"Ideally, parents will unostentatiously allow their children to
become acquainted, from infancy on, with the nude appearance of family
members, juvenile and adult, in the normal course of dressing,
undressing, and bathing."-- Margaret Mead
So What is Nudist You Ask?
Nudism and Nudist believes are about
being the way we were born and the way human kind was for most of our
history: nude except when the weather dictated otherwise. It brings
everyone down to the same level. You never know if the person you are
talking to is a janitor, a doctor, or the CEO of a Fortune 100
company. Nudists are extremely accepting of everyone no matter the
gender, race, sex, size, etc. Whether you shop at Wal-Mart or Brooks
Brothers, no one knows and no one cares. It allows us to relax and
just enjoy good company.
From one nudist picture to the next, picture galleries can provide a
good provide good perspective into a highly popular culture of nudism.
From teen nudist gallery, to adult nudist resorts, you can explore
life without limitations of clothes.
Children's
Perceptions of Nudity
The study of children's sexuality is
similar to a trip through the desert in California: long stretches of
nothing, interrupted by brief flurries of activity and interesting
sights. Alayne Yates (1979) cites the sparse and confusing history of
scholarly study of the general subject of children's sexuality, and
specifically the lack of any concise reference materials for parents
and educators. In the United States, as well as most other
English-speaking countries, research of this nature has historically
been seen as unnecessary (the mildest reaction), intrusive (a common
belief among educators: children's sexuality is seen as the purview of
the parents alone), or evil (especially among individuals and groups
subscribing to certain religious codes and dogma). The impediments to
research present a special problem for families and groups that do not
share the prevalent views regarding sexuality in general, and
nudity/modesty in particular. Smith and Sparks (1986) give numerous
examples of families who are nudists, either "social" or "at home,"
who routinely hide that aspect of their lives for fear that others
will find out and disapprove. They fear disapproval because they do
not have any well-developed base of scholarly research to support
their beliefs that the body is a normal and healthy entity, and that
non-sexual nudity is not harmful for children (and is actually
beneficial). [Nudists are generally classified as follows: "social
nudists" participate in nude recreation and lifestyles in the company
of others, such as at beaches, clubs, or other gatherings; "at home
nudists" might not participate in group activities, but do not
habitually wear clothes at home when circumstances do not require
them, such as when sleeping, relaxing in the yard, or simply when in
the home alone.]
Goldman and Goldman (1981) chose
children as their subjects, as opposed to the previous two studies.
Research involving children can be problematic, but can also be quite
revealing. The Goldmans interviewed 838 subjects from North America,
England, Australia, and Sweden. Subjects' ages ranged from five to 15
years old. Each child was individually interviewed and asked questions
designed to elicit responses indicating the child's understanding of
wearing clothing, nudity (as viewed by society as a whole), and
modesty. The responses were coded and scored according to the Kohlberg
scale of moral thinking, in order to assess each subject's level of
cognitive reasoning for the answers given. No references were made to
the family nudity status, although this again may have been an
influential factor.
Nudist and
Non-Nudist Perceptions
The last study may be the most useful
resource for nudist families. Story (1979) interviewed 264 three- to
five-year-old children and their parents. These subjects were chosen
and matched based on family nudity status: "social nudist," "at-home-
only nudist," or non-nudist. Subjects were all North Americans, with
approximately equal numbers sampled from all geographic regions in the
United States. The parents were given individually administered
interviews to determine the children's ages, sexes, weights, and birth
order. The children were interviewed separately; they were asked to
tell whether they liked certain body parts, using as references line
drawings of nude children of the same sex and race as the child being
interviewed. The children were also asked to identify the most- and
least-liked body parts, with an explanation for each.
Parental
Attitude About Nudism
Aquilino and Ely (1985) studied the
attitudes of parents toward the normal sexual development of preschool
children. Eighty-one parents with children three to five years old
were surveyed regarding the sexual activity and curiosity of preschool
children. Subjects were parents whose children attended day-care
centers in North Carolina towns. An author-designed questionnaire was
used, containing questions relating to parental knowledge, responses
to children's sexuality, and comfort with children's sexuality.
Subjects also gave information about their age, sex, marital status,
religious affiliation, and education, as these factors were seen as
potential influences on response outcomes. After individually
completing the questionnaires, the subjects were encouraged to
participate in group and/or individual question-and-answer sessions.
The authors did not state whether any of the subjects were nudists,
and it is doubtful that they considered this a potential influence on
responses [as it was not included].
Short Reading About Nudist Culture
Discovery
Basically, nudists consider nudity to be
normal, acceptable, and good, and believe it should not be equated with sex.
According to that thinking, I was basically a nudist, but at that particular
time, I was still unwilling to admit it.
Even though it brought me great encouragement
to know that there were others who believed as I did, even other Christians, I
was still not sure if it was pleasing to God or not. I was still asking, "Is it
really right or is it wrong?" "Is the Lord God pleased with such
activity?" I didn't know what I should believe, and on a few occasions had
prayed that God would reveal the truth.
I believe God answers prayer, and know that
God's Word provides answers, but ironically, I never did a study of nudity from
the Bible - mostly because I was afraid of what I would find. It wasn't until I
got hungry for God, wanting to subject every area of my life to His Word, that I
decided to do a serious Bible study on it. I thought for sure I'd find I was
wrong or maybe perverted, but I didn't care, my objective was to do what was
right.
Now I knew of no teachings on nudity (or
nudism) and did not feel comfortable discussing my experiences or beliefs on the
subject with anyone else, feeling they would not understand. So my study
involved lots of prayer, and reliance on God's Holy Spirit. "If anyone lacks
wisdom, he should ask God..." (James 1:5) and "...the Holy
Spirit... ...will teach you all things..." (John 14:26) See also 1
John 2:20, 27 and 5:20.
After a few months of study, and lots of
prayer, to my surprise, I began to discover that I was actually right, and that
it was "the world" that has perverted ideas about the nude human form - God's
"good" creation.
Deeper study
Though, by that time, most of the scriptures
made sense to me, there were still a few scriptures that troubled me. Since I
had also been reading a Prodigy BBS on naturism (nudism), I decided to post a
message there to Christian nudists, hoping they could help me with these verses.
There were many replies, and though one or two of them were people wanting help
themselves, all the rest were tremendously encouraging.
Though people who wear clothes have no special
name for themselves, and I am not fond of having to classify myself as a nudist,
the fact is, I have found it to be the closest thing to which I can relate my
beliefs, and convictions.
For me, I am happy being nude or clothed, and
after two years of prayer and study of God's Word, I have found nudism to be a
way to live out the reconciliation of my beliefs, and convictions about
chaste nudity with the truth in God's Word. In the process, I discovered that
"clothing optional" living is not about "getting naked," or even about sex, but
is about...
- ...living free from unnecessary body shame.
- ...living free from fear over undue
condemnation (because everyone else wants to condemn all forms of nudity).
- ...accepting yourself and others completely,
and unashamedly, based on internal character, and not outward appearance.
- ...being more open, honest and truthful,
recognizing that these things require true humility.
- ...recognizing that nudity and sex do not
have to be related; people are not "sex-object" and neither are their parts.
- ...recognizing that nudity does not have to
be shameful, and people do not have to be offended by it.
Furthermore, the "clothing optional" attitude
allows me to be more practical, comfortable, and healthy by allowing me to adapt
to each situation without worry or fear, and by allowing my body to function
more closely to the way it was designed to work. God designed the human form to
be nude, and through nudism, I have discovered that my whole being benefits the
most from being nude often.
Though most people do not have a correct view
of themselves and others, especially regarding nudity, the Bible makes it clear
that we are to "renew" our minds to be Christ-like in our attitude. The Bible
says that those who live for Him live like Him, for they "have the mind of
Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16 So far as clothing goes, Christ Himself said, "Why
do you worry about clothes? Do not worship them, worship God!" Matthew 6:25,
Luke 12:22
"Do not let anyone take you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which DEPENDS ON HUMAN TRADITION AND THE BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF THIS WORLD rather than ON CHRIST. ...Such regulations indeed have
the appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility
and their harsh treatment of the body, but they LACK ANY VALUE in restraining
sensual indulgence." Colossians 2:8, 23
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