Topless Beaches

[Alpha Rioja]

first off you can't even compare men and women. I keep hearing "if men can do it women can do it too" That's not true. God gave each of us a place. He gave men and women each a place and a way to complement each other as a married couple. I don't know. this topic bores me. it's like masturbation. it's not the act it's the thought behind the action. i'm out. later on

 

[The Bellman]

It continually amazes me the way some christians will go to any lengths to make a natural, normal thing - the human body - evil and something to be shunned.

 

[Natman]

Yep, that there's a lot of Leviticus...

Most of those passages mentions uncovering someone (stripping them naked). That's not the same as being naked in front of someone, so we can disregard those passages. Others insinuate adultery and other forms of sex, so we can disregard those.

And aren't Christians not under Levitical law now anyway?

Actually, the passages in Leviticus that talk about "uncovering the nakedness of..." are not talking about "stripping" someone naked. The term is an Old Testament euphamism or figure of speech for "have sexual relations with...", similar to the modern day phrases "sleep with..." or "got to bed with..."

From Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
6. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him--Very great laxity prevailed amongst the Egyptians in their sentiments and practice about the conjugal relation, as they not only openly sanctioned marriages between brothers and sisters, but even between parents and children. Such incestuous alliances Moses wisely prohibited, and his laws form the basis upon which the marriage regulations of this and other Christian nations are chiefly founded. This verse contains a general summary of all the particular prohibitions; and the forbidden intercourse is pointed out by the phrase, "to approach to." In the specified prohibitions that follow, all of which are included in this general summary, the prohibited familiarity is indicated by the phrases, to "uncover the nakedness" [Leviticus 18:12-17], to "take" [Leviticus 18:17,18], and to "lie with" [Leviticus 18:22,23]. The phrase in this sixth verse, therefore, has the same identical meaning with each of the other three, and the marriages in reference to which it is used are those of consanguinity or too close affinity, amounting to incestuous connections.
​

Son-cerely,
Nate

 

[Archivist]

first off you can't even compare men and women. I keep hearing "if men can do it women can do it too" That's not true. God gave each of us a place. He gave men and women each a place and a way to complement each other as a married couple. I don't know. this topic bores me. it's like masturbation. it's not the act it's the thought behind the action. i'm out. later on

If you are saying that you can't compare men and women, then why shouldn't men be required to cover their "different" looking chests to prevent women from seeing them?

So, topless women bore you like touching yourself????? I don't want to go there...

 

[inHisgrip]

I think that in our current society womens breasts are such a sexual topic that to begin having women running around naked would be crazy.
Personally, I'd rather not look at a topless man or woman in public, nor do I want my children face to face with a strange womans breasts.
Keep it in private beaches, but not out in the street.
Our bodies are a beautiful gift from God, but the way our culture treats the female body is a sure sign that topless women will cause problems.
In Him

 

[The Bellman]

I think that in our current society womens breasts are such a sexual topic that to begin having women running around naked would be crazy.
Personally, I'd rather not look at a topless man or woman in public, nor do I want my children face to face with a strange womans breasts.
Keep it in private beaches, but not out in the street.
Our bodies are a beautiful gift from God, but the way our culture treats the female body is a sure sign that topless women will cause problems.
In Him

The "way our culture treats the female body" is a direct effect of the way Christianity has decreed it should be hidden for hundreds of years. As somebody else said above, if everyone went around naked, for a while we'd all notice (because it would be so unusual and 'risque') - but in ten years, nobody would even care. There's nothing evil about the human body - display of it is perceived as such because the church has told us it is.

 

[inHisgrip]

The "way our culture treats the female body" is a direct effect of the way Christianity has decreed it should be hidden for hundreds of years. As somebody else said above, if everyone went around naked, for a while we'd all notice (because it would be so unusual and 'risque') - but in ten years, nobody would even care. There's nothing evil about the human body - display of it is perceived as such because the church has told us it is.

I never stated the human boby to be evil, in fact just the opposite. I don't know what church you have been going to, but I have never heard anything about the body being evil in the church either.
And I do think that in this day and age it wouldn't become a norm, at least not in the U.S. Unfortunately, the female body in particular, has become nothing but a sexual object (not to all of course, but to a large portion).
Again, my main concern is the effect it would have on children.
I think it is innappropriate, and it has nothing to do with the church, so you can't bring that in this time.

 

[Archivist]

I never stated the human boby to be evil, in fact just the opposite. I don't know what church you have been going to, but I have never heard anything about the body being evil in the church either.
And I do think that in this day and age it wouldn't become a norm, at least not in the U.S. Unfortunately, the female body in particular, has become nothing but a sexual object (not to all of course, but to a large portion).
Again, my main concern is the effect it would have on children.
I think it is innappropriate, and it has nothing to do with the church, so you can't bring that in this time.

We are simply talking about women having the right to go topless, not completely nude. Why would seeing a topless woman have any more effect on children than seeing a topless man? Why is is acceptable for a two year old who may still be nursing to see his mother's breasts, but bad for a three or four year old to see those same breasts at the beach?

I agree with you that the female body has been sexualized in our culture. Wouldn't it help to de-sexualize the female body if people saw breasts on a regular basis? Rather than seeing the perfect airbrushed and enhanced breasts of Playboy models, people would see breasts as they really are.

At one time it was considered inappropriate for women to expose the ankles in public. Today no one really notices an exposed femal ankle. Why? Because they were exposed and they were, as a result, de-sexualized. I believe that the same thing would happen with female breasts.

 

[Sacrificial anode]

It is a double standard that men are allowed to bare their chests but women are not. When we really break it down, female breasts are nothing more than pouches of milk. Wow. What's so alluring about a simple source of food?

 

[The Bellman]

I never stated the human boby to be evil, in fact just the opposite. I don't know what church you have been going to, but I have never heard anything about the body being evil in the church either.
And I do think that in this day and age it wouldn't become a norm, at least not in the U.S. Unfortunately, the female body in particular, has become nothing but a sexual object (not to all of course, but to a large portion).
Again, my main concern is the effect it would have on children.
I think it is innappropriate, and it has nothing to do with the church, so you can't bring that in this time.

The effect it woudl have on children? What effect? The effect of making them at ease with the human body? The effect of making them not be ashamed of nudity? What possible effect is there to be concerned about?

 

[Kira Faye]

over grown mamory glands they are My parents used to walk aroudn naked all the time and Ijust grew up thinking it normal and thinking nothing off it....I mean it never really mattered and why shoudl it? kids would only react if u react about it otherwise they wouldn't think anythign of it.... I think woman shoudl be allowed to go topless if they wish though I think u might find not many people woudl actually do it..... if it became the norm the kids wouldn't care

Here in Aus we have naked beaches but you see people generally at beaches having some degree of toplessness...even me when the surf tried to rid me of my top.... (note to self string bikini in surf = bad) hehehe half the time at a friends house we woudl just get changed in front of each other and no one cared...I guess Australia seems abit more liberal in the top department.

 

[an7222]

Nudism and more generally garments is all about culture and social contract. There's nothing immoral about it.

Sometimes it can be indecent or inconvenient or disrespectful , but never immoral.

 

[Natman]

The "way our culture treats the female body" is a direct effect of the way Christianity has decreed it should be hidden for hundreds of years. As somebody else said above, if everyone went around naked, for a while we'd all notice (because it would be so unusual and 'risque') - but in ten years, nobody would even care. There's nothing evil about the human body - display of it is perceived as such because the church has told us it is.

First. I don't think that it was actually Christianity per se that has decreed that our bodies should be hidden. It was a group of Victorian Western Europeans about 200 years ago that happended to be "Christians", in a vain attempt to curb sexual immorality, which actually made things much worse.

Also, I am certain that, if all clothing suddenly disappeared, with no possiblilty of making more for some time, for the majority of people it would take only about thirty minutes to get over the initial shock, especially those in a crowd. I believe that it would take only a few days, not years, before most everyone wouldn't even notice their own, or anyone elses nakedness apart from thise with abnormalties such as Monty Pythons "three buttocks".

Probably a good person to ask would be some of the actors that played in "Shindler's List", or any of the millions of people around the world that have posed all day in any of the Spencer Tunick "sea of humanity" photo shoots.

It's like jumping into the cool ocean after being on the warm sand. Initially it seems shockingly cold, but as we get accustomed to it, it feels very comfortable and we never want to get out.

Son-cerely,
Nate

 

[Jet Black]

I pose the following question: Should women in fact have the right to go topless in public? Why or why not. If you say that they should not have this right, please explain whether men should be allowed to go topless.

absolutely they should. I have no objections to it.

 

[Isis-Astoroth]

Women are human, there are billions of the women in the world. A woman's breasts aren't unnatural, so why should we cover them up? After all, nobody blinks an eye when a man removes his shirt!

 

[Sacrificial anode]

over grown mamory glands they are My parents used to walk aroudn naked all the time and Ijust grew up thinking it normal and thinking nothing off it....I mean it never really mattered and why shoudl it? kids would only react if u react about it otherwise they wouldn't think anythign of it.... I think woman shoudl be allowed to go topless if they wish though I think u might find not many people woudl actually do it..... if it became the norm the kids wouldn't care

Exactly. After seeing breasts on a repeated basis, you get used to them. The sight of them becomes very normal and nothing to worry about or be ashamed of.

Here in Aus we have naked beaches but you see people generally at beaches having some degree of toplessness...even me when the surf tried to rid me of my top.... (note to self string bikini in surf = bad) hehehe half the time at a friends house we woudl just get changed in front of each other and no one cared...I guess Australia seems abit more liberal in the top department.

And you probably weren't even remotely disturbed by each other's bodies.

Good post. I wish a lot of people would understand what you just said.

 

[Sacrificial anode]

First. I don't think that it was actually Christianity per se that has decreed that our bodies should be hidden. It was a group of Victorian Western Europeans about 200 years ago that happended to be "Christians", in a vain attempt to curb sexual immorality, which actually made things much worse.

Also, I am certain that, if all clothing suddenly disappeared, with no possiblilty of making more for some time, for the majority of people it would take only about thirty minutes to get over the initial shock, especially those in a crowd. I believe that it would take only a few days, not years, before most everyone wouldn't even notice their own, or anyone elses nakedness apart from thise with abnormalties such as Monty Pythons "three buttocks".

Believe it nor not, after a short while, not even these abnormalities would stand out. Nudism truly promotes body acceptance.

Probably a good person to ask would be some of the actors that played in "Shindler's List", or any of the millions of people around the world that have posed all day in any of the Spencer Tunick "sea of humanity" photo shoots.

It's like jumping into the cool ocean after being on the warm sand. Initially it seems shockingly cold, but as we get accustomed to it, it feels very comfortable and we never want to get out.

Son-cerely,
Nate

Good analogy.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Actually, the passages in Leviticus that talk about "uncovering the nakedness of..." are not talking about "stripping" someone naked. The term is an Old Testament euphamism or figure of speech for "have sexual relations with...", similar to the modern day phrases "sleep with..." or "got to bed with..."

From Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
6. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him--Very great laxity prevailed amongst the Egyptians in their sentiments and practice about the conjugal relation, as they not only openly sanctioned marriages between brothers and sisters, but even between parents and children. Such incestuous alliances Moses wisely prohibited, and his laws form the basis upon which the marriage regulations of this and other Christian nations are chiefly founded. This verse contains a general summary of all the particular prohibitions; and the forbidden intercourse is pointed out by the phrase, "to approach to." In the specified prohibitions that follow, all of which are included in this general summary, the prohibited familiarity is indicated by the phrases, to "uncover the nakedness" [Leviticus 18:12-17], to "take" [Leviticus 18:17,18], and to "lie with" [Leviticus 18:22,23]. The phrase in this sixth verse, therefore, has the same identical meaning with each of the other three, and the marriages in reference to which it is used are those of consanguinity or too close affinity, amounting to incestuous connections.
​

Son-cerely,
Nate

Cool. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Annabel Lee]

Unfortunately, the female body in particular, has become nothing but a sexual object (not to all of course, but to a large portion).
Again, my main concern is the effect it would have on children.
I think it is innappropriate, and it has nothing to do with the church, so you can't bring that in this time.

"Not to all of course, but a large portion" are the operative words.
We need to teach our children to have a healthy attitude towards the human body.
I held La Leche League meetings at my house and my kids grew up seeing breastfeeding women. Believe me the effect was only positive.

They never had a distorted self image of themselves, as so many girls who are taught that breasts are 'sexual objects' that should be hidden have.

And I'd bet my life that they will all breastfeed their own children.

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar.

Having said that, I have gone topless at beaches and I prefer wearing a top because....the southern Cali ocean is cold!

 

[ToddNotTodd]

"Not to all of course, but a large portion" are the operative words.
We need to teach our children to have a healthy attitude towards the human body.
I held La Leche League meetings at my house and my kids grew up seeing breastfeeding women. Believe me the effect was only positive.

They never had a distorted self image of themselves, as so many girls who are taught that breasts are 'sexual objects' that should be hidden have.

And I'd bet my life that they will all breastfeed their own children.

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar.

Having said that, I have gone topless at beaches and I prefer wearing a top because....the southern Cali ocean is cold!

I hope you don't have any sons that will try that. Breast-feeding their children, I mean...