or Nudism, Religion, and Politics
While certainly (and demonstrably) NOT a requirement for participation in the lifestyle, I do believe that nudism is excellently poised to dovetail with spirituality. While to some, nudism may be little more than an elaborate dedication to "party naked", for a vast many lifestylers, their approach and attitude toward a confident revelation (as opposed to ashamed obfuscation) of the human body borders on religious devotion.
I may be biased, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I'm a person who thinks that nothing brings you closer to God (whatever that means to you) in this life than enjoying the great outdoors without a stitch of clothing on. We all have to believe in something larger than ourselves. And, as an atheist, I'll make the caveat that those beliefs don't have to contradict a scientific understanding of reality. The universe is vast, and we are but a small part of it - reveling in the dizzying sense of its enormity, and our connection to the infinite, need not require ascribing sentience or meaning beyond what we have the power to ascertain through our gifted yet limited intellect.
[description: a man stands naked in a garden with apple in hand, genitals obscured by foliage]
With all this in mind, I want to say: the fact that there are Christian naturists, and that the religion isn't de facto incompatible with nudism (it wasn't God, but the serpent's influence that led Adam and Eve to cover up - yet somehow we have forgotten this), doesn't absolve the culture of Christianity for the responsibility it bears in demonizing the human body and its public exposure. No Biblical fact or personal anecdote ("But I'm a good Christian!") can balance the sheer weight of pressure that is driven, without exception in the social and political landscape, by complaints lodged and campaigns levied by zealous and fear-mongering religious conservatives.
[description: a nude figure kneels in agony before a podium, with flag hung in the background]
As a parallel example, just because I still believe in the promise of America, and the values this country was (ostensibly) founded on, doesn't mean I can just erase all the bad things that America currently (and historically) stands for. To me, true patriotism in this day and age embodies the responsibility to call out the culture of toxic patriotism that runs counter to the principles of liberty, justice, and equality. Although I believe in what America is supposed to stand for, I'm not going to fly a flag on my front porch, because right now it symbolizes a lot of things I don't support.
Similarly, if you are a "true" Christian today, you shouldn't be proud of the legacy your religion is laying down. Your foremost responsibility should be to call out the church's corruption, not to praise the gospel. If you turn a blind eye to what is going on all around you, you are part of the problem. It doesn't matter how much you narrow your focus on what you believe are the good aspects of your religion. If you're letting others rampage across the countryside in the name of your God, and your primary instinct isn't to stand up and speak out against it (loudly and with regularity), then you are just as responsible as they are for the sins your church is committing. Because these campaigns wouldn't be popular if those complaints weren't perceived to be representative of the concerns of the national congregation. If Christianity truly were a positive influence on society, it wouldn't permit itself to exist in the form it's currently in.
