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I can’t help but wonder why in our society it is considered immoral to let children see nakedness? Is there truly anything immoral about showing our bodies–when each of us has one and already knows what is under the clothes? What exactly is so shameful and evil about our bodies?

I’ve yet to hear any argument against nudity and the like that doesn’t simply label nudists and nudity as “evil”, “immoral”, “corrupt”, or “weird”. Why do we have such mental blocks against nudity–some might claim this is the reason nudity is immoral, because our minds are so opposed to the idea. But how many of us ran around naked as children, completely unabashed? How many of us took baths with our parents, nude? Maybe not all (if your parents really were prude), but many. Children, get this, are not shocked or afraid of nudity. They find it natural. And I’m talking very young children, ones who have not been indoctrinated with the idea that their bodies are sinful.

So, the argument that nudity and showing bits of the human body is corrupting children is completely false. If anything, society is corrupting children by telling them their bodies are shameful and have to be covered up. Even the Bible, surprisingly, ’supports’ the idea that there is nothing immoral about nudity–Adam and Eve were written to be naked and shameless before being kicked out, after which they wore clothes in their “shameful” lives. Are Christians and society really implying that their little Adam and Eve were evil and sinful and corrupt when naked?

There’s also the argument that while nudity itself may be okay, no one wants to see an ugly or an old person naked. I can understand why that may seem to be a problem–but are we going to ban someone from appearing in public because they’re so ugly we don’t want to see it? I’m not saying everyone has to be nude under OMG NEW WORLD ORDER OF NUDITY! I’m saying, let’s not arrest people who are walking around nude. We seriously have worse things to worry about. Like, I dunno, poverty, healthcare, economy, etc? Infringing on personal freedom is the last thing we need to worry about.

Anyways, there’s some food for thought.

EDIT: I forgot to add this in. Regardless of personal opinion towards nudity, the right to personal liberty outweighs the “right” to not be offended. For example, years ago the majority of our society would have been shocked and horrified at an interracial kiss in the park. Does that mean those two should have done it in the privacy of their homes just because most people are offended by it? No. Sorry, but it is not your right to not be offended.

// posted by Alice @ Sunday, July 20, 2008