Not all the Greek runners in the original Olympics were totally naked.
Some wore shoes.- Mark Twain
COME ON -
ADMIT IT. YOU'RE ALL JUST SEX MANIACS!
Given that naturists are
representative of the population as a whole, then it's entirely
possible that we number an odd sex maniac amongst us. The law of
averages makes it likely that there are also several fetishists, a
healthy quota of gay men and lesbians, one or two celibates and a
handful of free love exponents. There are probably also quite a few
naturists who gain a sexual thrill from dressing up! But all of this
ignores one very important point: NATURISM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX.
For many people, the only time they
are naked with another person is before, during and after a sexual
experience. So it's understandable that they would have difficulty
separating the two. But separate they are.
It's a little like kissing. A kiss
can be a sexual act - but it can also have many other meanings: a
gesture of friendship, a welcome, a way of saying goodbye, a
comforting gesture - or, if you live in Hollywood and practise the
airkiss it can mean anything from 'fancy seeing you here' to 'drop
dead, bitch'! You learn very quickly what is appropriate and
inappropriate, depending on your audience. If you're alone with a
lover, then a little tonsil hockey would be entirely correct; if
you're greeting your partner's mother, then tongues are probably not
appropriate.
The majority of naturist resorts are
family oriented, and all are patrolled to keep away voyeurs and sort
out anyone who is acting in suggestive or crude manner. Anyone staying
at a naturist resort who made any overt sexual gestures or
inappropriate remarks in a public situation would be asked to leave.
One of the benefits of nude recreation is that it takes place in a
non-threatening atmosphere, where people are free to relax and be
themselves. Naturist resorts share many similarities with other kinds
of resort, the exception being simply that clothes are optional for
most of the activities happening there.
ISN'T IT UNCOMFORTABLE
THOUGH, NEVER BEING ALLOWED TO WEAR CLOTHES?
It's not a question of never being
allowed to wear clothes! There are lots of situations where the
wearing of clothes is very sensible - and naturists don't remove their
brains with their undergarments! Naturism is meant to be freeing and
relaxing. If you live in the north of England, for instance, then a
long walk through the woods nude in the middle of January is probably
not a good idea. Similarly if you are at sun resort and think your
skin has had enough sun for one day, you won't be thrown out for
daring to put on a T-shirt or a hat. Some sporting activities may even
require the use of protective clothing.
There are no circumstances in which
it is mandatory to be naked, and naturists are not campaigning for a
clothes free world. They just don't see concealment as a valid reason
for wearing clothes.
BUT I'M A GUY -
WITH ALL THOSE NAKED BODIES AROUND, WHAT IF I... YOU KNOW... FORGET
MYSELF?
After an hour or so in the company of
new friends at a naturist resort, the only thing you're likely to
forget is that people are naked at all. It just isn't an issue. Of
course guys, becoming a naturist doesn't mean that your normal body
responses stop. It's a fact of life that men get erections. For most
they're as natural as the weather - but sometimes they can be just as
unpredictable. Just when you're hoping for a depression in the midwest,
suddenly all is bright, sunny and positively perky! It is, however,
far less of a problem in a nude setting than you might suppose -
simply because the social atmosphere in a naturist resort is very
non-sexual.
If it were to happen, then it's a
matter of using common sense. You'd maybe want to roll over for a
little while, take a swim or practise a little strategic towel
placing!
AS A WOMAN
THOUGH, IF I'M HAVING MY PERIOD, PRESUMABLY I CAN'T GO NAKED.
Not true. It depends largely on how
comfortable you feel. Naturists understand that menstruation is a
perfectly natural part of life for all women, and you won't be singled
out for special notice! The use of tampons enables women to take part
in most naturist activities. If you prefer to use pads instead, or if
you would just feel more comfortable doing so, wearing shorts is
perfectly acceptable during your period.
I COULD NEVER BE A
NUDIST ANYWAY - JUST LOOK AT MY BODY!
That's the whole point though.
Naturism isn't about looking at bodies - naturists are not
exhibitionists. It's just about enjoying the freedom that a clothes
optional atmosphere brings. Naturism is about accepting the human body
for what it is - nothing to be ashamed of. So the men don't need to
hit the gym for six months, buffing their muscles to within an inch of
their lives in order to gain entry. And the women don't have to look
like Baywatch babes. The media is largely responsible for promoting
this idea of body perfection, but the truth is that the vast majority
of people do not now, nor are they likely to ever resemble this false
ideal.
So for naturists there is no such
thing as too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, too hairy. Nobody's
going to comment on the size or shape of your breasts or critically
evaluate your genitalia. And if you have any surgical scars or other
distinguishing marks you needn't worry - ignore them just like
everyone else will. For most people, their initial discomfort
disappears very quickly, once they realize they are not being judged
on their appearance.
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
|
