Bible suggest that being naked is bad. Why?

[Washington]

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

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
(King James)
​

"The eyes of them both were opened," (Gen 3:7) suggests that being naked was always shameful, even from the very beginning, but that A&E were not aware of it--their eyes were closed to the fact. If this is true, then A&E were created with the flaw of misunderstanding or simple ignorance. So they were imperfect through no fault of their own. They didn't know they were suppose to feel ashamed about their naked bodies. It took their "fall" to awake them to the truth.

Now, these passages don't suggest that being looked at when naked, or looking at others who are naked induces shame, but the mere fact that ones own body is naked is shameful. If this is true than being naked even when completely alone---showering for instance---should bring shame upon oneself. Do you ever feel this way?

And, what could god have thought to accomplish when he made man ashamed of being naked? Being ashamed certainly doesn't create a hardship like god's decree that, "dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:" It simply means that people who live in climates that are warm year round would have to put on clothes (obviously those in colder climates would automatically do so out of necessity). Yet members of some tribes living in the hot climate of Africa remained comfortably naked all their life. Why did the shame pass them by?


This decree that nakedness = shame is pretty odd if you ask me.

 

[spartacus1984]

Only people with really ugly bodies, shouldn’t keep their clothes on in public.

 

[Washington]

Only people with really ugly bodies, shouldn’t keep their clothes on in public.

Kind of like really ugly naked bodies, do you? To each his own.

 

[cantata]

This decree that nakedness = shame is pretty odd if you ask me.

The Bible quite often gets concepts mixed up. For example, here it's mixing up "shame" with "awesomeness". It's an easy mistake to make.

 

[Washington]

The Bible quite often gets concepts mixed up. For example, here it's mixing up "shame" with "awesomeness". It's an easy mistake to make.

 

[jayem]

This decree that nakedness = shame is pretty odd if you ask me.

I think it reflects tribalism. Nudity was a cultural taboo to the ancient Hebrews. Avoidance thereof became incorporated into their scripture. Possibly, going naked was a common practice of neighboring tribes. Like many of the other OT laws, this came about to keep the Hebrews as a separate and distinct people. It certainly has nothing to do with any divine command, and everything to do with the priestly class, who wrote the OT, wanting to maintain their tribe's identity and unique customs.

This theme is repeated over and over in the OT. That the Hebrews are special. God's chosen people. They are not to do as the foreigners/non-Hebrews do. Theirs was a strongly tribalistic culture.

 

[chingchang]

Nakedness = shame according to whom?

Gen 1:31 (NLT): Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Note that this was after he created naked humans. However...this issue you bring up is a deep one...one that I don't think I have a very good answer for. According to Matthew, Jesus said...

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

If you've ever had little children you'd know that they like to be naked. They never choose clothing...unless they have been taught that nakedness is shameful or inappropriate. Eventually...after being conditioned by their parents and/or society...they choose to clothe themsleves. So...if you can be naked and feel no shame...you are becoming like little children and you are living your freedom in Christ. I will say with certainty...that any Christian that feels ashamed of their naked body needs to realize that God created us naked and deemed it good. God does not feel shame at our naked bodies...therefore we should not either.

All IMHO,
chingchang

 

[Verv]

Almost no tribes go around with exposed genitals.

In fact, the most scantily clad tribes I know of are in Papua New Guinea who wear 'phallocrypts' nontheless to cover the genitals.

Nudity can inspire lust and can furthermore cause health issues all around.

The genitals are a very sensitive part of the body. At a minimum I imagine a loin cloth is required to provide the most basic protection against the elements. If you are out performing any labor entirely nude, even just walking a distance, I imagine it would be rough.

These were the days before sidewalks, my friends.

And more than that, having a sense of shame about one's nudity promotes a sense of humility. Humility and meekness are inherently good values.

Pride leads to conflict and to self-delusion.

 

[cantata]

Preferring to be clothed for practical reasons, and being ashamed of your naked body, are two very different things.

Shame is not a healthy feeling, especially shame about something natural and beautiful that you are stuck with for life, like your body. As someone who regularly feels the need to starve herself, I am acutely aware of the fact that shame about your body can be deeply unhealthy.

 

[samrobinhr]

Hi all

You know why Adam and Eve couldnt sense their nakedness, its no fault with god as washington says. God created them in His own image. The first man fell cos he was sinned and not repented for his sin rather. they both were clothed with the Glory of God that they knew not their nakedness when they were created.once they sinned, the glory of the God departed from them. It was now they feel that they were naked. Cos the glory has departed from A&E. only after they sinned the earth brought forth thorns and enemity btw man and animals, animals and animals. Before their sinning , man was in peace with animals, So only we read Adam has named the animals. To know the exact meaning of the Word of God you should tarry in His presence and ponder over the Scriptural Verses.

Bible never mixes up concepts., its we who try to interpret everything with human knowledge and confuse others.

Still not convinced you may pm me.

Now Jesus is intercedding for us that we may have that lost glory for eternity to eternity.

so there is no fault with Jesus or the word of God.

 

[Verv]

Preferring to be clothed for practical reasons, and being ashamed of your naked body, are two very different things.

Shame is not a healthy feeling, especially shame about something natural and beautiful that you are stuck with for life, like your body. As someone who regularly feels the need to starve herself, I am acutely aware of the fact that shame about your body can be deeply unhealthy.

Is pride positive?

Is it possible for all humans to attain happiness with their body?

Some people, through modesty, maintain a sense of happiness about their body as they do not feel the need to starve themselves or to appear in a manner that is inherently sexually appealing to others.

Do you think humanity could achieve a nudist paradise where everyone is satisfied with their body styles?

We tried to do this with things as simple as property and it did not work.

Do you think you could change the very nature of humanity? I am curious.

You will never disappear the idea of 'shame' about the body until there is no one who is judging, consciously or subconsciously, concerning the concepts of 'too fat' 'too thin' 'too big' 'too small.'

 

[cantata]

Is pride positive?

Is it possible for all humans to attain happiness with their body?

Some people, through modesty, maintain a sense of happiness about their body as they do not feel the need to starve themselves or to appear in a manner that is inherently sexually appealing to others.

Do you think humanity could achieve a nudist paradise where everyone is satisfied with their body styles?

We tried to do this with things as simple as property and it did not work.

Do you think you could change the very nature of humanity? I am curious.

You will never disappear the idea of 'shame' about the body until there is no one who is judging, consciously or subconsciously, concerning the concepts of 'too fat' 'too thin' 'too big' 'too small.'

Not being ashamed of your body need not be equated to the desire to wander around naked, jmverville. Unashamed people are not necessarily proud or exhibitionists. An example: I'm not ashamed of my nose, but I'm not proud of it, either. My lack of shame about my nose does not equate to the desire to take photographs of my nose and display them in public places or on the internet. I simply don't find myself made uncomfortable when my nose is seen by other people. That is what it means to be unashamed.

A person who is unashamed of their body will not necessarily positively desire to take their clothes off in public. They will simply not be made uncomfortable by being naked.

I have not commented on whether it is possible for everyone not to be ashamed of their bodies, but I certainly think the world would be a happier place if no one were ashamed. Remember: not being ashamed of your body ≠ the urge to take your clothes off. Please try to concentrate on that fact. The modest people you describe, who have a sense of happiness about their bodies, are presumably by definition not ashamed of them. If you're happy with your body, you're not ashamed of it. It doesn't stop those people from being modest.

 

[Washington]

Almost no tribes go around with exposed genitals.

In fact, the most scantily clad tribes I know of are in Papua New Guinea who wear 'phallocrypts' nontheless to cover the genitals.

I know for a fact that back in the 50's the Karamoja tribe of what is now Uganda lived completely naked. God's edict of shame must have missed them.

Nudity can inspire lust

As well as inspire revulsion. Some years back the sight of a woman's ankle inspired lust, so it's pretty evident that lust can be a function of masking. Think the Karamojas lusted all day long because they went around naked? Familiarity breeds complacency. Sometimes it's only because we have ordained certain things as taboo that they provoke any measure of interest, and I think body parts are a very good example of this.

and can furthermore cause health issues all around

Which are?

And more than that, having a sense of shame about one's nudity promotes a sense of humility. Humility and meekness are inherently good values.

How nice that one has to feel bad about something---acquire shame---in order to be humble. I think there are far less onerous ways of gaining humility than developing a "painful feeling of having done or experienced something dishonorable, improper, foolish, etc*" when it's unnecessary. Is humility such a difficult character to adopt that we need to damn an otherwise innocuous state of appearance?



* Random House Webster's College Dictionary