pornographyhas been defined as an attempt to exert power over nature. In most cases in ourculture, it manifests itself as an expression of sexual power by men overwomen. Naturism, by contrast, seeks to coexist with nature and with each other,and to accept each other and the natural world in our most natural states.
47.Non-acceptance and repression of nudity fuels pornography by teaching that anyform and degree of nudity is inherently sexual and pornographic.
48. Naturism isinnocent, casual, non-exploitative, and non-commercial (and yet is oftensuppressed); as opposed to pornography, which is commercialized andsensationalized (and generally tolerated).
49. Manypsychologists believe that repression of a healthy sexuality leads to a greatercapacity for, and tendency toward, violence.
50. Clothinglimits or defeats many of the natural purposes of skin: for example, repellingmoisture, drying quickly, breathing, protecting without impeding performance,and especially sensing one's environment.
51. Exposure tothe sun, without going overboard, promotes general health.
52. Recentresearch has suggested an inverse relationship between solar exposure andosteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, and even the most deadly form ofskin cancer, malignant melanoma.
53. Anobsessive sense of modesty about the body often correlates with a reluctance toshare healthy forms of touch with others.
54. Tightclothing may cause health problems by restricting the natural flow of blood andlymphatic fluid.
55. Clothingcan harbor disease-causing bacteria and yeast (especially underclothing andathletic clothing).
56. Medicalresearch has linked clothing to an increased susceptibility to bites and stingsby animals such as ticks and sea lice, which hide in or get trapped inclothing.
57. Clothingfashions throughout history, especially for women, have often been damaging tophysical and psychological health.
58. The ideathat clothing is necessary for support of the genitals or breasts is oftenunwarranted.
59. Clothinghides the natural beauty of the human body, as created by God.
60. Clothingmakes people look older, and emphasizes rather than hides unflattering bodycharacteristics.
61. Clothingharbors and encourages the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
62. Naturism isa socially constructive philosophy.
63. Naturism,by philosophy, is tolerant of others and their differences. It expects only thesame in return.
64. Nuditypromotes social equality, feelings of unity with others, and more relaxedsocial interaction in general. As mentioned earlier, clothing locks us into acollective unreality that prescribes complex responses to social status, rolesand expected behaviors. As the artificial barrier of clothing is done awaywith, social class and status disappear. People begin to relate to each otheras they are, and not as they seem to be.
65. Naturiststend to be especially accepting of other people, just as they are. This is anattitude that is undoubtedly related to the fact that Naturists are generallymore accepting of their own bodies, just as they are, than the general public.
66. Sociallyand demographically, nudists are almost exactly like the rest of thepopulation, except that they are tolerant of nudity. There are few othertrends, social or psychological, positive or negative, that correlate to astatistically significant degree with nudists as a demographic group.
67. Naturismrejects blind conformity to cultural mores and assumptions about the body,which see clothing as a constant necessity, in favor of a more reasoned,rational approach which recognizes the need for clothing to be dependent oncontext.
68. ForAmericans, non-acceptance and sexualization of their own nudity encourages abiased or racist attitude contrasting "clothed civilization" againstthe "naked savage."
69. Truenudists emphasize a decent, family atmosphere and morality.
70.Researchshows that children who grow up in a nudist setting tend to be moreself-confident, more self-accepting, and more sexually well-adjusted. They feelbetter about their bodies, and more comfortable with their sexuality.
71. In general,"experts" such as Joyce Brothers and Dr. Spock speak out againstfamily nudity without empirical evidence to back them up. When research isactually done, it contradicts their dire warnings.
72. Mostcommentators say that it's the context in which family nudity takes place, notthe nudity itself, that determines whether it's problematic. Children respondfar more to parents' attitudes toward nudity than to the nudity itself, andnudity is only a problem when it is treated as one.
73. Manypsychologists argue that the implicit message conveyed by a lack of nudity inthe home is that the body is basically unacceptable or shameful--an attitudewhich may carry over into discomfort about nudity in the context of adultsexual relationships.
74. Children of"primitive" tribes, surrounded by nudity of all forms, suffer no illeffects. Neither do children who grow up in other societies which are more openabout nudity than our own. Presumptions that exposure to nudity will lead toproblems for children grow out of the preconceptions of our culture.
75. Childrenwho grow up in a nudist environment witness the natural body changes brought onby adolescence, pregnancy, and aging. They have far less anxiety about thesenatural processes than children who are never exposed to them except throughlayers of clothing.
76. Researchhas demonstrated that countries with fewer reservations about nudity (andsexuality in general) also have lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates.
77.Clothes-compulsion intimidates millions of mothers from breast-feeding theirchildren, even though breast-feeding is healthier and often more convenient forboth the child and the mother.
78. Therepression of healthy nudity, especially for females, has been one of the chiefmeans of mind and destiny control by the patriarchy. Breaking this patternshatters the invisible bonds of an inherited sex role.
79. Limitationson women's nudity, an acceptance of pornography, and demanding fashionrequirements may, individually, seem like minor issues. Taken as a whole,however, they form a pattern of repressive male-oriented expectations.
80. Topfreeinequality (requiring women, but not men, to wear tops) is demeaning anddiscriminatory toward women, and reinforces patterns of male domination overwomen.
81. Lawsbanning exposure of female breasts do so in part because of the reaction suchexposure would supposedly cause in men. Such laws are written entirely from themale point of view, and ignore the point of view of women, who may want to gotopfree for their own comfort.
82. By refusingto accept the need to "protect" themselves from men by covering theirbodies, women gain power, and shift the burden of responsible behavior to men,where it rightfully belongs.
83. Patriarchallaws strip women of the right to control their own bodies, but there havealways been "exceptions" to obscenity laws which permit the use ofwomen's bodies in consumer seduction. Thus female nudity is consideredinappropriate on the beach, but is ubiquitous in advertising and pornography.
84. Byenforcing arbitrary clothing requirements for women (requiring them to covertheir tops), the government acts in loco parentis, in the role of a parent.This is demeaning to women. Like children, they aren't conceded the ability orright to decide how to dress, much as they formerly weren't allowed to vote,own property, or exercise other rights.
85. Therepression of healthy female nudity fuels pornography.
86.Pornography, in turn, limits women's ability to participate in healthy nuderecreation, and to be casually nude in other ways. Naturism breaks the power ofpornography over women.
87. The fightfor freedom should mean civil rights for women--not license for pornographers.
88. Clothingfashions and legal requirements have historically contributed to the repressionof women.
89. Naturismdefies relationships based on a balance of power, and is thus consistent withcontemporary feminism, which seeks to break down power hierarchies.
90. Naturism,as a celebration of the natural human body free of the artificiality offashion, is highly compatible with the ideals of a natural, simple, andenvironmentally friendly lifestyle.
91. As we workfor the good of nature, we must also work for the good and the freedom of ourbodies, especially as they may be integrated with the rest of nature.
92. The goalsof Naturism and environmentalism are often parallel. Like environmentalism,Naturism usually seeks to preserve the natural character of landscapes, andopposes development and commercial exploitation. The greatest risk to mostbeaches is not nudity, but development--the takeover of pristine public areasby private resorts or hotels.
93. One feelsmuch more a part of a natural setting in the nude than clothed.
94. The nudistis far more sensually aware, because nudity enhances responsiveness and sensoryexperience.
95. Clothingcuts us off from the natural world, by inhibiting the skin's ability to sensethe environment. It in fact distracts from our ability to sense the naturalenvironment, by artificially irritating the skin.
96.Clothes-compulsiveness is incompatible with the natural patterns of nature, asexpressed by every other member of the animal kingdom. Humans are the onlyspecies to clothe themselves.
97. Somepsychologists theorize that humans developed clothing, in part, to setthemselves apart from animals.
98. Thephysical barrier of clothing reinforces psychological barriers separating usfrom the natural world.
99. Lifestyleswhich are incompatible with the natural patterns of nature (includingclothes-obsessiveness) may be psychological damaging.
100. A Naturistlifestyle is more environmentally responsible. For example, the option of goingnude during hot, humid weather greatly reduces the need for air conditioning.Most air conditioners use tremendous amounts of energy, and many use coolantswhich are damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer.
101. Clothingis produced by environmentally irresponsible processes from environmentallyirresponsible sources.
102. Clothingstandards are inconsistent.
103. Clothing requirements are arbitrarily andirrationally based on gender.
104. Today in America, women's breasts are seen aserotic and unexposable, even though they are anatomically identical to those ofmen except for lactation capacity, and no more or less a sexual organ.
105. Thearbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by different standardsin different cultures.
106. Thearbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by history. Even in thesame culture, taboos about what parts of the body could or could not berevealed have changed radically over time.
107. Most worldsocieties are much more open about nudity than the United States. For example,many cultures, especially in Europe, are more open to nudity on beaches and inother recreational settings.
108.Participation in nudist organizations is high in other parts of the world.
109. Naturistvacations are a significant part of the tourist trade in many countries.
110. Nudity ismuch more common in foreign media.
111. Publicnudity, including clothing-optional recreation, enjoys growing acceptance inNorth America.
112. Membershipin nudist organizations is growing rapidly.
113. Thetourism industry is discovering that it is in their economic best interests toaccept clothing-optional recreation.
114. In a freesociety such as the United States, one's lifestyle should not be dictated byanyone else (majority or otherwise), especially if that lifestyle does notinfringe on anyone else's rights
115. TheConstitution was, in fact, written to protect the rights of minority points ofview. This principle alone should justify the right to recreate peacefully inthe nude without government interference.
116. TheConstitution has been interpreted to protect individual freedoms except wherethey are overridden by a "compelling state interest." It is never theresponsibility of individuals to justify their freedoms. It is rather theresponsibility of government to justify any restriction of freedom.
117. Naturismhas always claimed that nudity offers "freedom from bodilyrestraints." Such freedoms may only be restricted in the case of"compelling state interest;" if none can be shown, the restriction isinvalid.
118. TheConstitution has repeatedly been interpreted to protect the right ofindividuals to associate with others of similar philosophy, and also to raisetheir children in the context of a particular philosophy. This principleprotects the right of nudist families to associate and recreate in the nude.
119. The FirstAmendment guarantees the right to freedom of expression. This protects everyother form of clothing, and should protect the right not to wear clothing aswell.
120. Recentcourt decisions in Florida, New York, and elsewhere have upheld nudity as partof the expression of free speech.
121. The"body language" of the nude human form has extraordinary symbolic andcommunicative power which should be protected by the First Amendment.
122. TheSupreme Court has ruled that people can't be forced to communicate ideas theyoppose (for example, saying the Pledge of Allegiance). It has also ruled thatclothes can be a protected form of free speech (for instance, students andpublic employees had the right to wear black armbands to protest the VietnamWar). It is unconstitutional to force Naturists to express conformity to ideasof modesty and body shame that they disagree with, by forcing them to wearswimsuits at the beach.
123. The courtshave thus far permitted the publishers of pornography to express attitudeswhich are exploitative of women, on the grounds that this is protected freespeech; but it has been unsuitably reluctant to grant the same protection tothe natural expression of body freedom through casual, non-exploitative nudityon the beach.
124. Clothingis both publicly expressive and privately symbolic, connoting identity in aparticular cultural group. Restricting the state of dress of nudists is no lessrestrictive than prohibiting any other cultural group from wearing the clothingparticular to their group. Preventing nudists from going nude is equivalent topreventing a person of Scottish descent from wearing the family colors, orpreventing a priest from wearing his robes.
125. With theemergence of national organizations promoting nudism as a doctrine, nuderecreation may eventually come to be seen as a protected medium of speechexpressing that doctrine, and as an example of protected free association.
126. The NinthAmendment makes it clear that no freedoms shall be denied that are notspecifically prohibited. Thus, mere nudity is not illegal except where thereare specific laws that prohibit it.
127. Manyprohibitions against nudity stem, historically, from the political climate ofthe early Christian church. Even today, much of the objection to nudism isbased on religious principles. The constitutional separation of church andstate should make this an invalid argument.
128. Extensivelegal precedent suggests that laws requiring women, but not men, to concealtheir breasts are sexist, discriminatory, and unconstitutional.
129. Case history demonstrates that laws requiring women to cover their breasts are notjustified by cultural prejudices and preconceptions.
130. Lawsrequiring women, but not men, to cover their breasts are written entirely froma male perspective, assuming that men's bodies are natural and normal, and thatwomen's bodies must be covered because they are different.
131. Laws requiring women to cover their breasts are not justified by claims that women's bodies are significantly different from men's; nor by inaccurate claims thatbreasts are sex organs; nor by the fact that breasts may play a role in sex orsex play; nor by the fact that breasts are prominent secondary sex characteristics.
132. Mere nudity is not in itself lewd or "indecent exposure," a distinctionupheld by extensive legal precedent nationwide.
133. Mere nudity cannot be offensive or immoral "conduct"--for it is not conduct at all, but merely the natural state of a human being.
134. Given the challenge of defining modesty standards, which are by nature ambiguous,legislators have often found it to be more complicated to prohibit nudity thanto sanction it.
135. A largeportion of state and local government anti-nudity regulations have beenlegislated by individual high officials or small groups, without public review.This is undemocratic and contrary to the principle of due process.
136. Byextensive legal precedent, it is unquestionably legal to be nude in private, onprivate property.
137. Many stateor local governments have also explicitly legislated the right to be nude indesignated public areas, such as legally-sanctioned nude beaches.
138. There isno universal federal prohibition against nudity on public land. In general,public land agencies view nude recreation--conducted with discretion andsensitivity to the varying values of others--as "legitimateactivity."
139. The nudeuse of most federal lands is, in fact, constitutional because there is nouniversal federal law prohibiting it. The Ninth Amendment specifically saysthat no freedoms shall be denied which are not specifically prohibited.
140. Themandate of public land agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service provide fordiversity of recreation. Historically, provisions have been made even forextreme minority forms of recreation. Recreational diversity ought to alsoinclude provisions for nude recreation.
141.Clothing-optional recreation is less offensive to most people than many otherforms of recreation which are openly tolerated and even promoted on publicland.
142. Naturistscertainly deserve at least as much consideration by land management agencies asresource-damaging activities such as off-road vehicle use.
143. TheWilderness Act of 1963 defined wilderness areas as "lands designated forpreservation and protection in their natural condition." They are to bemanaged in a manner that maintains them in as natural a state as possible. Itfollows that human should be able to enjoy wilderness areas in their own mostnatural state, free from the artificial constraints of clothing.
144. Publicwilderness areas ought to be places where human freedoms, including nuderecreation, are observed more freely than anywhere else. Wilderness should beour measure of carefully controlled anarchy, our refuge free of any but themost necessary intrusions by government rules and regulations. Do we not go towilderness for these very reasons, and would it not be compromised by undueoutside interference, such as unnecessary clothing regulations?
145. Recreationmanagers unfortunately often "solve" the issue of nude recreation,not by managing it, but by ignoring it.
Thus managers"permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilities or lifeguards,then point to litter, drug use, and other problems as a consequence of thenudity rather than the lack of active management.
146. If publicnude recreation can be widely accepted in societies considered repressive byAmericans (for example, formerly-socialist Yugoslavia, once-communist EastGermany, Orthodox Greece, or Catholic France), it ought to be tolerated indemocratic Europe and in America, "the land of the free."
147.Anti-nudity laws are demeaning because they replace individual responsibilitywith state control.
148. It isinappropriate to use police resources to crack down on peaceful bathers at abeach simply because they are nude, while taking valuable resources away fromother more urgent needs.
149. It is acruel reversal of justice when the law frowns on innocent skinnydippers, whilegawkers on the fringe of the nude beach, who pervert and fetishize the body,are accepted as "normal."
150. Socialnudity is part of a long historical tradition. Recent Western civilizationstands almost alone, in the entire known history of humanity, in its repressivecode against nudity.
151. Nudity wascommonplace in the ancient Greek civilization, especially for men.
152. OldTestament ceremonial washings, including baptism, were performed in the nude.Christ, too, was probably baptized naked--as depicted in numerous early worksof art.
153. Romancitizens, including early Christians, bathed communally in the nude at thepublic baths throughout most of the second through the fourth centuries. Nuditywas also common during this period in other parts of ancient Roman society.
154. Thewritings of early Christians such as Irenaeus and Tertullian make it clear thatthey had no ethical reservations about communal nudity.
155. For thefirst several centuries of Christianity, it was the custom to baptize men,women, and children together nude. This ritual played a very significant rolein the early church. The accounts are numerous and detailed.
156. Nudity wascommon and accepted in pre-medieval (circa 6th century) society, especially inplaces like Great Britain, which had been "barbarian" lands only afew hundred years before.
157. Nudity wasfairly common in medieval and renaissance society, especially in the publicbaths and within the family setting.
158. Even inthe Victorian era, before the invention of bathing suits, swimming nude in theocean was commonplace; and music halls often featured nude models as living"sculpture."
159. Few peoplerealize that swimsuits, as we know them today, are a relatively recent concept.The idea of wearing special clothing to swim in is barely a century old.
160.Skinnydipping, in the local river or farm pond, is well-documented as animportant historical part of our national heritage.
161. Many YMCA,college, and high school male-only pools or swimming classes were historically"swimsuit-optional" or nude-only until federally-mandated "equalaccess" athletic programs (for the sake of women) were instituted in themid 1970s.
162. Today,there are still public locations where nudity is, by local tradition or custom,the accepted practice.
163. The fewofficially sanctioned nude beaches in the U.S. (for example, Rooster Rock StatePark, Oregon) and Canada (Wreck Beach, British Columbia)--and most of the unofficialbeaches as well--have existed for decades without significant problems.
164. Manyhighly respected people, historical and contemporary, have espoused and/orparticipated in Naturism to some degree.
165. Historically, a great many writers and artistshave regarded Naturism, or something close to it, to be part of the utopianideal.
166. Nudity hasoften been used, historically, as a symbol of protest or rebellion againstoppression.
167. Repressivemorality was developed by the state and the Church as a tool to maintaincontrol over otherwise free individuals.
168. Repressivemorality has often sought to control not only nudity, but sexuality in general.
169. Repressionof nudity is still used today as a means to further a repressive politicalagenda.
170. Much ofthe origin of repressive attitudes toward nudity may be traced to the politicalsetting of the early church and church-state, though not the teachings ofChrist Himself.
171. Theaversion of early Christian church leaders to casual nudity was due in part toan association of nudity with paganism and homosexuality in the surroundingcultures.
172. TheChurch's aversion to nudity derived, in part, from its roots in the cultures ofthe ancient Near East, where nakedness had signified poverty, shame, slavery,humiliation, and defeat. Naked, bound prisoners were paraded in the king'svictory celebration, and slain enemies were stripped of clothing and armor.
173. BeforeWestern civilization, nakedness was a normal element of life and consideredacceptable in many circumstances. However, as Freud describes in Civilizationand Its Discontents, psychological repression of the awareness of our naturalbeing was a necessary step in building civilization, by disciplining the massesinto taking part in vast and self-abdicating social projects.
174. Nudity hasoften been censored primarily to avoid the more difficult task of managing it.
175. Recreationmanagers often "permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilitiesor lifeguards, then use nudity as a scapegoat for problems including litter anddrug use that inevitably appear in high-use recreation areas without activemanagement.
176. One of thegreatest challenges faced by clothing-optional beaches is that theirpopularity, combined with their scarcity, leads to intensive use, which in turnconflicts with environmental and management concerns.
177. The"secondary effects" of an actively managed nude beach have in actualexperience proven to be less crime, less inappropriate behavior, no drugdealers, an increase in parking revenues, and an increase in business in theadjoining commercial area.
178. Nudity hasoften been repressed for economic reasons, not because it was consideredimmoral.
179. We mustnever forget that for any freedom that is lost, we bear partial responsibilityfor letting it be lost.
180. Genesis1:27--The (naked) human body, created by God, in God's own image, is basicallydecent, not inherently impure or sinful. The human body was created by God, andGod can create no evil. It is made in God's image, and the image of God isentirely pure and good.
181. Genesis1:31--God saw that everything, including naked Adam and Eve, was good.
182. Genesis3:7--Many scholars interpret the wearing of fig leaves as a continuation andexpansion of the original sin, not a positive moral reaction to it.
183. Genesis3:10--Many scholars believe that Adam and Eve's sense of shame came not fromtheir nakedness, which God had created and called good, but from theirknowledge of having disobeyed God.
184. An innate,God-given sense of shame related to nakedness is contradicted by the existenceof numerous indigenous societies in which nudity is the rule and a sense ofshame is totally absent, and by the lack of shame felt by naked children.
185. Genesis3:11--It was disobedience that came between Adam and Eve and God, notnakedness. The scriptures themselves treat Adam and Eve's nudity as anincidental issue.
186. Genesis3:21--God made garments of skins for Adam, but the Bible does not say the stateof nakedness is being condemned. Because of the Fall, Adam and Eve were nolonger in Eden and were thus subject to the varieties of weather and climate,and God knew they would need clothes. God loved and cared for them even afterthey had sinned.
187. To assumethat because God made garments He was condemning nudity makes as much sense asconcluding that because God made clouds which blot out the sun He wascondemning sunshine.
188. Genesis9:22-24--Noah was both drunk and naked, but Ham was the one who wascursed--when he dishonored his father, by calling attention to Noah's state,and making light of it.
189. Exodus20:26--The Priest's nakedness was not to be exposed because it would createdissonance between his social role, in which he was to be seen as sexuallyneutral, and his biological status as a sexual being. The Priest's costumerepresented his social role; to be exposed in that context would beinappropriate and distracting.
190. Leviticus18:6-19--Here and throughout the Old Testament and Torah, the expression"uncover the nakedness of" (as it is literally translated in the KingJames Version) is a euphemism for "have sexual relations with." Theprohibitions do not refer to nudity per se.
191. I Samuel19:23-24--Jewish prophets were commonly naked--so commonly that when Saulstripped off his clothes and prophesied, no one considered his nakednessremarkable, but everyone immediately assumed that he must be a prophet also.
192. II Samuel6:14-23--King David danced nearly naked in the City of David to celebrate thereturn of the ark, in full view of all the citizens of the city. Michalcriticized his public nudity and was rebuffed.
193. Isaiah20:2-3--God directly commanded Isaiah to loose the sackcloth from his hips, andhe went naked and barefoot for three years. The prophet Micah may have done thesame thing (see Micah 1:8).
194. Song ofSolomon repeatedly expresses appreciation for the naked body.
195. EveryBiblical association of nakedness with shame is in reference to a sin alreadycommitted. One cannot hide from God behind literal or figurative clothing. Allstand naked before God.
196. Nakednesscannot automatically be equated with sexual sin.
197. Nakednesscannot automatically be associated with lust.
198. Manyhistorical church leaders have disassociated nudity with sexual immodesty. St.Thomas Aquinus, for example, defined an immodest act as one done with a lustfulintention. Therefore, someone who disrobes for the sole purpose of bathing orrecreating cannot be accused of immodesty.
199. ThroughChrist, the Christian is returned spiritually to the same sinless, shamelessstate Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden (Genesis 2:25). There is no question thattheir nakedness was not sinful. When God creates, nakedness is good. It followsthat when God re-creates, nakedness is also good.
200. The Biblesays plainly that sexual immorality is sin. Healthy Naturism, however, isentirely consistent for the Christian, who has "crucified the sinfulnature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24)
201. The Biblecalls for purity of heart. Anyone who thinks it is impossible to be pure ofheart while nude is ignorant of the realities of nudism, and anyone who believethat it is wrong even for the pure of heart to be nude has fallen intolegalism, a vice which St. Paul repeatedly denounces.
202.Clothes-compulsiveness creates an unwholesome schism between one's spirit andbody. A Christian morality should deal with the person as a whole, healing bothspirit and body.
203. Nudity hasoften been used in the Christian tradition as symbolic of renouncing the worldto follow Christ
204. Many otherfaiths also support nudity, both historically and in current practice.
205. One of the most important arguments insupport of nudism is personal experience. Personal testimonies in favor ofnudism are too numerous to mention. Based on my own experience, I find nudiststo be more friendly, open-minded, considerate, respectful, and sharing thannon-nudists in general. Their children are more active, and healthier, bothphysically and mentally. None of these testimonies, of course, compares topersonal experience. A single visit to a nudist park or a nude beach will notcause permanent harm to anyone. On the other hand, it may change your life.Experience the freedom for yourself!
Nudist 205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Naturism
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http://inkaboutit4u.com/?p=Nudist_205 Arguments_and_Observations_In_Support_of_Naturism
205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Nudist
- Preface
- Nudity is often more comfortable and practical than clothing
- Naturism promotes mental health
- Some observations on the nature of modesty
- Naturism promotes sexual health
- Naturism promotes physical health
- Naturism is socially constructive
- Naturism is healthy for the family
- Naturism is especially consistent with feminism and the struggle for women's freedom
- Naturism is more natural than clothes-compulsiveness
- Accepted clothing requirements are arbitrary and inconsistent
- Naturism is growing in acceptance
- Constitutional support for Naturism
- Additional legal support for Naturism.196
- Historical support for Naturism
- Historical origins of the repression of nudity
- Christianity supports Naturism.277
- Personal experience supports Naturism
- End Notes: Special Thanks
- Bibliography
Nudity is oftenmore comfortable and practical than clothing.
1. There aretimes when clothing is physically uncomfortable. Nudity, on the other hand, isoften much more comfortable.
2. For manyactivities, nudity is often far more practical than clothing.
3. Clothingalso restricts movement, and encumbers the athlete. Studies done by the WestGerman Olympic swim team showed that even swimsuits slow down a swimmer.
4. A nudist isnot a body lacking something (that is, clothing). Rather, a clothed person is awhole and complete naked body, plus clothes.
5. Manypsychologists say that clothing is an extension of ourselves. The clothes wewear are an expression of who we are. The Naturist's comfort with casualnudity, therefore, represents an attitude which is comfortable with the self asit is in its most basic state, without modification or deceit.
6.Clothes-compulsiveness creates insecurity about one's body. Studies show thatnudism, on the other hand, promotes a positive body self-concept.
7. Nudismpromotes wholeness of body, rather than setting aside parts of the body asunwholesome and shameful.
8.Clothes-compulsiveness locks us into a constant battle between individualityand conformity of dress. Nudity frees us from this anxiety, by fostering aclimate of comfortable individuality without pretense.
9. The practiceof nudism is, for nudists, an immensely freeing experience. In freeing oneselfto be nude in the presence of others, including members of the other sex, thenudist also gives up all the social baggage that goes along with the nuditytaboo.
10. The senseof "freedom" that comes from the nudist experience is consistentlyrated by nudists as one of the main reasons they stay in it.
11. Nudism, byfreeing the body, helps free the mind and spirit. An irrationalclothes-compulsiveness may inhibit psychological growth and health.
12. The nudist,literally, has nothing to hide. He or she therefore has less stress, a factsupported by research.
13. Clothinghides the natural diversity of human body shapes and sizes. When people arenever exposed to nudity, they grow up with misunderstandings and unrealistic expectationsabout the body based on biased or misinformed sources--for instance, fromadvertising or mass media.
14. Clothinghides and therefore creates mystery and ignorance about natural body processes,such as pregnancy, adolescence, and aging. Children (and even adults) who growup in a nudist environment have far less anxiety about these natural processesthan those who are never exposed to them.
15. Childrenare not born with any shame about nudity. They learn to be ashamed of their ownnudity.
16. Shame, withrespect to nudity, is relative to individual situations and customs, notabsolute.
17. Thedominant idea that clothing is necessary for reasons of modesty is a culturalassumption. It is an assumption that is not shared by all cultures, nor by allmembers of our own culture.
18. There isevidence that modesty is not related to nakedness at all, but is rather aresponse to appearing different from the rest of the social group--forinstance, outside the accepted habits of clothing or adornment.
19. Shame comesfrom being outside mores, not from specific actions or conditions. Becausenudity is unremarkable in a nudist setting, nudists may even forget that theyare nude--and often do.
20.Psychological studies have shown that modesty need not be related to one'sstate of dress at all. For the nudist, modesty is not shed with one's clothes;it merely takes a different form.
21. Manyindigenous tribes go completely naked without shame, even today. It is onlythrough extended contact with the "modern" world that they learn tobe "modest."
22. Even inNorth America, nudity was commonplace among many indigenous tribes prior to thearrival of Europeans.
23. For someindigenous tribes, nudity or near-nudity is an essential part of their culture.
24. Yetmissionaries have consistently sought to impose their own concepts of"decency" on other cultures, ignoring the elaborate culturaltraditions regarding dress already in place.
25. Mostanthropologists consider modesty an unlikely reason for the development ofclothes.
26. Manypsychologists and anthropologists believe that modesty about exposure of thebody may well be a result of wearing clothes, rather than its cause.
27. It isinteresting to note that it is only possible to be immodest once an acceptedform of modesty has been established.
28. Modestywith respect to nudity is a social phenomenon, not biologically instinctive.This is evidenced by the fact that nudity is venerated in art.
29. Nudity isnot, by itself, erotic, and nudity in mixed groups is not inherently sexual.These are myths propagated by a clothes-obsessed society. Sexuality is a matterof intent rather than state of dress.
30. Nudists, asa group, are healthier sexually than the general population.
31. Sexualsatisfaction in married couples shows a correlation to their degree of comfortwith nudity.
32. Studiesshow significantly less incidence of casual premarital and extramarital sex,group sex, incest, and rape among nudists than among non-nudists.
33. Studieshave demonstrated that countries with fewer hangups about nudity have lowerteen pregnancy and abortion rates.
34. Clothesenhance sexual mystery and the potential for unhealthy sexual fantasies.
35. Clothingfocuses attention on sexuality, not away from it; and in fact often enhancesimmature forms of sexuality, rather than promoting healthy body acceptance.
36. Completenudity is antithetic to the elaborate semi-pornography of the fashion industry.
37. Clothingoften focuses attention on the genitals and sexual arousal, rather than awayfrom them.
38. The fashionindustry depends on the sex appeal of clothing.
39. Differencesof clothing between the sexes focus attention on sex differences.
40. Manypsychologists believe that clothing may originally have developed, in part, asa means of focusing sexual attention.
41. Partialclothing is more sexually stimulating (in often unhealthy ways) than fullnudity.
42.Modesty--especially enforced modesty--only adds to sexual interest and desire.
female exposure allegedly inspires."
43. Topfree inequality (requiring women, but not men,to wear tops) produces an unhealthy obsession with breasts as sexual objects.
44. Theidentification of breasts as sexual objects in our culture has led to thediscouragement of breast-feeding, the encouragement of unnecessary cosmeticsurgery for breast augmentation, and avoidance of necessary breast examinationsby women.
45. Naturism isthe antithesis of pornography.
46. Pornographyhas been defined as an attempt to exert power over nature. In most cases in ourculture, it manifests itself as an expression of sexual power by men overwomen. Naturism, by contrast, seeks to coexist with nature and with each other,and to accept each other and the natural world in our most natural states.
47.Non-acceptance and repression of nudity fuels pornography by teaching that anyform and degree of nudity is inherently sexual and pornographic.
48. Naturism isinnocent, casual, non-exploitative, and non-commercial (and yet is oftensuppressed); as opposed to pornography, which is commercialized andsensationalized (and generally tolerated).
49. Manypsychologists believe that repression of a healthy sexuality leads to a greatercapacity for, and tendency toward, violence.
50. Clothinglimits or defeats many of the natural purposes of skin: for example, repellingmoisture, drying quickly, breathing, protecting without impeding performance,and especially sensing one's environment.
51. Exposure tothe sun, without going overboard, promotes general health.
52. Recentresearch has suggested an inverse relationship between solar exposure andosteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, and even the most deadly form ofskin cancer, malignant melanoma.
53. Anobsessive sense of modesty about the body often correlates with a reluctance toshare healthy forms of touch with others.
54. Tightclothing may cause health problems by restricting the natural flow of blood andlymphatic fluid.
55. Clothingcan harbor disease-causing bacteria and yeast (especially underclothing andathletic clothing).
56. Medicalresearch has linked clothing to an increased susceptibility to bites and stingsby animals such as ticks and sea lice, which hide in or get trapped inclothing.
57. Clothingfashions throughout history, especially for women, have often been damaging tophysical and psychological health.
58. The ideathat clothing is necessary for support of the genitals or breasts is oftenunwarranted.
59. Clothinghides the natural beauty of the human body, as created by God.
60. Clothingmakes people look older, and emphasizes rather than hides unflattering bodycharacteristics.
61. Clothingharbors and encourages the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
62. Naturism isa socially constructive philosophy.
63. Naturism,by philosophy, is tolerant of others and their differences. It expects only thesame in return.
64. Nuditypromotes social equality, feelings of unity with others, and more relaxedsocial interaction in general. As mentioned earlier, clothing locks us into acollective unreality that prescribes complex responses to social status, rolesand expected behaviors. As the artificial barrier of clothing is done awaywith, social class and status disappear. People begin to relate to each otheras they are, and not as they seem to be.
65. Naturiststend to be especially accepting of other people, just as they are. This is anattitude that is undoubtedly related to the fact that Naturists are generallymore accepting of their own bodies, just as they are, than the general public.
66. Sociallyand demographically, nudists are almost exactly like the rest of thepopulation, except that they are tolerant of nudity. There are few othertrends, social or psychological, positive or negative, that correlate to astatistically significant degree with nudists as a demographic group.
67. Naturismrejects blind conformity to cultural mores and assumptions about the body,which see clothing as a constant necessity, in favor of a more reasoned,rational approach which recognizes the need for clothing to be dependent oncontext.
68. ForAmericans, non-acceptance and sexualization of their own nudity encourages abiased or racist attitude contrasting "clothed civilization" againstthe "naked savage."
69. Truenudists emphasize a decent, family atmosphere and morality.
70.Researchshows that children who grow up in a nudist setting tend to be moreself-confident, more self-accepting, and more sexually well-adjusted. They feelbetter about their bodies, and more comfortable with their sexuality.
71. In general,"experts" such as Joyce Brothers and Dr. Spock speak out againstfamily nudity without empirical evidence to back them up. When research isactually done, it contradicts their dire warnings.
72. Mostcommentators say that it's the context in which family nudity takes place, notthe nudity itself, that determines whether it's problematic. Children respondfar more to parents' attitudes toward nudity than to the nudity itself, andnudity is only a problem when it is treated as one.
73. Manypsychologists argue that the implicit message conveyed by a lack of nudity inthe home is that the body is basically unacceptable or shameful--an attitudewhich may carry over into discomfort about nudity in the context of adultsexual relationships.
74. Children of"primitive" tribes, surrounded by nudity of all forms, suffer no illeffects. Neither do children who grow up in other societies which are more openabout nudity than our own. Presumptions that exposure to nudity will lead toproblems for children grow out of the preconceptions of our culture.
75. Childrenwho grow up in a nudist environment witness the natural body changes brought onby adolescence, pregnancy, and aging. They have far less anxiety about thesenatural processes than children who are never exposed to them except throughlayers of clothing.
76. Researchhas demonstrated that countries with fewer reservations about nudity (andsexuality in general) also have lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates.
77.Clothes-compulsion intimidates millions of mothers from breast-feeding theirchildren, even though breast-feeding is healthier and often more convenient forboth the child and the mother.
78. Therepression of healthy nudity, especially for females, has been one of the chiefmeans of mind and destiny control by the patriarchy. Breaking this patternshatters the invisible bonds of an inherited sex role.
79. Limitationson women's nudity, an acceptance of pornography, and demanding fashionrequirements may, individually, seem like minor issues. Taken as a whole,however, they form a pattern of repressive male-oriented expectations.
80. Topfreeinequality (requiring women, but not men, to wear tops) is demeaning anddiscriminatory toward women, and reinforces patterns of male domination overwomen.
81. Lawsbanning exposure of female breasts do so in part because of the reaction suchexposure would supposedly cause in men. Such laws are written entirely from themale point of view, and ignore the point of view of women, who may want to gotopfree for their own comfort.
82. By refusingto accept the need to "protect" themselves from men by covering theirbodies, women gain power, and shift the burden of responsible behavior to men,where it rightfully belongs.
83. Patriarchallaws strip women of the right to control their own bodies, but there havealways been "exceptions" to obscenity laws which permit the use ofwomen's bodies in consumer seduction. Thus female nudity is consideredinappropriate on the beach, but is ubiquitous in advertising and pornography.
84. Byenforcing arbitrary clothing requirements for women (requiring them to covertheir tops), the government acts in loco parentis, in the role of a parent.This is demeaning to women. Like children, they aren't conceded the ability orright to decide how to dress, much as they formerly weren't allowed to vote,own property, or exercise other rights.
85. Therepression of healthy female nudity fuels pornography.
86.Pornography, in turn, limits women's ability to participate in healthy nuderecreation, and to be casually nude in other ways. Naturism breaks the power ofpornography over women.
87. The fightfor freedom should mean civil rights for women--not license for pornographers.
88. Clothingfashions and legal requirements have historically contributed to the repressionof women.
89. Naturismdefies relationships based on a balance of power, and is thus consistent withcontemporary feminism, which seeks to break down power hierarchies.
90. Naturism,as a celebration of the natural human body free of the artificiality offashion, is highly compatible with the ideals of a natural, simple, andenvironmentally friendly lifestyle.
91. As we workfor the good of nature, we must also work for the good and the freedom of ourbodies, especially as they may be integrated with the rest of nature.
92. The goalsof Naturism and environmentalism are often parallel. Like environmentalism,Naturism usually seeks to preserve the natural character of landscapes, andopposes development and commercial exploitation. The greatest risk to mostbeaches is not nudity, but development--the takeover of pristine public areasby private resorts or hotels.
93. One feelsmuch more a part of a natural setting in the nude than clothed.
94. The nudistis far more sensually aware, because nudity enhances responsiveness and sensoryexperience.
95. Clothingcuts us off from the natural world, by inhibiting the skin's ability to sensethe environment. It in fact distracts from our ability to sense the naturalenvironment, by artificially irritating the skin.
96.Clothes-compulsiveness is incompatible with the natural patterns of nature, asexpressed by every other member of the animal kingdom. Humans are the onlyspecies to clothe themselves.
97. Somepsychologists theorize that humans developed clothing, in part, to setthemselves apart from animals.
98. Thephysical barrier of clothing reinforces psychological barriers separating usfrom the natural world.
99. Lifestyleswhich are incompatible with the natural patterns of nature (includingclothes-obsessiveness) may be psychological damaging.
100. A Naturistlifestyle is more environmentally responsible. For example, the option of goingnude during hot, humid weather greatly reduces the need for air conditioning.Most air conditioners use tremendous amounts of energy, and many use coolantswhich are damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer.
101. Clothingis produced by environmentally irresponsible processes from environmentallyirresponsible sources.
102. Clothingstandards are inconsistent.
103. Clothing requirements are arbitrarily andirrationally based on gender.
104. Today in America, women's breasts are seen aserotic and unexposable, even though they are anatomically identical to those ofmen except for lactation capacity, and no more or less a sexual organ.
105. Thearbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by different standardsin different cultures.
106. Thearbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by history. Even in thesame culture, taboos about what parts of the body could or could not berevealed have changed radically over time.
107. Most worldsocieties are much more open about nudity than the United States. For example,many cultures, especially in Europe, are more open to nudity on beaches and inother recreational settings.
108.Participation in nudist organizations is high in other parts of the world.
109. Naturistvacations are a significant part of the tourist trade in many countries.
110. Nudity ismuch more common in foreign media.
111. Publicnudity, including clothing-optional recreation, enjoys growing acceptance inNorth America.
112. Membershipin nudist organizations is growing rapidly.
113. Thetourism industry is discovering that it is in their economic best interests toaccept clothing-optional recreation.
114. In a freesociety such as the United States, one's lifestyle should not be dictated byanyone else (majority or otherwise), especially if that lifestyle does notinfringe on anyone else's rights
115. TheConstitution was, in fact, written to protect the rights of minority points ofview. This principle alone should justify the right to recreate peacefully inthe nude without government interference.
116. TheConstitution has been interpreted to protect individual freedoms except wherethey are overridden by a "compelling state interest." It is never theresponsibility of individuals to justify their freedoms. It is rather theresponsibility of government to justify any restriction of freedom.
117. Naturismhas always claimed that nudity offers "freedom from bodilyrestraints." Such freedoms may only be restricted in the case of"compelling state interest;" if none can be shown, the restriction isinvalid.
118. TheConstitution has repeatedly been interpreted to protect the right ofindividuals to associate with others of similar philosophy, and also to raisetheir children in the context of a particular philosophy. This principleprotects the right of nudist families to associate and recreate in the nude.
119. The FirstAmendment guarantees the right to freedom of expression. This protects everyother form of clothing, and should protect the right not to wear clothing aswell.
120. Recentcourt decisions in Florida, New York, and elsewhere have upheld nudity as partof the expression of free speech.
121. The"body language" of the nude human form has extraordinary symbolic andcommunicative power which should be protected by the First Amendment.
122. TheSupreme Court has ruled that people can't be forced to communicate ideas theyoppose (for example, saying the Pledge of Allegiance). It has also ruled thatclothes can be a protected form of free speech (for instance, students andpublic employees had the right to wear black armbands to protest the VietnamWar). It is unconstitutional to force Naturists to express conformity to ideasof modesty and body shame that they disagree with, by forcing them to wearswimsuits at the beach.
123. The courtshave thus far permitted the publishers of pornography to express attitudeswhich are exploitative of women, on the grounds that this is protected freespeech; but it has been unsuitably reluctant to grant the same protection tothe natural expression of body freedom through casual, non-exploitative nudityon the beach.
124. Clothingis both publicly expressive and privately symbolic, connoting identity in aparticular cultural group. Restricting the state of dress of nudists is no lessrestrictive than prohibiting any other cultural group from wearing the clothingparticular to their group. Preventing nudists from going nude is equivalent topreventing a person of Scottish descent from wearing the family colors, orpreventing a priest from wearing his robes.
125. With theemergence of national organizations promoting nudism as a doctrine, nuderecreation may eventually come to be seen as a protected medium of speechexpressing that doctrine, and as an example of protected free association.
126. The NinthAmendment makes it clear that no freedoms shall be denied that are notspecifically prohibited. Thus, mere nudity is not illegal except where thereare specific laws that prohibit it.
127. Manyprohibitions against nudity stem, historically, from the political climate ofthe early Christian church. Even today, much of the objection to nudism isbased on religious principles. The constitutional separation of church andstate should make this an invalid argument.
128. Extensivelegal precedent suggests that laws requiring women, but not men, to concealtheir breasts are sexist, discriminatory, and unconstitutional.
129. Case history demonstrates that laws requiring women to cover their breasts are notjustified by cultural prejudices and preconceptions.
130. Lawsrequiring women, but not men, to cover their breasts are written entirely froma male perspective, assuming that men's bodies are natural and normal, and thatwomen's bodies must be covered because they are different.
131. Laws requiring women to cover their breasts are not justified by claims that women's bodies are significantly different from men's; nor by inaccurate claims thatbreasts are sex organs; nor by the fact that breasts may play a role in sex orsex play; nor by the fact that breasts are prominent secondary sex characteristics.
132. Mere nudity is not in itself lewd or "indecent exposure," a distinctionupheld by extensive legal precedent nationwide.
133. Mere nudity cannot be offensive or immoral "conduct"--for it is not conduct at all, but merely the natural state of a human being.
134. Given the challenge of defining modesty standards, which are by nature ambiguous,legislators have often found it to be more complicated to prohibit nudity thanto sanction it.
135. A largeportion of state and local government anti-nudity regulations have beenlegislated by individual high officials or small groups, without public review.This is undemocratic and contrary to the principle of due process.
136. Byextensive legal precedent, it is unquestionably legal to be nude in private, onprivate property.
137. Many stateor local governments have also explicitly legislated the right to be nude indesignated public areas, such as legally-sanctioned nude beaches.
138. There isno universal federal prohibition against nudity on public land. In general,public land agencies view nude recreation--conducted with discretion andsensitivity to the varying values of others--as "legitimateactivity."
139. The nudeuse of most federal lands is, in fact, constitutional because there is nouniversal federal law prohibiting it. The Ninth Amendment specifically saysthat no freedoms shall be denied which are not specifically prohibited.
140. Themandate of public land agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service provide fordiversity of recreation. Historically, provisions have been made even forextreme minority forms of recreation. Recreational diversity ought to alsoinclude provisions for nude recreation.
141.Clothing-optional recreation is less offensive to most people than many otherforms of recreation which are openly tolerated and even promoted on publicland.
142. Naturistscertainly deserve at least as much consideration by land management agencies asresource-damaging activities such as off-road vehicle use.
143. TheWilderness Act of 1963 defined wilderness areas as "lands designated forpreservation and protection in their natural condition." They are to bemanaged in a manner that maintains them in as natural a state as possible. Itfollows that human should be able to enjoy wilderness areas in their own mostnatural state, free from the artificial constraints of clothing.
144. Publicwilderness areas ought to be places where human freedoms, including nuderecreation, are observed more freely than anywhere else. Wilderness should beour measure of carefully controlled anarchy, our refuge free of any but themost necessary intrusions by government rules and regulations. Do we not go towilderness for these very reasons, and would it not be compromised by undueoutside interference, such as unnecessary clothing regulations?
145. Recreationmanagers unfortunately often "solve" the issue of nude recreation,not by managing it, but by ignoring it.
Thus managers"permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilities or lifeguards,then point to litter, drug use, and other problems as a consequence of thenudity rather than the lack of active management.
146. If publicnude recreation can be widely accepted in societies considered repressive byAmericans (for example, formerly-socialist Yugoslavia, once-communist EastGermany, Orthodox Greece, or Catholic France), it ought to be tolerated indemocratic Europe and in America, "the land of the free."
147.Anti-nudity laws are demeaning because they replace individual responsibilitywith state control.
148. It isinappropriate to use police resources to crack down on peaceful bathers at abeach simply because they are nude, while taking valuable resources away fromother more urgent needs.
149. It is acruel reversal of justice when the law frowns on innocent skinnydippers, whilegawkers on the fringe of the nude beach, who pervert and fetishize the body,are accepted as "normal."
150. Socialnudity is part of a long historical tradition. Recent Western civilizationstands almost alone, in the entire known history of humanity, in its repressivecode against nudity.
151. Nudity wascommonplace in the ancient Greek civilization, especially for men.
152. OldTestament ceremonial washings, including baptism, were performed in the nude.Christ, too, was probably baptized naked--as depicted in numerous early worksof art.
153. Romancitizens, including early Christians, bathed communally in the nude at thepublic baths throughout most of the second through the fourth centuries. Nuditywas also common during this period in other parts of ancient Roman society.
154. Thewritings of early Christians such as Irenaeus and Tertullian make it clear thatthey had no ethical reservations about communal nudity.
155. For thefirst several centuries of Christianity, it was the custom to baptize men,women, and children together nude. This ritual played a very significant rolein the early church. The accounts are numerous and detailed.
156. Nudity wascommon and accepted in pre-medieval (circa 6th century) society, especially inplaces like Great Britain, which had been "barbarian" lands only afew hundred years before.
157. Nudity wasfairly common in medieval and renaissance society, especially in the publicbaths and within the family setting.
158. Even inthe Victorian era, before the invention of bathing suits, swimming nude in theocean was commonplace; and music halls often featured nude models as living"sculpture."
159. Few peoplerealize that swimsuits, as we know them today, are a relatively recent concept.The idea of wearing special clothing to swim in is barely a century old.
160.Skinnydipping, in the local river or farm pond, is well-documented as animportant historical part of our national heritage.
161. Many YMCA,college, and high school male-only pools or swimming classes were historically"swimsuit-optional" or nude-only until federally-mandated "equalaccess" athletic programs (for the sake of women) were instituted in themid 1970s.
162. Today,there are still public locations where nudity is, by local tradition or custom,the accepted practice.
163. The fewofficially sanctioned nude beaches in the U.S. (for example, Rooster Rock StatePark, Oregon) and Canada (Wreck Beach, British Columbia)--and most of the unofficialbeaches as well--have existed for decades without significant problems.
164. Manyhighly respected people, historical and contemporary, have espoused and/orparticipated in Naturism to some degree.
165. Historically, a great many writers and artistshave regarded Naturism, or something close to it, to be part of the utopianideal.
166. Nudity hasoften been used, historically, as a symbol of protest or rebellion againstoppression.
167. Repressivemorality was developed by the state and the Church as a tool to maintaincontrol over otherwise free individuals.
168. Repressivemorality has often sought to control not only nudity, but sexuality in general.
169. Repressionof nudity is still used today as a means to further a repressive politicalagenda.
170. Much ofthe origin of repressive attitudes toward nudity may be traced to the politicalsetting of the early church and church-state, though not the teachings ofChrist Himself.
171. Theaversion of early Christian church leaders to casual nudity was due in part toan association of nudity with paganism and homosexuality in the surroundingcultures.
172. TheChurch's aversion to nudity derived, in part, from its roots in the cultures ofthe ancient Near East, where nakedness had signified poverty, shame, slavery,humiliation, and defeat. Naked, bound prisoners were paraded in the king'svictory celebration, and slain enemies were stripped of clothing and armor.
173. BeforeWestern civilization, nakedness was a normal element of life and consideredacceptable in many circumstances. However, as Freud describes in Civilizationand Its Discontents, psychological repression of the awareness of our naturalbeing was a necessary step in building civilization, by disciplining the massesinto taking part in vast and self-abdicating social projects.
174. Nudity hasoften been censored primarily to avoid the more difficult task of managing it.
175. Recreationmanagers often "permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilitiesor lifeguards, then use nudity as a scapegoat for problems including litter anddrug use that inevitably appear in high-use recreation areas without activemanagement.
176. One of thegreatest challenges faced by clothing-optional beaches is that theirpopularity, combined with their scarcity, leads to intensive use, which in turnconflicts with environmental and management concerns.
177. The"secondary effects" of an actively managed nude beach have in actualexperience proven to be less crime, less inappropriate behavior, no drugdealers, an increase in parking revenues, and an increase in business in theadjoining commercial area.
178. Nudity hasoften been repressed for economic reasons, not because it was consideredimmoral.
179. We mustnever forget that for any freedom that is lost, we bear partial responsibilityfor letting it be lost.
180. Genesis1:27--The (naked) human body, created by God, in God's own image, is basicallydecent, not inherently impure or sinful. The human body was created by God, andGod can create no evil. It is made in God's image, and the image of God isentirely pure and good.
181. Genesis1:31--God saw that everything, including naked Adam and Eve, was good.
182. Genesis3:7--Many scholars interpret the wearing of fig leaves as a continuation andexpansion of the original sin, not a positive moral reaction to it.
183. Genesis3:10--Many scholars believe that Adam and Eve's sense of shame came not fromtheir nakedness, which God had created and called good, but from theirknowledge of having disobeyed God.
184. An innate,God-given sense of shame related to nakedness is contradicted by the existenceof numerous indigenous societies in which nudity is the rule and a sense ofshame is totally absent, and by the lack of shame felt by naked children.
185. Genesis3:11--It was disobedience that came between Adam and Eve and God, notnakedness. The scriptures themselves treat Adam and Eve's nudity as anincidental issue.
186. Genesis3:21--God made garments of skins for Adam, but the Bible does not say the stateof nakedness is being condemned. Because of the Fall, Adam and Eve were nolonger in Eden and were thus subject to the varieties of weather and climate,and God knew they would need clothes. God loved and cared for them even afterthey had sinned.
187. To assumethat because God made garments He was condemning nudity makes as much sense asconcluding that because God made clouds which blot out the sun He wascondemning sunshine.
188. Genesis9:22-24--Noah was both drunk and naked, but Ham was the one who wascursed--when he dishonored his father, by calling attention to Noah's state,and making light of it.
189. Exodus20:26--The Priest's nakedness was not to be exposed because it would createdissonance between his social role, in which he was to be seen as sexuallyneutral, and his biological status as a sexual being. The Priest's costumerepresented his social role; to be exposed in that context would beinappropriate and distracting.
190. Leviticus18:6-19--Here and throughout the Old Testament and Torah, the expression"uncover the nakedness of" (as it is literally translated in the KingJames Version) is a euphemism for "have sexual relations with." Theprohibitions do not refer to nudity per se.
191. I Samuel19:23-24--Jewish prophets were commonly naked--so commonly that when Saulstripped off his clothes and prophesied, no one considered his nakednessremarkable, but everyone immediately assumed that he must be a prophet also.
192. II Samuel6:14-23--King David danced nearly naked in the City of David to celebrate thereturn of the ark, in full view of all the citizens of the city. Michalcriticized his public nudity and was rebuffed.
193. Isaiah20:2-3--God directly commanded Isaiah to loose the sackcloth from his hips, andhe went naked and barefoot for three years. The prophet Micah may have done thesame thing (see Micah 1:8).
194. Song ofSolomon repeatedly expresses appreciation for the naked body.
195. EveryBiblical association of nakedness with shame is in reference to a sin alreadycommitted. One cannot hide from God behind literal or figurative clothing. Allstand naked before God.
196. Nakednesscannot automatically be equated with sexual sin.
197. Nakednesscannot automatically be associated with lust.
198. Manyhistorical church leaders have disassociated nudity with sexual immodesty. St.Thomas Aquinus, for example, defined an immodest act as one done with a lustfulintention. Therefore, someone who disrobes for the sole purpose of bathing orrecreating cannot be accused of immodesty.
199. ThroughChrist, the Christian is returned spiritually to the same sinless, shamelessstate Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden (Genesis 2:25). There is no question thattheir nakedness was not sinful. When God creates, nakedness is good. It followsthat when God re-creates, nakedness is also good.
200. The Biblesays plainly that sexual immorality is sin. Healthy Naturism, however, isentirely consistent for the Christian, who has "crucified the sinfulnature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24)
201. The Biblecalls for purity of heart. Anyone who thinks it is impossible to be pure ofheart while nude is ignorant of the realities of nudism, and anyone who believethat it is wrong even for the pure of heart to be nude has fallen intolegalism, a vice which St. Paul repeatedly denounces.
202.Clothes-compulsiveness creates an unwholesome schism between one's spirit andbody. A Christian morality should deal with the person as a whole, healing bothspirit and body.
203. Nudity hasoften been used in the Christian tradition as symbolic of renouncing the worldto follow Christ
204. Many otherfaiths also support nudity, both historically and in current practice.
205. One of the most important arguments insupport of nudism is personal experience. Personal testimonies in favor ofnudism are too numerous to mention. Based on my own experience, I find nudiststo be more friendly, open-minded, considerate, respectful, and sharing thannon-nudists in general. Their children are more active, and healthier, bothphysically and mentally. None of these testimonies, of course, compares topersonal experience. A single visit to a nudist park or a nude beach will notcause permanent harm to anyone. On the other hand, it may change your life.Experience the freedom for yourself!