You have the right to remain topless

[MaineShark]

Umm. That's what I said. Why are you arguing with me? I think, you just like to argue for the sake of arguing. We've gone round and round on other issues before with your constant obstructivist type talking. I'm not going to indulge you on this one because it's simply not that important.

You'll find I don't argue much with people who aren't posting blatantly incorrect information.

You said, "It's certainly a lot easier to not lust after a women if she's fully clothed."  That might be the case for you, but that's your psychological issue, and it is not the case for everyone, nor is it related to Christianity.

If you have that issue, then by your description of Christianity, it says that you should avoid being around nude people.  It does not say other people should not be nude.

Joe

[Lloyd Danforth]

"It's certainly a lot easier to not lust after a women if she's fully clothed."

Nude is nice..........but sometimes clothed, but, unharnessed, moving around under the clothing,  can be very interesting.


I've got to go take a cold shower!

[aworldnervelink]

I'll go with anyone who keeps religion out of what started as a 'rational' discussion.  Rational people do not give a shit about anything in any of the bibles.

Seriously, can we steer this thread back to immature discussions of breasts?

[MaineShark]

I'll go with anyone who keeps religion out of what started as a 'rational' discussion.  Rational people do not give a shit about anything in any of the bibles.

Seriously, can we steer this thread back to immature discussions of breasts?

Well, when is the topless party?

Joe

[error]

I'll go with anyone who keeps religion out of what started as a 'rational' discussion.  Rational people do not give a shit about anything in any of the bibles.

Seriously, can we steer this thread back to immature discussions of breasts?

Well, when is the topless party?

Very good question. When IS this topless party we keep hearing so much about?

[tracysaboe]

All I know is, if it weren't against the law and I didn't have to worry about getting arrested. I'd run naked through the rain everytime there was a thunderstorm.

Tracy

[KBCraig]

I was in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1986-89, and did my share of partaking in the thermal baths. Trust me, there is nothing sexy or sexual about a room full of naked people, especially when they're just everyday folks. Take the same bunch of people and put them in swimwear common to any U.S. beach, and everyone would go up several notches on the "visual appeal" scale.

Naturalism/nudism in the U.S. has to accept the fact that certain people are going to be drawn to their groups and events for all the wrong reasons. I suppose they rely on such people revealing themselves --pardon the pun-- soon enough to avoid a problem.

Personally, I enjoy being outside and nekkid. I like swimming au naturel. I have no problem with the whole family doing the same. But I'm squicked the hell out by the groups, clubs, resorts, magazines, etc., that advertise "family naturalism", because they seem to focus on nude children as a way to prove their bona fides. "See? We're innocent nudists. There's nothing sexual here; we're all about families! To prove it, here are some photos of families at play, prominently featuring pre-pubescent and budding pubescent children!"

*squick!*

Yes, it's a shame that the U.S. views non-sexual nudity as perverse, when we sexualize everything else to the extreme. I don't know how to change that, and frankly, it's not that high on my list. I don't want to be nude socially, I just want my own place in the North Country where no one else knows that I'm sitting on my deck reading the morning paper in the nude.

Kevin

[EJinCT]

I'm going to play devils advocate here:

If someone is offended or disturbed by anothers nudity, is it really such a limit of that persons "freedom" to put on some clothes? 

Having consideration for others feelings/views is not a bad thing and respect is a two-way street.



As for women going topless, I have no problem with that.

Just think, it's one less "lie" they can use to alter others perception of them. Now if we could do away with over-use of cosmetics we would see what some women really look like.   

[mvpel]

I was at a nude beach (Stinson) out in California with my brother and his girlfriend, doing a bit of scuba diving quite a number of years ago, and a few of the folks there were trim, healthy young people.  Maybe it's one of the draws of California...

Later the Pagans showed up, got naked, painted themselves with blue mud, and howled at the fusion reactor as it descended towards the horizon.

[Raineyrocks]

I was at a nude beach (Stinson) out in California with my brother and his girlfriend, doing a bit of scuba diving quite a number of years ago, and a few of the folks there were trim, healthy young people.  Maybe it's one of the draws of California...

Later the Pagans showed up, got naked, painted themselves with blue mud, and howled at the fusion reactor as it descended towards the horizon.

Awesome I used to hang out with some Pagans in Philly!  They're totally nuts and I had a blast!

[Caleb]

I was in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1986-89, and did my share of partaking in the thermal baths. Trust me, there is nothing sexy or sexual about a room full of naked people, especially when they're just everyday folks. Take the same bunch of people and put them in swimwear common to any U.S. beach, and everyone would go up several notches on the "visual appeal" scale.

Naturalism/nudism in the U.S. has to accept the fact that certain people are going to be drawn to their groups and events for all the wrong reasons. I suppose they rely on such people revealing themselves --pardon the pun-- soon enough to avoid a problem.

Personally, I enjoy being outside and nekkid. I like swimming au naturel. I have no problem with the whole family doing the same. But I'm squicked the hell out by the groups, clubs, resorts, magazines, etc., that advertise "family naturalism", because they seem to focus on nude children as a way to prove their bona fides. "See? We're innocent nudists. There's nothing sexual here; we're all about families! To prove it, here are some photos of families at play, prominently featuring pre-pubescent and budding pubescent children!"

*squick!*

Yes, it's a shame that the U.S. views non-sexual nudity as perverse, when we sexualize everything else to the extreme. I don't know how to change that, and frankly, it's not that high on my list. I don't want to be nude socially, I just want my own place in the North Country where no one else knows that I'm sitting on my deck reading the morning paper in the nude.

Kevin

Thanks, Kev.  I think you summed up quite nicely what I was trying to say.  You have to realize that if you join a group whose purpose is to do things together naked ... you could attract some real perverts.  If that's your thing, then I guess have at it.  But if that's not your thing, then at least don't be naive about it, and make claims that that doesn't ever happen.

I, too, think that American culture is WAY too sexualized.  I was talking with someone just yesterday, and I said something that could VAGUELY be stretched (with a LOT of imagination) into something sexual.  The person grinned.  I said, "you're thinking something sexual aren't you?"  The person nodded their head knowingly and smiled.

I went to see 300.  Random sex scenes and erotically dancing women were added in just for the movie appeal, even though they added nothing to the plot (not that I'm complaining.  )

Everything is about sex.  All the time.  I think, given the highly sexualized nature of our culture, it makes sense that nudity = sex in many people's minds. 

To me, wearing swim suits when you swim is silly.  I guess that water activities are a place where it makes sense to do it au naturel.  Not, exactly, US culture, but then again US culture isn't really based on anything rational.  I think it's equally silly to take off your clothes when you are inside chit-chatting just for the sake of doing it naked, but to each his own.  Then again ... maybe I'm just having too many bad memories about parties where I had a few too many shots. 

[SAK]

lol pagans.  Sounds like fun.

[mvpel]

They just arrested a guy in Los Gatos, California with some 3/4 million examples of kiddie porn, including hardcore, along with home videos of himself hanging out with the youngsters at nudist camps, as he was a member of several.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_5593539?nclick_check=1

He's facing a mere 10 years in prison, while the FBI is sorting the 16 caches of photos against the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Who has time to look at 3/4 of a million examples of porn of any kind?

[mvpel]

You'd have to look at one image every fourteen seconds for eight hours every single day for a year to see all 750,000.