I was reading one of the past issues of the Fig Leaf Forum Daily Digest and the discussion was on Jesus as an example of whether we should (could) be nude or not. Since there was no example of Jesus being publicaly nude (at least, direct examples) then there is no reason for us to be.

It was said that Jesus was not a nudist as we are nudists today. That is true. But if we think about it, the people who live in countries where nudity is the norm, that is, they live naked all the time, such as in parts of South Africa, they are not nudists either.

So if people who live naked all the time are not nudists, then of course Jesus wasn't a nudist nor were any of the people in their cities or country. So what is a nudist?

Today, we are called "nudists" simply because by comparison, we stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. We look so different and so out of place, that we are labeled where no label was given before. It is no wonder we don't see any evidence or examples of "nudists" in the day of Christ, because there were no labels attached to anyone who lived nude or any reason to point them out.

I feel the only reason we go out of our way to be nudists is because we are forced to by law. So in a sense, our laws actually create nudists, not prevent them. Pretty much like laws creating criminals. How do you make criminals out of most people? Make laws against whatever most people do most of the time.

We are naturally naked. Make a law against it and we are all criminals. Should a Christian obey that law? They can't. It would be ludicrous. God created us naked, and we are by default, breaking the law. But for some reason, we think that we should obey man rather than God.

Why are Christians called Christians? To differentiate ourselves from the "rest of society" or from what is "normal". (It used to be called "The Way" after Jesus' "I am the way and the life", it was later, as an insult, they were called "Christians" in mockery). In many places, even today, Christianity is against the law. So what should "good Christians" do? Well, they can't. They are not Christians if they obey the law and if they are good Christians, they broke the law, which according to good Christians, they cannot do, therefore, they cannot be Christians.

If nudism were legal, that is, being able to come an go naked without worry or fear, like those who lived in Africa, then there would be no nudists, no naturist resorts, no clubs, no reason for this Forum, no Fig Leaf Forum, no "Nudist Colonies", no debates over the difference between naturists and nudists, no...well, you get the point.

Would Jesus be a nudist today? Perhaps, if that was the only way to be naked and socialize with those who are naked.

Otherwise, why be a nudist? Be like Jesus and live as God made us in the first place.

Boyd Allen
"May the Lord protect our nudity from the sight of those who will not benefit, and may he allow us to be seen by those who will."

Jesus was nude after he came out of the tomb. That's why Mary thought he was the gardener. Gardeners likely worked naked, to keep from messing up their cloak or robe that they wore in public and probably also used to cover themselves at night.

He was also naked when he took off his clothes and washed the apostles' feet.

He was also very likely baptised by John while nude, as that was the way Jews did their cleansing.

The Bible doesn't say so directly (that he was naked), but prevailing customs of the day would say that he was naked in these incidences.


Ralph

Jesus wasn't a nudist. So what? He wasn't a auto mechanic or a PC repairman, either. Does that mean we can't be?

People love to point to the Bible and say that we can or can't be something because of what the people were or what they did during biblical times, but that's just pigeon-holing, and it draws the focus away from where it should actually be.

2000 years ago there weren't any cars, there weren't any computers (we'll leave the abacus out of this discussion... ), and there weren't so many other things that we enjoy today. Does that mean thaqt those things are unnecessary or wrong? No, of course not. It just means that they didn't have them back then.

What's important is what we think about these things and how we use them. Every single thing that we do or use is a potential oportunity to bring glory to God, or to bring shame on ourselves. It's not a profession, or a hobby, or a lifestyle that's in question, but the condition of our hearts.

Jesus wasn't a nudist, but like has already been pointed out, that's because He didn't need to be. I don't think that He would run around naked indiscrimanently, and neither should we, but when and where it was proper or acceptable or normal, I don't think that there was any reason for Him not to be naked.

The Bible dosn't come right out and say that He was ever naked, but it dosn't say that He wasn't, either. The times that He lived in, it's very probable that He was naked around others from tiem to time. He may have been naked when the women saw Him after His resurrection. He probably was naked during the crucifixation, because the Romans used nakedness in that context to try and bring further shame on the person. He also was probably naked or nearly so when He washed the feet of His disciples. So what? None of that matters. It's a non-issue. Not compared to the message that He wanted to give us.

We shouldn't be pointing to Jesus, or to any other person or time in history, and saying "Because he/she/they were naked at that time, it's okay for me to be naked now." That was then, and this is now. What matters is why we feel we should be able to be naked if, when, and why we want to be. If you can search your self and find that your motives are blameless, then there's no problem. If not, well, I don't have to go there, do I?

The Bible gives us historical fact, but it gives it to us as the backdrop of a much greater discussion. It isn't so much the fact of our doings that should be the concerns that we discuss or argue, but the reasons WHY we do these things, or feel the things that we feel. The Bible is a love story, not just a history book, and we often forget that. If we do what we do with the proper attitude of love for God and others that we should have, we'll never have a problem. Wouldn't that be a welcome change?

Personally, I believe that there were numerous times that Jesus was naked, and I also believe that it's acceptable for us to be as well, as long as we're of the right heart, but we can't just pig-headedly say that we should be able to do this or that, just because Jesus did it. He didn't sin. Ever. We do, so we need to be more careful as to how and why we do things. I've had my own eye-opener on this, and I know just a little of what I speak.

Okay, I'm done...

Later
God Bless
Kevin