IS NATURISM COMPATIBLE WITH RELIGIOUS BELIEFS?
Some Naturists are devout church goers and others are not. Both Jews and Christians should find Naturism’s emphasis on the dignity of the body congenial. It is worth noting that Thomas Aquinas’s Summa of Theology, the most influential work of Roman Catholic thought, when discussing modesty, when discussing modesty, treats clothing as a requirement of neither the law of God nor the law of nature, but of human custom only. Available information indicates that baptisms originally involved nudity. Recent comments from the Pope regarding the restoration of paintings in the Sistine Chapel indicated that nudity alone is not considered sinful by the church. There are several organized Christian Naturists’ groups. The old testament tells us that God created man and woman in His own image and they were naked. It is difficult to see how God’s image is shameful or obscene. Indeed, the Bible does not condemn nudity itself.
