Why is public nudity prohibited?

[Culmor]

I wrote (with apologies for quoting myself)

I have a feeling that at some point there's a reference to wearing animal skins being approved of by YHVH 

I'm an eejit, it's in the same chapter!

3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

I also wrote (again with apologies)

...crossdressing is definitely a no-no.

In support of that:

Deut 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

[Like Ra]

I imagine that's common to all the Abrahamic religions.

AFAIK nothing like that exists in Dharmic religions.

O!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity_in_religion

Apparently, it's the Abrahamic inheritance indeed.

[Culmor]

Interesting. 

Just to be clear, I'm an atheist raised in a (non-practicing) non-conformist Anglican tradition. Why I have the nun thing is a mystery to me...
😊

[Like Ra]

Just to be clear, I'm an atheist raised in a (non-practicing) non-conformist Anglican tradition. Why I have the nun thing is a mystery to me...

😂

Another interesting wiki article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_nudity

BTW, my wife, my daughter and I just had a hot discussion about nudity. So far, we identified the following objective (not subjective "between the ears") reasons for clothing: low temperatures, hygiene, physical protection (e.g. from injuries).

[MIWSTIUS]

In most cases the perception will be inclined to interpret the sole factor of nudity as "If you are not clearly for me (my safety) then you must probably be against me." (as a predatory threat).

Aren't we supposed to have no natural predators anymore? It amazes me how deep our instincts go, our brains are in a feedback loop so they 'need' to fill that predator space in our brains with something... if there are no real predators, then we will fill that space with whatever crosses our fears first. Crazy.

In the end, those groups form large majority clusters - and those majority clusters voted to institute such rules.

It's pretty difficult to define objectively what is best, isn't it? What if we are all wrong, and we see good as bad, and bad as good... or is the majority right? well, I guess history has the answer to that. Maybe we are heading towards self destruction and we don't even know it.

Well, personally I think we put ourselves ontop of the food chain. But if I'm a dumbass amateur hiker in the woods who encounters a hungry pissed off bear, I don't think anyone will have a single doubt about who's the predator in this scenario lol.

Anyway, in our topic here, "predatory" is of course meant in the mematic sense;
Meaning, to identify the ones who intend to take something from you unrightfully (sexual gratification without consent) - and therefore, opposing your safety and taking away your right of choice to deny intimacy (the "not for me, but against me" part).

Lately, I have been getting into wearing leggings 'in public' (read; so far just at home and around family & friends), trying to style them in a 'generally' acceptable manner (ergo, with long t-shirt) - I have of course also been following some public space leggings wearers on Instagram.
It's pretty obvious these guys are fetish oriented. Yet, a lot of their photo's are outdoors, so they are indeed taking risks to some extent. But I do have to admit they pull it off in style. For example a leggings combo with slouch socks, hiking boots and a thong of the exact same color shiny Lycra, to ephasize his 'cheeks'. Clearly, the pictures mostly show him with his jacket pulled up. So I asked one of them if they've ever ran into trouble, to which the response was a negative, but he did say that (apart from the actual photograph moment) he would go about with the bulge concealing long shirt or jacket fully extended.

Of course, if we were to present these photos to a substantial sample size general public, most of them would flag it is inappropriate and to be interpreted as "predatory" in public streets.

[PurpleVibes]

Well, personally I think we put ourselves ontop of the food chain.

I believe we are out of the food chain, so we don't really have 'natural' predators. That of course doesn't mean we are the ultimate species, because we are pretty incompetent if we are left naked, as you mention most of the predators could tear us apart effortlessly, dang even non-predators can easily harm us, and most pathetic of all the elements can get rid of us no need for a predator lol. So yeah I agree, being outside doesn't mean we are on top.

I don't remember if it was a documentary or a series but a small group of people tried to advance from the stone age up to the modern days, and even with the proper knowledge it was impossible for them to go past the bronze age because of all the meticulous procedures needed to purify metals. I guess given some time, we could rebuild what we have faster than before, but even then it's going to be tough.

[Strappado]

The funny thing is, that many countries don't have laws against nudity. Laws are more concerned about the sexually explicit display of the body, in reality as well as in pictures. This is also the easiest way to keep nudist beaches and similar places legal (or even art exhibitions and museums). Of course, it is quite difficult to define "sexually explicit". Therefore, in those countries without legal nudity ban, it usually depends on how the public percieves you, when you are nude. Well, try to define the difference between eroticism and porn.

Meaning, to identify the ones who intend to take something from you unrightfully (sexual gratification without consent) - and therefore, opposing your safety and taking away your right of choice to deny intimacy (the "not for me, but against me" part).

I think, that is not really the problem. there are many laws everywhere in the world against sexual harassment, abuse and much more. And they don't need nudity for guilt.
 Existing laws against nudity are probably based mostly on public perception (and in some cases on the perception of other countries, when nudity was normal until some powerful visitors also brought their missionaries).

The real problem is (once more, happens so often), that people extrapolate new ideas from old ideas that they haven't understood, while others profit from exploiting this. It is human nature to be brain-lazy. It is actually necessary if you want to master everyday's life. If you question everything, your day starts with how to get out of bed the best way. Of course, there are many occasions, where the brain ought to be used under any circumstances. It is a balance between simplicity and adventure most of the time.

Well, those were pretty raw thoughts. I think, centuries have turned nudity into a very complex subject, and church is one party to blame. However, today nudity is not considered normal in most parts of the world, and commen sense seemingly dictates, that you better be normal - and that is probably true since humans can think. But when computers think, it gets even worse: Remember the art pictures banned from Facebook for nudity (I had to mention this) 😉.

[PurpleVibes]

If you question everything, your day starts with how to get out of bed the best way.

I usually question myself with what is the best tie for selfbondage 😁

Deut 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

Funny how the same source has been translated differently... I was taught this one:
"A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this."

Not even God's words are safe from editing and proof reading lol.

[SLL]

Hello,

1. Brown's list of universals, a compendium of cultural norms across all cultures includes sexual modesty and some attribute of clothing. How much clothing is worn varies from culture to culture(I.e. topless natives s seen in Nat. Geo.) but the genitals are typically covered in one form or another. This suggests some sort of inborn sexual vulnerability.

2. We would not have evolved hairless skin, losing our insulation, without clothing because we would have died. Wearing clothing must have come first or developed with the loss of our fur. This suggests an innate instinct to wear clothes.

3. People spontaneously become self conscious about nudity. My son, 7, was comfortable running about the house naked until recently. Now he gets upset if his sister looks at him getting out the bath. This switch again suggests something innate about feeling vulnerable when naked.

So, there are several lines of evidence to suggest an innate desire to cover our nudity. See the nudity of others reminds us of our own sexual vulnerability.

On to religion: God (the Hebrew word lis the title for a judge) creates us naked and declares it good. We then gain knowledge of good and evil, which in his genesis of me lectures Jordan Petersen interprets as knowledge of our vulnerability, and feel ashamed naked. God remedies this with clothes so we feel better. The Hebrew word rendered clothes or covering is a really the word for a belt or girdle: symbols/expressions for strengthening oneself.

The verse in Deuteronomy occurs together with other verses that have to do with Baal/Astarte worship: the celebrants would cross dress, present a bird with its eggs in a nest etc... As such the verse is better understood as forbidding any of the practices of Baal worship. Specifically
so as concerning the celebrations linked to the planet Venus whose Ptolomeic epicycle resembles a pentagram... It is important to remember that men's fashion the. Was essentially a dress... What constitutes men's/women's clothes varies from society to society so the verse is not stipulating a particular dress code and likely does not have cross dressing/sissy play in mind.

I for one feel uncomfortable naked in my own house and can barely watch naked people on tv---all the more if they are sexually unattractive. I do wonder if my latex fetish has got to do with my uncomfortableness with nakedness. (I don't enjoy regular porn but hot women in latex catsuit... Wow. They have my full attention.) With latex I get the release of near nakedness without the vulnerability of being naked. I can feel the difference, which again suggests society's predilection for clothing is innate and evolved rather than a cultural construct.

Tt4n

Errata. My recollection of the context of Duet 22:5 is incorrect. The Astarte worship cross dressing is correct but has nothing to do with the context of the verse. The context is ethics of honesty and consideration for the other person. As such I would regard it as a prohibition about a person of one sex passing themselves off as another. See https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q...t-accurate for a phrase by phrase explanation. But one should start reading at v1 for context.

[Like Ra]

If you question everything

Oh yes! That's me!

your day starts with how to get out of bed the best way.

Rather "Am I still sleeping? Am I actually alive? How do I make sure that the reality I perceive exists? What is "sleeping"?" 😆