NAKED ART
and SPORTS |
|
A Celebration of the Many people with different philosophies all claim God's guidance. Some say our bodies are a wonderful creation and showing them in public is proper and beautiful. Others say that our bodies are sinful flesh warring against the soul, the source of lust and impure desires, and therefore ought to be kept hidden. Most of the rest claim it is too disgusting to even talk about. We are all naked under our clothes! Where Some See Sin Many people have been brought up taught that nudity is immoral and we should never allow others to see our true bodies. It is alright to titillate with provocative clothing, or tiny beach wear, but not to show the natural beauty of our bodies, especially genitals or women's breasts. This sense of shame is not inborn: it is learned. Babies have no shame and neither did many early Christians in Biblical times. We are the only animals on the planet who have a sense of "modesty" that many believe we got from eating the fruit of knowledge. I say if thats true, let us rebel against this modesty and be what we were meant to be! Naked! Many women worry that their nudity might be mistaken to mean availability. Many men worry that nudity might become too stimulating. However, these fears are mainly fears of the imagination, not the reality of actual experience.
We are living in a society in which sexuality is
very distorted. The interplay between sexuality and nudity is very
confused. In our concern
that any attraction has to be carried out sexually, we are repressing
healthy sexual attitudes and meaningful loving interpersonal relationships.
The blocking of these natural needs leads to strong cravings. This leaves
us open to commercial exploiters with sexually titillating material which
brings not emotional satisfaction, but only teasing. A healthy respect
for our natural bodies, being comfortable being natural and sharing in
relationships without the expectation or need to engage in sexual activity,
makes the human being much more fulfilled. We live in the body without understanding its vital parts and points
and without the knowledge of how to bridge the inner-outer divide. The ancient Greeks, and Romans , viewed the nude human body as one of the highest expressions of the perfection of Nature. Nudity was not seen as erotic in any sense, but as purity, and a celebration of the wonderful form of a sensuous being displayed in all its marvelous glory for the betterment and appreciation of those enlightened enough to consider this aesthetic. To present a well formed nude body as an object of great beauty, even art, would be to offer a lesson of inestimable value to the simple peasants of the planet, whose experiences and perceptions had never been enlightened to appreciate such perfection. In ancient Sparta, the Gymnopaedia was a yearly celebration during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of dancing.
In Japan, female sumo wrestlers wrestled in the nude. Today, females are not allowed to sumo wrestle, and the sport, practiced by men in ceremonial dress of loin cloth-size that exposes the buttocks like a jock strap, in general is considered sacred under Shinto. Nudity in sport in the modern context became popular only in the 19th century. Nudity in this context was most common in Germany and the Nordic countries, where "body culture" (also known as "FKK") was very much revered. However, social nudism was outlawed for a time, and later rigidly controlled by Nazi ideologues in the 1930s and '40s ( - see "History" in the article on Naturism). We're all born naked - and fundamentally the same. Many believe we are created in the image of God. People can belief what they like, but should remember, we all have a 'physical self', which many deny and abuse to their cost. The human body is not inherently offensive or disgusting. We don't have 'private' parts - just beautiful bodies to admire and behold. It's simply natural - it's what we are.
Legal Issues
|
