Not forsaking our own assembling
together... Hebrews 10.25
Fig Leaf Forum
A meeting place for Bible-believing Christian nudists
Editorial: So What's Behind The Fig Leaf?
Welcome! You hold in your hands the premiere issue of Fig Leaf Forum, and
I'm so pleased that you took the time to request it. First, a few words
to explain what this publication is all about.
The name. It seems somewhat ironic that history's first
clothing (the fig leaf) should figure so prominently in the title of a
publication intended for nudists. Just about everyone is familiar with
the account in Genesis of Adam and Eve and their attempt at using fig leaves
to clothe themselves after eating of the forbidden fruit. The beginning
chapters of Genesis offer such profound insights into mankind's original
nakedness and the origins of clothing that I believe they deserve close
scrutiny. Mentioning the fig leaf draws our attention to these scriptures.
Studying them with care and discernment can profoundly affect a Christian's
view of the human body and nakedness (see the article entitled "The
second sin" on page 2). For Christian nudists these scriptures can
play an important role in clearly defining their own philosophy of nudism.
The dictionary defines a forum as an assembly or meeting place for the
discussion of questions of public interest. My greatest desire is that
the pages of this newsletter become just that — a meeting place where Christian
nudists from all parts of North America and from all walks of life can
share fellowship with those of like mind.
The content. The Bible will play a prominent role in these
pages. As with this first issue, future issues will have features dealing
with the Bible and what it has to say about nakedness. There will be articles
examining Christianity and nakedness from a historical perspective (see
the
review of "Women in Roman Baths" on page 3). And there will be articles
dealing with contemporary issues affecting Christian nudists. I will write
many of these features and I hope some of you will want to participate
by contributing as well.
The most significant part of what will be published in each issue, however,
will be letters. While articles and other features are important, they
lack the intimate and conversational tone found in letters. Letters will
be the life-blood of Fig Leaf Forum. Our letters will tell us something
about ourselves — they will express thoughts and ideas about the Bible
and Christianity and nudism; some will pose questions and hopefully others
will render answers; they will address mutual concerns and offer help and
hope; they will be our means to fellowship with each other.
The vision. Many of us have friends and acquaintances
from our place of worship. We may also have friends and acquaintances from
nudist clubs that we visit. But how many Christian nudists also know and
are friends with other Christian nudists? Few of us, I suspect, are that
fortunate. Each of us feels like a voice in the wilderness. Fellowship
with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ is important. Hence, the
quotation from Hebrews that appears with the Fig Leaf Forum banner. May
this newsletter become a gathering place for Christian nudists — a place
of fellowship, edification and encouragement for those who love our Lord,
believe the Bible, and share an interest in nudism.
I hope that even though we will meet only on paper and over long distances
through the mail we will, over time, develop the intimacy and closeness
which should be a part of this family of Christian nudists which exists
within the larger Body of Christ.
Well, what do you think? Does the vision I have for this newsletter
arouse your interest? If it does, why not send a letter to Fig Leaf Forum
today. In no time at all the next issue will be in your mailbox and an
exciting new Christian Nudist Fellowship will begin! (JK)
The Second Sin
An ongoing dialog between two Christians about nakedness and the Bible.
Christian nudist: What do you think was the second sin
of mankind?
Skeptic: The first sin that we learn about in the Bible
was when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. If
memory serves, the second sin took place when Cain murdered Able, right?
Christian nudist: That's what most people think. Let's
look closer at Genesis and we'll see if that's true. First of all, though,
lets be clear about what is meant by the word sin. For our purposes,
let's define sin as doing something that God does not want us to do, or
not doing something that God does want us to do.
Skeptic: That seems clear enough. Now what?
Christian nudist: Okay. We agree that the first sin of
mankind was the eating of the forbidden fruit. This took place in Genesis
3.1-6. Now, if you look closely at the text, the very next thing that happened
in verse seven was that Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness and
they chose to cover themselves. That, in fact, was the second sin of mankind.
Skeptic: Wait a minute! I thought God was the one who
decided that people should wear clothes. See, my Bible says here in Genesis
3.21, "And the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his
wife, and he clothed them." What about that?
Christian nudist: I don't deny that God made clothing
for Adam and Eve, but let's look at what had transpired between verse seven
where Adam and Eve made their first attempt at fashion design and verse
21, which you just quoted.
When the first bites were taken from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, SELF and EGO were born. No longer would
life be lived as was intended from the beginning, in total dependence on
God and with total submission to God. Now Adam and Eve were self-aware,
and they immediately started to do things independently of God.
Have you ever looked in the dictionary for all the words that begin
with the prefix self? Among others we find self-absorbed, self-advantage,
self-centered, self-conscious, self-determined, self-important, self-interest,
self-reliant, self-righteous, self-sufficient, not to mention the simple
but powerful little word selfish.
Skeptic: I get the picture, and it's not a very pleasant
one, I admit. But you still haven't explained why God made clothes for
Adam and Eve if they weren't supposed to have them.
Christian nudist: You're right, so let's go back to Genesis.
After God listened to the feeble excuses of the man and woman about why
they did their sinful deeds, He pronounced the curse on mankind that has
been with us ever since. Among other things He proclaimed that unlike the
way things had been in Eden, life would become much harsher. The ground
from which they must wrestle their sustenance would now bring forth "thorns
and thistles" in addition to their food. On top of that, God decided to
expel Adam and Eve from the pleasant environment of the garden into the
world, where there were great variations in climate.
God must have looked at the pathetic clothes the man and woman had made
for themselves out of fig leaves and known that they would do little or
nothing to protect them from the rigors of their new environment, so I
believe that it was out of compassion that God made protective and durable
clothes from animal skins.
Skeptic: That makes sense, I guess. So now clothes are
not sinful anymore, right?
Christian nudist: Not so fast! The key to understanding
all of this is to examine motives. Why did mankind decide to wear clothes,
and why did God decide to clothe mankind. Here we come to the real issue.
Verse 25 of Genesis 2 says that before they sinned, Adam and Eve were
both naked and were not ashamed. Why should they be, since they were created
by God in His image and God pronounced all that He had created "very good."
After they ate of the forbidden fruit, they took it upon themselves
to cover up and hide this good creation from each other and from
God. The audacity of these people was unbelievable! It's not until we get
to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden that any real or legitimate
need to clothe the body appeared.
Skeptic: Very interesting! So you're saying that covering
the body for protection was okay but covering the body for the reason Adam
and Eve did was sin.
Christian nudist: Right! God's motivation for clothing
mankind was compassionate and purposeful, while Adam and Eve's motivation
was distorted by sin and self-consciousness. By clothing Adam and Eve God
was not validating their sinful act. Those who believe that the Bible teaches
that God agreed with Adam and Eve and that He wanted human nakedness covered
at all times have got it wrong. The second sin is still sin!
Next time: The skeptic learns the difference between voluntary
and involuntary nakedness in the Bible. (JK)
Review
"Women in Roman Baths" by Roy Bowen Ward, published in Harvard Theological
Review 85:2, c.1992 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
A fascinating study has appeared in the Harvard Theological Review entitled
"Women in Roman Baths." The article explores the historical evidence suggesting
that nude mixed bathing in the public baths was common among citizens of
the Roman Empire (including Christians) well into the fourth century.
Author Roy Bowen Ward begins by quoting three passages from historical
writings which strongly indicate that Christians frequented the Roman baths.
He then meticulously explores the concept of nude mixed bathing and whether
it would have been practiced at the time of these writings. He examines
the architecture of the baths in detail, showing the evolution of separate
bathing areas for men and women into the single facilities open to both
sexes which predominated during the time of the early Church. He explores
and discounts the theory held by some scholars that these large public
facilities were open to men and women during different periods of the day
in order to continue the separation of the sexes.
Evidence is presented which indicates that some used the public baths
for immoral purposes (i.e. prostitution). It is shown, however, that despite
these limited abuses the baths continued to be used for their intended
purposes by the respectable in Roman society, including Christians.
Mr. Ward presents writings from early Christian leaders, some decrying
the practice of mixed bathing, and others approving it. Since the writings
span a period of centuries it is clearly shown that nude mixed bathing
was commonly practiced by Christians for a very long time. It was only
after the end of the fourth century that changes in bath architecture show
mixed bathing coming to an end.
Despite a large body of Christian writings that have come down to us
from this period, very little was written addressing the subject of mixed
bathing in the public baths. The author concludes that on the basis of
the evidence, "one will surely be driven to raise questions about key social
institutions and practices that early Christian authors pass over in silence.
Peter Brown comments on the 'indifference to nudity in Roman public life,'
citing the public baths as one locus for nudity. It appears the earliest
Christian authors may have been equally indifferent."
Commentary
So often Christians tend to transfer present-day codes of social conduct
to Bible times and assume that what is deemed moral and immoral today reflects
the values held by the first Christians. When confronting others with anything
that significantly departs from present-day Christian culture (like Christian
nudism) we usually encounter stiff opposition based upon their understanding
of Church history, tradition and the Bible. "Why would you want to change
moral conduct that has been a part of the Church throughout history?" they
may ask. Ah, but has it? Because something is today, must it naturally
follow that it has always been so? Recent scholarship like that
of "Women in Roman Baths" would seem to indicate otherwise! I wonder how
our understanding of other areas of Christian conduct might benefit from
similar eye-opening investigative scholarship? I live in hope of the day
when more Christians will be interested in the truth of the Bible and the
reality of history rather than in the preservation of the traditions of
men and the cultural status-quo. (JK)
About Anonymity
In a perfect world we could freely share the Gospel of Christ without fear
of rejection or ridicule. In a perfect world we could easily share our
interest in nudism without any fear of misunderstanding, social retribution,
or even financial loss. Alas, this is not a perfect world.
Some Christian nudists are publicly bold and confident about their beliefs
and lifestyle. Others have a God-given demeanor that is less bold and outgoing.
Some are independent in their ways and means, while others are very dependent
on the good graces and understanding of their employer or others that they
must associate with. Clearly, God does not make "cookie-cutter" Christians.
We are all unique, with different personalities and physical circumstances,
yet we all have Christ in common and we all have our part to play in the
grand plan of God, which for us includes Christian nudism.
Regretfully, the history of social nudism has always required anonymity
for some of those involved. This is changing with time but we have not
yet arrived at a point where complete openness is appropriate for all.
Authors of letters and other submissions to Fig Leaf Forum will be identified
with first names only, along with the city and state or province in which
they reside. This level of anonymity should allow everyone to comfortably
and fully participate in our fellowship together. If a greater degree of
anonymity is required by a contributor it will be granted.
Our Letters
This being the first issue of Fig Leaf Forum, one would not expect to find
any letters. After all, you've only just found us and haven't had a chance
to write yet! But letters are important (they're our primary way of communicating
through these pages) so I've taken this opportunity to write a letter to
all of you, sharing a bit of my personal Christian nudist history and beliefs.
Greetings,
My name is John and I'm the editor of Fig Leaf Forum. My wife Eleanor
and I first experienced social nudism early in 1988 while on an extended
camping vacation in Texas and Florida. While looking through the campground
guides that were available that year I came across a description of Cypress
Cove Resort in Kissimmee, FL. I was intrigued. Some time later I was browsing
in a bookstore and happened upon a book about nude beaches and recreation.
I read what it had to say about nudism and nudist parks. I knew this was
something that I wanted to experience.
What was it that so attracted me to the whole concept of nudism and
clothes-free living? Curiosity, sure, and the chance to try something new
and different, but on a deeper level it seemed like such a profound expression
of freedom — freedom in a physical sense but also freedom in a spiritual
sense.
I was convinced in my heart and mind that there was nothing immoral
about nudism if people conducted themselves like I read about in the book.
I knew I was going into this with honorable motives. I have always disliked
the worldly moralistic legalism often found in the Church. I decided
not to let possible external criticisms override my internal sense of permission.
I was also attracted to nudism because it seemed like such a superb
way to
celebrate life. I've never been able to adequately explain
what I mean by that. Perhaps many of you who read this letter will instinctively
know what I mean.
I must confess that I had a difficult time convincing Eleanor to try
nudism. We had both been Christians for a number of years and she had some
reservations about the morality of the practice. We thoroughly talked it
out and we discussed what the Bible seemed to say about nakedness. She
finally agreed to give it a try.
We made reservations and arrived at the gate on a cool and rainy day.
The poor weather persisted for a couple of days and so did our nervousness,
but then the sun came out from under the clouds, the people came out from
under their clothes — and so did we. Nudism proved to be delightful! The
openness of the friendly and helpful people we met there made us feel so
welcome and safe. We ended up staying a month, and have been nudists ever
since.
Our spiritual background might best be described as evangelical. The
Bible is very important to us. If someone could conclusively prove
to us from the Scriptures that social nudism is sinful we would end our
involvement with it immediately. After years of study and reflection, however,
I don't think that will happen. I am more convinced than ever of the rightness
of nudism for us.
Eleanor does have a concern that our lifestyle might be a spiritual
stumbling block to some individuals (Romans 14). I share her concern but
believe that if we call ourselves
Christian nudists then we must
be very sensitive to the moral and spiritual sensibilities of those
around us — more so, perhaps, than the average social nudist. We must take
care that nothing we do in the presence of others be allowed to compromise
their faith or cause temptation to sin. On the other hand, we must lovingly
balance this sensitivity with a firm commitment not to let the values of
others nullify the precious liberty we have in Christ.
Many years have come and gone since our first exposure to nudism. One
thing has always been missing though, and that is fellowship with other
Christian nudists. I have always wished that I could find some way to fellowship
— a club, a magazine or, dare I say, perhaps even some congregation — something
purely
Christian for nudists. If it's out there I've never found it.
In the belief that there are others sharing a similar yearning I decided
to bring this publication into being. This is my attempt at finding others
who are Christian first and nudist second — to find you and bring you together
within the pages of Fig Leaf Forum. I am truly looking forward to
meeting you all!
John, Winnipeg MB
Suggestions For Contributors
Fig Leaf Forum exists to allow you to share fellowship with other Christian
nudists. If you'd like to share something but can't think of anything to
write, please allow me to make a few suggestions:
— Send a letter to the editor.
— Respond to a letter that has already appeared. Let's get a dialog
going!
— Write an article of interest to Christian nudists.
— Comment on an article that has already appeared.
— Send a review of a book or article that you have read that pertains
to nudism.
— Comment on a review that has already appeared in Fig Leaf Forum.
— Start a regular column about a subject of interest to Christian nudists.
— Send a news item that might interest readers.
— Write a poem about Christian nudism.
— Make suggestions about what you would like to see in future issues
of Fig Leaf Forum.
— Send along a favorite quotation that would be appreciated by readers.
— Share an idea or concern with fellow readers.
— Write a Gospel message.
— Construct a crossword or word search puzzle with clues appropriate
for Christian nudists.
— Write a fictional short story involving Christian nudists.
Enter the biographical spotlight and share with readers some details
about yourself and your family, or share some interesting experiences.
Help us get to know you better by sharing answers to questions such as:
— What is your spiritual background?
— How did you become interested in nudism?
— What was your first nudist experience like?
— How have you explained your interest in nudism to friends, family,
pastor or priest? What was their reaction?
— Did you ever have (or do you now have) lingering doubts about the
morality of nudism? Perhaps you are fully convinced but your spouse is
not. How have you coped?
— Has nudism had any effect on your spiritual growth?
— Has nudism changed the way you feel about yourself?
— Has nudism influenced your marriage or family life?
The possibilities are almost without limit! The contribution of your
writings to Fig Leaf Forum is truly appreciated and is vital to our success.
The Good News
As a Christian nudist I declare that I am not ashamed of my nakedness.
My body is the good creation of God, created in His image. More importantly
I declare that:
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for
the salvation of everyone who believes" — Romans 1.16 (NIV throughout)
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" — Romans 3.23
"...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord." — Romans 6.23
"By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached
to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed
on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures" — 1 Corinthians 15.2-4
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." — Romans
10.9
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." — John
3.16
A Reflection...
Rather than being ashamed of their nakedness, perhaps Christians might
more properly be ashamed of being ashamed of their nakedness! Think about
it. (JK) |
