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What does the Bible say about nudity?
I grew up in a very conservative Catholic home where a dress code was maintained after school along with uniforms during school. My mother was a very proud women who believes that a girl should not expose her body to anyone unless she was married, otherwise it is a sin because she is tempting her brother to lust after her. With all this in mind, I must ask what does the Bible say about nudity?
That is a very good question to ask. I bet there’s nothing against or even about it.
Good Question. The Bible says nothing specifically against it, or for it. Those who say otherwise are reading too much into the text.
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LikeDislikeas I recall, nudity is mentioned quite often in the bible, in an offhand way. It is something which in some circumstances is taken as being completely natural. Mind you, it is usually male nudity.
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LikeDislikei was born naked and want to go out that way!
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LikeDislikeMatthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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LikeDislikeWhat you have to remember is that the current distaste for nakedness is largely down to the Victorians in the 19th century, who reacted violently against the previous permissiveness by covering up to a quite ridiculous degree (even putting skirts on piano legs, for fear they would arouse people). Before that, it was quite normal to be naked, especially on a hot day or when it was practically easier. To give you a biblical example, how about John 21:7?
“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, it is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him (for he was naked) and did cast himself into the sea.”
Nakedness isn’t mentioned much in the Bible — I think — simply because it wasn’t seen as something worth mentioning, not because it was supposed to be shameful.
I can’t see how you would change your mother’s mind on this, but I do believe she has taken a very conservative view of the Bible. There are, after all, Christian nudist groups, and you could argue that since we are made in His image it’s almost disrespectful to want to hide ourselves. :)
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LikeDislikeIt says far more than could be covered in a brief comment. Suggest you refer to http://figleafforum.org and search the archives where you’ll find much information on this matter.
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LikeDislikewhen i was baptised, i was naked in the river and was fine with that! i was 4 year’s old at the time!
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LikeDislikehttp://thebiblicalnaturist.blogspot.com this web site has lots of good information on that topic too.
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LikeDislikei’m fine!
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LikeDislikeThe only referance that we were able to come with (as far as nudity goes) is in Genesis. Adam and Eve both eat from the apple and felt ashamed – for that they got punished and God seemed pretty upset that they felt shame so as far as I can tell the Bible is Nudie Friendly :)
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LikeDislikeGenesis 2:25, The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
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LikeDislikeNot sure why there are two “negatives” on the Genesis 2:25 reference. Unless it is from people who simply dislike what the Bible says.
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LikeDislikeIt really depends on how you consider the old testament in comparison to the new testament. There are locations in the old testament where it talks about it being sinful for you to look on your brothers nakedness, or you brothers wife nakedness. But I also believe that was mention for a specific reason. To me, the old was gone away with back to where it should have been. Before the strict law, adam and eve were naked, and it wasn’t till they were ashamed that god decided to give them clothes. He didn’t say it was sinful to be naked, but they wanted to be clothed and so he clothed them.
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LikeDislikeThe verses that say not to “look upon their nakedness” is a euphamism for sex, and not about simple nudity.
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LikeDislikeLogan is accurate in his understanding of this. To say otherwise is to add one’s own theology into the text which simply is not there.
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LikeDislikeThat is probably true. Either way, I don’t think the bible is against nudism. Woot :)
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LikeDislikeProbably a majority of naturists in the U.S. are Christians. I found this rather detailed discussion (PDF) from the naturist perspective online that cites many examples from the Bible: What Does the Bible Say About Nakedness? Much of this seems to be extracted from Paul Bowman’s 200-page book Nakedness and the Bible.
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LikeDislikeThis is a very good quote from “What Does the Bible Say About Nakedness”:
“Any subject mentioned so often in the Bible as nakedness, but not spoken against directly, cannot be inherently wrong. If simply being naked was wrong in and of itself, even in public, I strongly believe that it would be spoken against clearly in Scriptures, and that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
This is an intelligent view which is not dictated through the traditions of men, which God’s Son so vehemently railed against. We all would be wise to listen.
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LikeDislikeProbably a majority of naturists in the U.S. are Christians. I found this rather detailed discussion (PDF) from the naturist perspective online that cites many examples from the Bible: Much of this seems to be extracted from Paul Bowman’s 200-page book
(trying this again to see if I could get hyperlinks to work)
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LikeDislikeI can submit you a Biblical study of a Nudist Canadian couple: http://www.oursunhome.com/Good_Nudity.html
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LikeDislikeSome people have made a study of it. One such study is at:
http:// www. jeffreybowman .com/bible_society_and_nudity/bible_society_and_nudity.html
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LikeDislikeWe were all created in His image so why should we be ashamed? We nudists believe in a separation of nudity and sex. You can be nude with anyone but that doesn’t mean you’re in any sort of intimate relationship. That being said, you could be in an intimate relationship without really getting naked.
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LikeDislikeQ: What does the Bible say about the Shame of Nudity ?
A: There are many, many different thoughts. You can go to Fig Leaf Forum which has allot of information on these questions, but this blog by “PiperMac5”.
http:// pipermac5.wordpress .com/2014/02/26/the-shame-of-nakedness/
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