christiannaturist: Some of the worst forms of corruption and degradation in society comes from shami
christiannaturist: Some of the worst forms of corruption and degradation in society comes from shaming and ridiculing the human body. By considering it something “dirty” or “shameful” we regard nudity as something not to be discussed. Disrobing is something that is only done when one has to. As a result, children growing up in American society are taught, both directly and indirectly, that there is something inherently shameful about their body and that it should remain covered at all times. This leads to the children, especially during the developing adolescent years, when their bodies are changing and they are naturally curious about those changes, to associate their nude bodies as purposed for sex. Whether or not they engage in sex is another issue, but it is often the case, at the earliest ages, that disrobing is equated with sex. The relationship is simple, all of their lives they have been told to only disrobe for bathing, a doctor’s visit, or sex; there is never any other reason. And above all, never let someone of the opposite sex see you naked! Society itself perpetuates this lie in everyday life via all forms of media. On the one hand society condemns someone who shows their body to others as a sexual deviant, whether or not the act had any sexual connotation or not. On the other, popular media continually promotes the sexualization of the body, particularly the female body, in movies, advertising, television, magazines, newspapers, any way they can. The body is portrayed as “sexy” or as a tool for getting what one wants. Women are encouraged to look and dress a certain way to gain status or popularity. Men also, are not exempt from this bombardment, though it is often presented in a different way. Men are encouraged to dress a certain way, or look a certain way, to display sexual prowess and attract women. Women are instructed to reveal just enough skin to sexualize the body, and are then simultaneously called “sluts”, or worse, or are devalued for the way they dress. All of this, gives power and control to those that exploit the body, simply because you are told at a very young age that the body is not good to be seen and should be covered up at all times. The church has played it’s mighty hand in this as well, condeming any who would stray from the ideal of the body being somehow less beautiful or noble if it is “exposed” to people’s eyes. The sad part about it is, that baptism in the church was largely performed nude up until the 5th century. Interesting fact isn’t it? Pornography, body shame, ridicule, so many issues could be largely dispelled if people simply came to terms with the truth that the body is not shameful. It is beautiful and created in the image of God. It is not something to be embarassed or ashamed of. If we can take back control of our bodies from the media, from popular culture, even from the church establishment, we may, once we are able to look at one another through the eyes of acceptance, begin to realize that we are not all that different from one another. -- source link