What follows was originally published as a pamphlet by an organization headed by Tom Pine, the Naked Truth Naturists. The writing style is Tom's but he may have had assistance from family and club members; he didn't sign his name to it, just the group.

NOW THAT YOU’RE NAKED – A Guide to Christian Naturism
by the Naked Truth Naturist Traveling Club

What you hold in your hand is intended for the Christian who has just discovered, or is considering, being socially nude for the first time. If you’re one of those folks who can’t accept nudity in any form, at any time, and consider it always sinful, then you probably were given this little pamphlet by a friend who is trying to get you to open your mind a little. My advice to you is to continue reading and then make up your mind. If you walk away unconvinced well, at least you got to see another viewpoint. Hopefully, God will sort of “tap you on the shoulder” and give you a new perspective about Christian naturism.
This pamphlet was written to assure the Christian who is new to the clothing-optional/nudist/naturist (whatever term works for you) experience that you haven’t lost your senses – or your faith. Yes, there is such a thing as Christian naturism. More and more, Christians are discovering naturism, much like you have. Like them, you simply need to adjust your previous thinking a bit.

Sure, getting naked under the beautiful, blue sky, feeling the warm sun and breeze on your body, and swimming without a swimsuit feels great. It’s what probably got you out of your clothes in the first place. But many Christians are deeply conflicted about their “guilty pleasure” and have problems with the fact of socially intermingling with people of both sexes, adults and children together. “How can this not be sinful?”, they think. All your life you’ve been taught to clutch your clothes about you for fear of exposing too much flesh and causing lust in others. You may have even heard the well-worn argument, “We have to protect the children!” At this point, you should take a deep breath and relax.
You will find out a lot of the things you were told are just not so. So let’s begin, shall we?

First, there is nothing in the Bible that condemns nudity. This may sound revolutionary to you – and is. The Scriptures are either positive or neutral, only condemning nudity when behavior is sinful (2 Samuel 11:1,2) I know, if you were to tell this to one of the elders of your church, you’d get a different story. That’s because your church elder is still locked into a clothes-compulsive mindset. After all, it’s what he was taught by his elders. But you’ve already gotten well beyond that stage. Somehow you’ve realized that clothes aren’t the be-all, end-all of existence. Now you need to realize that you can behave without clothes pretty much the way you do while wearing them.

Second, you’ll find that naturism can have a profound effect on your Christian life and thinking. It doesn’t happen the same way for everyone but, when you live part of your life as Adam and Eve once did, you’ll find you think of God and others differently. You’ll realize that God created us as tripartate beings – spirit, soul and body (see Romans 6:11-14, etc.). Our bodies are part of us, otherwise, why would God raise them up on the last day? Christ himself forever has a body. We’re not to rise above our bodies, or act like they don’t exist, for they’ll always be part of us. Christ redeemed our bodies as surely as our spirits and souls. In fact, because we, as God’s children, have been accorded Christ’s righteousness, we have the best rationale for being in the nude – He has redeemed our flesh from the curse of sin.

Third, you can rest assured there is nothing wrong, or sinful about our nude bodies. To try to think otherwise is to give tacit acknowledgment that what God so lovingly created in Eden is inherently wrong somehow (see Gen. 2:25). If there is nothing wrong with our faces, hands, arms, legs and feet, why should there be anything wrong with our breasts, genitals and buttocks? If it’s okay to see some parts of our bodies, why should it be wrong to see certain other parts? Perhaps you feel that certain body parts promote lust and invite untoward behavior. Are women wearing clothing any safer from rape? Again, it’s a matter of behavior. Perhaps you think a woman who is nude is being immodest. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I’ve seen naturist women behave more modestly than many women wearing “sexy” outfits. When we shed our clothes, a great deal of our suggestive behavior goes with them. (continued on next post)

Fourth, naturism can us much about self-image, body-acceptance, and self-control. When we can readily see all of one another’s bodies, the mystery and pull toward lust is removed from our thoughts. We can then related to one another honestly and openly, unconcerned with whether we’re dressed in a socially acceptable way. When we’ve stripped to the skin God provided us with, we’re truly equal. Rank and financial status doesn’t matter. We are who we are as God made us – nothing more, nothing less – naked and unashamed.

Fifth, we needn’t worry about our children. If the behavior of the adults around them is proper, our concern is unnecessary. Children are natural naturists. The obvious differences between the sexes aren’t an issue with them, aside from a natural curiosity. A few simple answers usually suffice. Think of it for a moment. Can you think of one other segment of our society, other than naturists, that couldn’t care less about nakedness than children? It isn’t a sin for children to see their mothers and fathers nude either. Many times the story of Noah and Ham is brought up as an illustration of why it’s wrong. But, if you look carefully at the text, you’ll find the crux of the matter was what Ham did, not simply the fact that he saw his father naked. The Aramaic words translated “uncovered his father’s nakedness” are the same words used to describe the sexual relation of a husband to a wife. (Gen. 9:21, 22, 24)

Sixth, you don’t have to act any differently when you are nude than when you are clothed. A strange as it may seem to you at first, nudists won’t find it unusual to have a nude Christian share his or her faith with them any more than a clothed person would a clothed Christian. You’re in a unique position to share your faith with a group of people 99% of the church never relates to. Whether they listen to you or not, the fact you’re nude isn’t an issue. You can relax and conduct yourself as you’ve always done. You should seek out the company of other Christian naturists so you can find comfort, strength and fellowship. To worship in the nude might be to discover closeness to God you may have only dreamed of before. Talk about “nothing between!” If you desire fellowship with other Christian naturist, we “TNTNers” will be happy to get to know you. We’re a diverse group of many denominational distinctions, but the two things we agree on are our love of Christ – and our naturism.

Seventh, don’t feel alone if you feel you can’t share your naturism with your church. After all, you probably have spent most of your life among them before becoming a naturist. Just go easy and remember you’re not doing anything wrong. Nothing is gained by fracturing your church over our naturist beliefs. Read as much as you can and be familiar with the lifestyle you’ve adopted. Again, remember you’re not sinning. In light of the scandals and problems so prevalent in the church at large today, what do so many of them have to teach regarding lust, sexual sin and concupiscence? They could learn much from the way the majority of naturists behave (see Titus 1:15).

Throughout this little pamphlet you’ll notice that I didn’t use a lot of Scripture. There’s a good reason for this. One, the Bible doesn’t deal with nudism/naturism directly. Two, naturism as we know it, is a relatively modern philosophy, only beginning at the end of the 19th Century in Europe. Before that, nudity just wasn’t the big issue it is today. People lived in close proximity to one another so the “facts of life” were more evident, especially in an agrarian society. People generally swam in the buff and mothers nursed babies casually and openly in mixed company.

Another reason is the fact that spouting Scripture in defense of naturism is usually a frustrating and thankless task. I’m not trying to diminish the power of Scripture, but, when dealing with the clothes-compulsive, they’ll usually only accuse you of distorting the Word. And they may not be far off the mark. It’s easy to take Scripture out of context in our zeal to prove our point – so be careful.

I’ve attached a number of Scripture verses I’ve learned over the years to provide an overview of how nudity and nude issues are portrayed in God’s Word. Us what you can and profit from it. You’re bound to find some that are useful.

God bless you as you begin your “naked Christian walk.” You’ve cleared the first hurdle by keeping an open mind and doffing your clothes. Don’t just “hide out” in your naturism. Go out and enjoy the social contacts naturism affords. You’ll encounter some of the nicest, friendliest folks this side of clothing. And don’t be alarmed if you run into some less-than-exemplary behavior. Nudists are people too and some of them behave poorly. Just understand that clothed people can behave in an unseemly fashion as well. Keep close to your Lord; share your faith; and, above all, enjoy yourself!

NATURIST-THEMED BIBLE VERSES
The following verses are either about nudity, or speak indirectly about nudity, the body and scriptural principles. All references are from the New American Standard Bible [NASB]

Gen. 2:25 – And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Gen 3:9-11 – Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

I Samuel 19:24 – And he also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? (emphasis mine)

Isaiah 20:2-4 - ...at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips, and take your shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot. And the Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.” (Though this is indeed a negative reference referring to the shame of st4ripping captives of war, I included it here to illuminate the previous text and show that Samuel was indeed nude and not in come form of limited garb. It also illustrates that God would not tell someone to strip completely nude if there were something sin in it.)

Isaiah 61:10 – I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation. He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (emphasis mine)

Micah 1:8 – Because of this I must lament and wail and how, I must go barefoot and naked: I must make a lament like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. (emphasis mine)

Luke 12:1B, 2 – “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.” (emphasis mine)

Luke 12: 22, 23, 27, 28 – “and He said to His disciples, ‘For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He cloth you, O men of little faith!’” (emphasis mine)

[This next series of verses shows that it was the custom among the Jews to wrap bodies after death, which they did for Jesus. John 20: 6, 7 shows that the grave wrappings were left behind when Jesus arose from the dead. Thus, when Mary first saw Jesus and mistook Him for the gardener, it is reasonable to assume Jesus was nude. Why? Many historians believe that it was the custom of laborers to strip bare, or nearly bare, to work in order to keep their outer garments clean. It is also highly unlikely that Jesus was wearing a garment under his wrappings, since He was taken from the cross nude. (See also the reference to Peter in John 21: 7)]

John 11:44 – He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth… (emphasis mine)

John 19:40 And so they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the custom of the Jews. (emphasis mine)

John 20:6, 7 = Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. (emphasis mine)

John 20:14-16 - ...[Mary] turned around and beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ...Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him…” (emphasis mine)

John 21:7 – That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his out garment on (for he was stripped for work) and threw himself into the sea. (emphasis mine)

(continued)

Cor. 6:18-20 – Flee immorality. Every other sin that man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body (emphasis mine)

Cor. 4:7-11 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not of ourselves; we are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (emphasis mine)

I Thes. 4:3-6a, 7 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter… For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. (emphasis mine)

I Timothy 4:4-5 – For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Hebrews 4:13 – And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (emphasis mine)

Titus 1:15 – To the pure all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

I Peter 3:3-5 – And let not your adornment be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, and putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. (emphasis mine)

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This pamphlet was produced by The Naked Truth Naturists (TNTN) to assist Christians, new to the naturist lifestyle, to become Christian naturists. If you have benefited from what you’ve just read, please share your thoughts with us and join us as a member and a reader. We publish a “Nudesletter” once a month. Let us know if you’d like to go on the mailing list. Contact us at wordworker@earthlink.net. You may reproduce as many copies of this pamphlet as you wish, keeping in mind that the content is the intellectual property and creative effort of TNTN. For any use of this material beyond simple copying, please contact us regarding your intentions.

Thank you Ramblinman. Since no one else has acknowledged this post, I'll pay you the courtesy of saying that it's appreciated. I've read these "arguments" before, not sure where, but this organizes them as well as any.

I've tried on occasion to start or stimulate a discussion here, with mixed results, but that's o.k. The subject matter is often "traditional" social nudism, and that's fine. Circumstances are such that those experiences are for me decades in the past, although possibly in the not too distant future. Until then I sometimes reflect on nudism in other aspects of life.

Work beckons. More to follow.

So to continue...
I already postulated that I don't have anything enlightening to add to the discussions of social interactions at various clothes free venues. Perhaps in the future.

But the enjoyment of being nude has been part of my life as long as I can remember. And I think I've described it enough already. Where this ties in to Ramblinman's post is that I was raised without shame for my body. And that in a devoutly Christian home. So somehow my parents and other "elders" had a sense of what is spelled out in the preceding post(s). So absent the reflexive sense of shame, I was free to be uninhibited enough to say "do you mind if I'm nude" or "do you mind if I take off my swimsuit" when others would never have gotten the "courage". And always got the welcomed response " no, go right ahead!"

And as an aside, regarding how our friends at church might react to our "preference", I've been pleasantly surprised by four VERY "conservative" church-going ladies who turned out to be quite supportive and understanding of my nudism, despite the fact that they were largely non-participants themselves. So whatever the moral/ethical constraints they felt came along with their Christianity, judgement and condemnation of how one might acquire an allover tan was not part of it!

At any rate, I can't begin to reflect on how I got "here" without starting with the premise that God approves of the body that He created, and I need not be ashamed of it.

Let's take a quick look at the points the author wished to make:
1. There is nothing in the Bible that condemns nudity. For example, the pamphlet takes a close look at the biblical passages that speak of "shame of thy nakedness" and reveals that the naked is figurative. In addition, Noah's son Ham may have commited some sort of sexual sin with his father or his mother. Ham did not commit a supposed sin of observing his father without his clothing. There are other verses in the Bible that deal with nakedness as an occasional part of everyday life for the common man in the days of the Bible. There were times and situations (bathing, farming, fishing, herding in hot weather) where clothing was simply not practical, no lewdness nor shame about it!

2. Paraphrasing a bit: "Naturism helps restore the human body to its rightful place in our tripartate existence: spirit, soul and body.
I agree! The regular practice of chaste social nudity really can transform our thinking

3. The pamphlet didn't get into the root cause, but I contend that the denigration of the body as an article of faith is derived from the heretical sect known as Gnosticism. One of the key aspects of this cult's teaching was that the body and indeed the entire material world is evil and only spirit can be good. Christianity is not Gnosticism, but it certainly appears to be influenced by it in some quarters of the Church. While mainstream Christians recognize the impact of sin upon creation and we accept that an evil mind can use its body to do evil things, we reject the notion that our bodies are inherently evil. The author went on to say that Christ's redemption extends to the body of a Christian, but I would counter with the assertion that there is nothing inherently shameful about anyone's body, saint or sinner. Rather, shame begins and ends with the human heart (our mind). However, on the Resurrection Day, the redeemed in Christ will put on immortality; we will put on bodily perfection. Though my body is far from perfect right now, it is already a "temple of the Holy Spirit". How can my body be evil and simultaneously a temple for God to dwell in?

4. Naturism makes nudity normal, the body is no longer some hidden guilty pleasure. We don't lose our admiration for the beauty of the bodies of our naturist friends, but nudity loses its shock value; there is no sneaking a peek, no flirty fashions, all is open and honest.

5. The author goes on to reassure the newbie that nudity should not be regarded as an "adult activity", that children take to it quickly and with ease.

6. He added that Christians are needed in the naturist community to comfort people who have been largely abandoned by most church folks and that Christians will likely meet other Christians at naturist venues and enjoy great fellowship.

7. Naturism is badly misunderstood and one should not be blamed for a bit of retiscence about full candor, (perhaps feeling freer with one's most trusted friends). Instead, look for opportunities to teach the underlying concepts when you have leadership roles in your church.
And I will add that nudity is often portrayed in the media in association with evil, lustful situations. I understand why some church folks are so dead set against nudity of the most innocent kind.

With the disclaimer that some folks will say, "Don't confuse me with the facts; I have my mind made up", the author concludes with a discussion of Bible verses that mention nudity, good situations and bad.

Jim, the pamphlet attempts to address most of the objections to social nudity, but there are more arguments than we have time to address.
Thank you for your reply. I value your comments!

It is unfortunate that being involved in naturism has always been treated like being a member of a secret society. Unfortunately I don't ever see this changing.

To DAK and Ramblinman-
I started a longer reply to Ramblinman and lost it with fat finger on a tiny key- the wrong one!
Anyhow thank you for the kind words Ramblinman. Your summary is right-on.

Regarding the secret society part, I get it, to a point. Of course I'm VERY careful with whom I share this part of my identity. But part of my mentioning the four ladies- my mom, first mother- in-law, close friend, and present wife- is that given time to absorb the information gradually, a surprising number of folks aren't shocked or offended at all.

The close friend is a good example. Really never thought much about it until I opened up to her years ago. But over time she became almost militant in her belief that I should be free to be myself, in any and all appropriate situations. In ways that might surprise even some "members" here. And there's a feeling of emotional freedom from being open about our naturism that rivals the physical freedom of the practice itself.

But yeah, it's a late 20th century "bummer" to have to think through and rationalize it this much, right?!

Dak,

If you think my argument is to keep the naturist worldview a secret, I have communicated ineffectively.

Because I believe that this way of thinking has the potential to benefit society, I firmly believe it would be wrong to keep silent about it.

But people need to be prepared to hear you out. You adjust your comments to the maturity of your friend and you may need to start at a very elementary level.

If anyone thinks that we live in the Golden Age of Reason because we now have the Internet to gather truth like lilies in a meadow, they are sadly mistaken. Technology has the ability to disseminate bad information rapidly.
Years ago it was said (paraphrased), "A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can put it's pants on and head out the door".

But we have an obligation to tell those whom the Holy Spirit has prepared for us to speak to.

Here's one of my favorite passages from the Bible along these lines, but first let me set the stage:
There were four leprous men living outside of Samaria [2 Ki 7:3] who were suffering through a famine while Samaria was being besieged by the Syrians [2 Ki 6:24-25]. These men were facing certain death if they did nothing [2 Ki 7:3]. They would die from the famine if they entered the city [2 Ki 7:4]. So, they decided to seek help from the Syrians. When they got to the camp of the Syrians, they found that the soldiers had all fled and left all their possessions in their haste to get away. So, they ate and drank to their fill and then took some of the spoil and hid it.

Now for the clincher:
“Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.”

I believe that keeping truth to oneself about life-changing goodness is a sin.
Including the principles we now call naturism (but which have been with us since Adam).

To DAK and Ramblinman-
I started a longer reply to Ramblinman and lost it with fat finger on a tiny key- the wrong one!
Anyhow thank you for the kind words Ramblinman. Your summary is right-on.

Regarding the secret society part, I get it, to a point. Of course I'm VERY careful with whom I share this part of my identity. But part of my mentioning the four ladies- my mom, first mother- in-law, close friend, and present wife- is that given time to absorb the information gradually, a surprising number of folks aren't shocked or offended at all.

The close friend is a good example. Really never thought much about it until I opened up to her years ago. But over time she became almost militant in her belief that I should be free to be myself, in any and all appropriate situations. In ways that might surprise even some "members" here. And there's a feeling of emotional freedom from being open about our naturism that rivals the physical freedom of the practice itself.

But yeah, it's a late 20th century "bummer" to have to think through and rationalize it this much, right?!