"I believe that people have the right to their own beliefs. I do not
feel people have got the right to stop me from expressing my beliefs
by picking up the phone, calling the police and having me put in
prison." - Steve Gough, he intends to walk
from Land's end to John O'groats (the length of the British Isles)
naked.
BUT WHAT DO
PEOPLE GET OUT OF IT? IF IT'S NOT ABOUT SEX, JUST WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
It's about relaxation, freedom from
restriction - and to a very large degree, it's about honesty.
Naturists are judged on their
personalities alone. They take away the trappings that most of us have
around us every day. They have less to 'hide behind'. This is very
healthy, because it means that friendships are built on truth - as
people get used to being open with each other, there is less
temptation to embellish! Many naturists form very close non-sexual
friendships, with a very strong bond. Honesty also spreads to most
other aspects of naturist living. At naturist resorts, thefts and
other crimes are almost non-existent.
Being nude can also be incredibly
relaxing. The feeling of air, sun and water on the skin is a terrific
stress reliever. Most people know this, of course. Even non-naturists
can't wait to rush to the coast on sunny days and divest themselves of
all but a tiny fraction of their clothing! It's really not that great
a step to go from wearing a swimsuit the size of an amoeba to wearing
nothing at all. The extra feeling of freedom though can be very big
indeed. Many people suffering from stress or pressure at work have
said that being at a naturist resort is the best way of alleviating it
that they know of!
Many naturists engage in sporting and
other leisure activities. These can obviously have a positive health
benefit, provided you don't overdo it!
And just think. Women need never
worry again about turning up to a party in the same outfit as the
hostess!
IT CAN'T BE
HEALTHY FOR CHILDREN THOUGH, SURELY.
On the contrary, children who grow up
in a naturist environment usually have far fewer hang-ups than other
kids. Once again, they are not being subjected to premature sexual
situations - they grow up around other children and adults,
understanding that the body is not something to be hidden and ashamed
of. They know anatomy of the human body, and it is less of a 'Young'
to be explored at the earliest opportunity. There are fewer incidences
of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and criminal
behaviour amongst Nude children than amongst other children.
Children are natural nudists too.
They only begin to know that they are nude and wonder whether they
should be wearing clothes because adults tell them and dress them in
certain ways.
It's a very sad fact of life that
there are people in society who would harm children or abuse them.
Naturists are not these people. Children and teenagers within a
naturist community are protected - they not only have their parents
with them, but are around their peers and a group of adults who all
view nudity in a natural, non-sexual and healthy way.
SO WHAT DO I
NEED TO BECOME A NATURIST? WHERE WOULD I PUT MY SUNGLASSES!?
Absolutely nothing! Nudism must be
the only pastime for which the only requirement is just what you were
born with. And for many people it isn't just a pastime - it's a way of
life. Of course, depending on what you're going to be doing, you might
want to be prepared. If you're going to be exposing parts of your body
that normally don't even see the light of day, never mind the sun, you
might want to apply a good sunscreen. If you're going to be going to a
resort, you will probably want to make sure you have some comfortable
footwear, towels, maybe a sunlounger etc. You should also check out
the catering facilities, as you might want to bring a picnic lunch.
Basically, it's just the same as packing for a visit to the beach. You
just forget to include your swimsuit.
As for the sunglasses, well friends
have found that nipple rings are the perfect holders for their Ray
Bans. If you don't fancy body piercing, though, a small bag slung
around your neck or carried with you is the perfect repository for
your small change and other necessities.
Short Reading About Nude Culture
Being a Christian, I naturally had been taught the body shame and disgrace of being nude, especially in front of others. But for some reason, while I was about 12-13 years old, I was on a farm and found out that running in the pastures and woods was fun naked. Over the years, I would find places alone to be nude. But something was just not right. First, I was alone in my feelings and couldn't talk to anyone about it, and two, my religious teachings still gave me a guilty feeling.
When my wife and I were in our 4th-5th (in my late 30's) year of marriage, I started to look into naturism a lot more seriously, but my wife was against the idea. Not that she was against being nude with each other since we did that a lot around the house anyway, but was afraid of the social idea. She thought I was going to some sex crazed wierdo bunch. And of course she doubted that there were any more than a couple of real nudists in the whole state anyway. So that would make me stand out even more.
I found a magazine called Nude and Natural Issue 16.1 I believe. It was the issue that published the "205 Arguments and Observations of Naturism". I took that home and read it through. Then a few days later I showed it to my wife. We discussed it, prayed about it, studied it and decided to give it a try. She wanted to talk to our pastor about it at first, but I told her that we can't always depend on what they say on this. I already know what they will say, "No". So our beliefs are in vain. Either it is between us and God or it's not. So we decided to keep it between us two and we've been at it now for about four years. Keep in mind, we are not just sneaking around our church to do something "sneaky and underhanded", but doing this on our own because of our beliefs. Later we hope to tell our pastor and church. There is a couple we may tell fairly soon.
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