Re: Is it Befitting for a Christian to be a Nudist?

Hey ST,

Maybe you should reply to Laurie personally as well as on this site.  :-)

> So far, so good, Laurie. So what did you do? Cover yourself in black?
> Put a black veil over your face? And when you see such clothed women
> on the street (for it is always the women), do they not call the most
> attention to their sexuality? And is it not in the most despicable way
> ... completely stripped of all other individuality or purpose except
> for the fact that they are sex objects?

That is a rather generalised statement.  I do not find women who wear nun's 
clothes or burkhas sexually appealing.  Neither do I find women in army 
uniforms or police or nurse's uniforms to be sexually appealing either 
(though some men do).  It depends on the design of the clothes and their 
intent.  A woman who is wearing a skimpy crop top and short shorts on the 
other hand would get my attention, as well as that of many other men.

> But you did something less, right? Some sort of compromise. You cover
> just enough to what? Make yourself unappealing? Hide the fact that you
> are a woman? Make yourself less than you are?
>
> But isn't that the essence of false modesty? Pretending to be other
> than God made you, less beautiful, less worthy of carrying on the
> species, less filled with God and more filled with fear. How is that
> following Jesus? Was Jesus afraid of challenging the unholy?

That's following Paul, not Jesus, and the Bible clearly warns against 
worshipping the prophets:

(1 Cor 1:11-15 NIV) My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed 
me that there are quarrels among you. {12} What I mean is this: One of you 
says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow 
Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ." {13} Is Christ divided? Was Paul 
crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? {14} I am 
thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, {15} so 
no one can say that you were baptized into my name."

The original Koine Greek word that has been translated as 'modesty' is 
"kosmios" which is where we get words like 'cosmos' and 'cosmetic' from.  It 
means 'order' and has to do with behaviour rather than what you are wearing 
or not wearing.  It is possible to be naked with other people and behave in 
an orderly manner as it is possible to be in a crowd of fully dressed people 
and behave in a disorderly manner.

Best wishes,

Dario Western