religion – Zjuzdme.org

What if nudity was a religion?

Many people frown on nudity. I still don’t understand (and you probably don’t either). We’re all born naked, and we can’t take any clothes with us (even if we wanted to) when we move away from this realm.

Christianity

To start with, even the Christian bible starts off with nudity.

Would the power of religion really be strong enough to convince / convert people to be nude more often? It’s something I suddenly wondered about. Of course, this is mostly a thought experiment, because the big religions with their shame attitude towards the nude body (a very good way to keep people under their thumb) cover most of the world and its population.

India

Still, there are areas in the world where things are different. For example there is a World Naked Religion in India – Digambara, the Jainist sect.

Digambara, (Sanskrit: “Sky-clad,” i.e., naked) one of the two principal sects of the Indian religion Jainism, whose male ascetics shun all property and wear no clothes.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Digambara

It’s a bit weird that this is only done by men, but it’s something, at least.

Note: low quality video.

History

Long ago there were Adamites, who practiced holy nudism during worship. Followers of ancient Adamism were centered in North Africa and Spain. The strength of the ideas, and its subversive nature to some, can be seen in authorities’ reactions, for example how they charged the ascetic Priscillian with praying naked, which was one reason for his execution as a heretic in circa 385 CE. (Via HistoryOfYesterday.)

Mid 18th century Adamists being arrested in Amsterdam

Adamists were not only men. Men and women would gather naked for everything about their religion.

Our now

Would there be room for a nude religion? Would it be viable? Accepted?

Would many people join? Perhaps at first, to peek and laugh, I’m convinced of that. But what would they do after the peeking and the laughing? Would they notice how much more pleasant life and body are without those coverings?

I wonder…

Naturism vs. religion

Yep. This might be a big one. Or perhaps it’s a small one.

On the way home from work I was thinking about a suitable subject for a blog post – this one – and I came up with… naturism vs. religion.

We all know naturism. The joy of it, the freedom, the relief that comes from it. And the sadness at times that not more people dare to take that step out of their clothes and into a new life (which I know it was for many people).

So how does religion enter this arena of liberty?

We know about Christianity and Islam as well as we know naturism. Some may know more about one than the other, and that’s quite alright. No one is supposed to know everything.

I know there are Christian Naturist groups online and in real life (let me write that out). There are also Christian groups that condemn the practice of naturism. They are determined to go to their heaven in full dress, all dolled up and so on. Of course. To each their own.

I also know there are Muslims, e.g. in Egypt, who are naturists. Since naturism isn’t actually ‘a thing’ in that country, these people have to practice their naturism in secret, which is a crying shame. And yes, there are bundles of Muslims who condemn being naked. They are convinced that their god has better things to do than watch naked people.

This opposed to the Christian god, who looked at Adam and Eve while they strolled around in the nude until that certain moment.

And there are atheists, people who don’t believe there is a god peeking over their shoulder all the time. Those are the ones who, in my opinion, should have the fewest hangups about nudity (and still there are lots who do).

That was the starting point of my idea for this blog post. How would the match of religion vs. naturism unfold? Would religious naturist people stick to their own religion while mingling with other nude folks? Or would naturism be the more common denominator (hey look, I know difficult words) and would, therefore, naturism take the boundaries of religion away? What do you think? Do you have an opinion about this? If you are religious and a naturist, how do you feel about this?

Nudity and religion

Religion in (my) school

Religion keeps confusing me. I know I’ve been at this before, but it is something so incomprehensible to me that I want to address it again.

When I was 15 or 16, which is quite a while ago, I made sure the catholic church removed me from their subscription list. I’d gotten into arguments with the priest who, in school, taught religion and got thrown out of the classroom quite often ‘for asking the wrong questions’. Even at that age I was aware that, if someone who is supposed to be a professional at his job (priest is a job, right?) and he can’t answer the most obvious of questions, then there’s something wrong with the background of his job.

It was around that time that I discovered nudism (as it was still called back then). That was the straw that broke the religious camel’s back: I asked the priest why Adam and Eve had decided to put on clothes when being naked was so much more comfortable.

This was the result, as it were. Words like ‘insolent’ and ‘blasphemy’ (that last one threw me, still does) were the last ones from the priest before I left that class forever.

The library was my friend after that.

Because of this ‘insolence’, I had to report to the headmaster, for being thrown out yet again. I explained my side of the argument, the priest called me a liar and Satan’s child (yay me!), and the headmaster decided I should stick to the library from then on and leave religion class behind me. In that library (yes, the school library) I read a lot about all kinds of religions and even more about nudism. Even back then, in the 1970s, our schools were so liberated.

Since being naked felt much better than religion, I read up a bit about the combination. Since the priest had gotten fired up so much, there had to be something.

Religion: the practice of shame and guilt (a.k.a. control)

Religion, for me (and many others), is the ultimate form of controlling others through shame and guilt. In Christianity, everyone’s born with guilt. The original sin. In Islam the body has to be covered all the time as that is ‘the law’ (of Islam), and exposing one’s ‘intimate parts’ is sinful.

Sin, according to Wikipedia, almost always refers to religion. Almost always? Yes, there is a trigonomy function written as sin as well, but that’s not the one on display here.

So, sin is a human invention. Sin is an offence to a God or divine law. It’s interesting that there are Christians and also Muslims who are naturists, despite their godly laws of sin and guilt and shame and what not. And the good thing for them is: their god hasn’t struck them down for being disobedient. Insolent. Shameful. Guilty. Any ‘striking down’ so far has come from people who stick to their holy books, be it verbally or literally (using techniques involving throwing rocks etc.).

Rocks should be used to hike over. Naked. Without the burden of some religion or god hovering over you for doing ‘the wrong thing’. Because being naked is natural. It is how we’re born.

A naturist’s view on religion

Naturism and religion.

Yes. It had to happen as it’s a topic of discussion wherever I seem to look lately. There are Christians against and in favour of naturism. Muslims in favour of and against naturism. I’m not going to delve into the pros and cons that every available religion has on naturism because that would be a waste of time. Only a few of them have no problem with it, I’m sure.

So why can’t you be naked and religious?

First off: I am not religious. I’m spiritual, which is something else.

I’d be in their league if I had to choose something. Luckily I don’t have to. On to some of the things I don’t get about nudity and religion.

Christianity

GotQuestions:

Although the world’s standards may permit or even encourage nudity, the Bible has a different perspective. It is true that the first humans were created unclothed by God (Genesis 2:25). Adam and Eve were innocent in their nakedness, but after the fall everything changed.

So basically nudity was fine. Their god, and that of many others, created the people in his image. Initially they were nude. Gives reason to think.

Of course this is all metaphorical (except for those who take the bible literally) but still there is strife between pro and con nudity Christians.

Islam

Wikipedia:

The intimate parts of the human body must, according to Islam, be covered by clothing. Exposing the intimate parts of the body is unlawful in Islam as the Quran instructs the covering of genitals, and for adult females the breasts. Exposing them is regarded as sin. Precisely which body parts must be covered varies between different schools of Islamic thought.

This is a bit problematic when several schools in one religion don’t agree on what’s what.

In general

I think everyone should be free to decide whether or not to dress. Regardless of religion. However I also think everyone should not interfere with people who think differently. If you want to wear long, black clothes in the heat of summer, by all means, but don’t push your opinion of “how it has to be” on others. Your religion, your beliefs, your way. Not others, not mine. I know Christians who are against nudity. I know Christians who are fine with it. Bottom line: be happy being a Christian and don’t bug each other.

Adam and Eve

Same thing in Islam. There are lots of nudists in countries like e.g. Egypt. They’re forbidden to be naked outside. They meet up in the dark, in apartments, so they can spend some nude time together. Why can’t other Muslims just let them be?

Honestly folks, if nudity is such a big deal in the eyes of your gods, then your gods should prove their allmightiness by changing peoples minds. Not letting you, the people, fight this out.

Note that this is not every naturist’s view. It’s mine. Just so you know. I’m also not digging deeper in other religions. Feel free to do so if you want to know more.

Religious politicians vs. the sauna

Yes, we’re at it again. Time for politics in the Netherlands (city council elections). And the SGP party (heavily reformed Christian) in the city of Apeldoorn wants a ban on all public saunas and nude beaches.

God

These people don’t want to be confronted with nude people. The fact that nude beaches are well indicated doesn’t matter, the fact that saunas are controlled and you have to pay to go in there doesn’t matter. God doesn’t allow nude buttocks, it seems. (Why don’t they have a problem with Eva’s breasts being shown everywhere, I wonder?)

They don’t want to be confronted with nude people (how often do you run into those in the street during the week?). Well, I don’t want to be confronted with sermons and other religious outbursts during the week. (Thanks for that, Rob Meerwijk.)

God, so they say, gave us clothes to put on. (Uhm, it’s bad weather that made that happen, Google “Climate change”, guys.) Kind of hypocrite to blame their god as he first ‘created man after his own image’, and that man was… naked!

Dutch links to the matter: one here, another one here.