Social Nudity vs. Pornography

[Elton]

Being a Nudist actually frees you in more ways than one. Pornography is a problem in this country, and it was a problem for me before I embraced good nudity.

Pornography preys on the natural need to see human beings naked. However, in portraying nudes in suggestive ways Pornography destroys rather than builds. Social nudity, however, does the opposite. Since I have been able to look at this site regularly, I have noticed that every Photo of the Day does not present the nude human body as an object of desire. Instead, each photo on this page presents nude bodies as they really are. As a glorious creation.

People who are viewing pornography need to experience social nudity. As somebody views pornography, they are constructing their own prison out of a fantasy where women are submissive objects for sex. Social nudity, however, can free one from this prison of smut with the reality that every body is good and decent.

I used to think that there was only one way to break free of Pornography and that is to ignore it altogether and embrace the Gospel and the Atonement of Christ. Now I know their is two ways: practicing social nudity and embracing the Atonement. And since my Christian beliefs do not exclude Nudity at all, I can have the benefits of both.

The Prophet asks us Mormons to avoid Pornography like the plague. However, that is impossible in today's Textile society. Pornography and the exploitation of the human body is everywhere. But there is a way to avoid Pornography, and that is by participating in nudity. I am happy that now I am a nudist and I can view this site, that I have no need for Pornography anymore.

Victorian prudery is becoming a failed model of Modesty in the World of today. Maybe it's time to accept Nudity as the one true model of modesty as a way to combat Porn.

[Elton]

Being a Nudist actually frees you in more ways than one. Pornography is a problem in this country, and it was a problem for me before I embraced good nudity.

Pornography preys on the natural need to see human beings naked. However, in portraying nudes in suggestive ways Pornography destroys rather than builds. Social nudity, however, does the opposite. Since I have been able to look at this site regularly, I have noticed that every Photo of the Day does not present the nude human body as an object of desire. Instead, each photo on this page presents nude bodies as they really are. As a glorious creation.

People who are viewing pornography need to experience social nudity. As somebody views pornography, they are constructing their own prison out of a fantasy where women are submissive objects for sex. Social nudity, however, can free one from this prison of smut with the reality that every body is good and decent.

I used to think that there was only one way to break free of Pornography and that is to ignore it altogether and embrace the Gospel and the Atonement of Christ. Now I know their is two ways: practicing social nudity and embracing the Atonement. And since my Christian beliefs do not exclude Nudity at all, I can have the benefits of both.

The Prophet asks us Mormons to avoid Pornography like the plague. However, that is impossible in today's Textile society. Pornography and the exploitation of the human body is everywhere. But there is a way to avoid Pornography, and that is by participating in nudity. I am happy that now I am a nudist and I can view this site, that I have no need for Pornography anymore.

Victorian prudery is becoming a failed model of Modesty in the World of today. Maybe it's time to accept Nudity as the one true model of modesty as a way to combat Porn.

[Trailscout]

Clothes from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran:

And the weaver said, "Speak to us of Clothes."

And he answered:

Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.

And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.

Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,

For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.

Some of you say, "It is the north wind who has woven the clothes to wear."

But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.

And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.

Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.

And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

[Gary Naturist]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Trailscout:
Clothes from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran:

And the weaver said, "Speak to us of Clothes."

And he answered:

Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.

And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.

Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,

For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.

Some of you say, "It is the north wind who has woven the clothes to wear."

But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.

And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.

Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.

And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>What he said .. Gary

[Elton]

Yeah. Mohammad can be very profound.

Trailscout ...Wow!...Thanks for sharing...

[Trailscout]

The chapter I quoted was written by Khalil Gibran (1883-1931). He was a Maronite Christian from Lebanon, a poet and prophet, a man of deep faith and it is plain to see, a man with a great deal of wisdom about the goodness of the body.
If you would like to read more about him, please visit: Khalil Gibran Online (http://www.kahlil.org/home.html)

"People who are viewing pornography need to experience social nudity. As somebody views pornography, they are constructing their own prison out of a fantasy where women are submissive objects for sex. Social nudity, however, can free one from this prison of smut with the reality that every body is good and decent."

Then how do you explain all the nudists that like porn? And how do you explain that about a third of people that like porn are female?

And why are you under the impression that porn has only one theme, that of a submissive woman?

[nudeM]

Posted by Cyndiann: "And why are you under the impression that porn has only one theme, that of a submissive woman?"---------------------------------------------------

Just about 90% of the porn out there is based soley on that theme.

[Trailscout]

Cyndiann, I think Elton is referring to men who cannot see women as anything but objects to satisfy their lust.

As a nudist, I am no longer aroused very easily by the sight of platonic nudity, but your point is well taken that if I were with my wife in private and she behaved in a sexually enticing manner, my body would still eagerly respond to her invitation.

Elton comes from a religious group that teaches that we should confine our sexual appetites to our husbands or wives, not even approving of fanciful lust over images of women (or men).

I don't know what percentage of nudists also enjoy enjoy pornographic imagery on a regular basis. It is no one's business, but if it leads to dehumanizing our relationships, perhaps there is some merit in discussing how to help people escape pornographic addiction.

[Rex]

I am an admirer of beauty in many forms.

But, as a heterosexual man, with a strong sex-drive, [even though I'm approaching 70], I obviously find images of pretty women smiling into the camera, nude, or not, as likely to be particularly appealing.

I have been comfortable with social nudity for many years, and I believe that this has been a great help in keeping a lot of things in perspective.

I do not choose to have indiscriminate sex, under conditions which I find inappropriate.

But some forms of visual entertainment, which I may see as harmless fun, some people may regard as improper.

I have deep feelings of spirituality, and respect the religious beliefs of others, but I stopped following anything remotely like orthodox religion when I was 15.

I have no feelings of guilt, if I feel admiration for an attractive woman, but neither do I act inappropriately, either.

I will be at a dance this evening, where there will be many attractive women, some maybe a bit cheekily dressed too.

Many of them are my friends, and I will be friendly towards all of them.

But I will be with my lady friend, Emiko, and, in that "special" way, I will only have eyes for her, and she will know it.

[missouriboy]

"...Social nudity, however, can free one from this prison of smut with the reality that every body is good and decent."

Then how do you explain all the nudists that like porn?

cyndiann, that question is a non sequitur. Elton didn't imply any guarantee, as you can see by his use of the word that I highlighted above.

It worked for me. (Although I wasn't really imprisoned by it. See my next post.)

[Trailscout]

Rex, sounds as if you are addicted to love instead of lust.

And I would hasten to add that admiration of female beauty is not lust.

Lust is inordinate desire (for anything not just sex). As long as your life is balanced (ordinate) then no one can accuse you of lust (inordinance).

[missouriboy]

Eloquent posts, guys. Though I've reported this before, I'll add my 2 cents again just to affirm what you're saying, with my own personal experience.

Penny 1: Even though I had no business wasting the family treasure on their high prices, I used to visit "Gentlemen's Clubs" /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif occasionally just to assuage my compulsion to observe the beauty of the female form. But I've not been to a single one since becoming a nudist in 1996.

Penny 2: I have a stack of a dozen or more Playboys that someone gave me over a year ago. I scanned through a couple of them at first, reading some articles and the jokes, but the rest remain untouched and gathering dust for a year. While I've never spent a dime on them, I used to read them whenever I got the opportunity. I didn't really consider them pornographic, though, and could never really stomach the raunchy ones like Hustler, etc. But now I don't even give them any of my time at all.

So, I can really relate to what you're saying. Thanks for a good and thoughtful post.

[Elton]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Trailscout:
Rex, sounds as if you are addicted to love instead of lust.

And I would hasten to add that admiration of female beauty is not lust.

Lust is inordinate desire (for anything not just sex). As long as your life is balanced (ordinate) then no one can accuse you of lust (inordinance). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Admiration for Female Beauty isn't lust. Beauty was part of the reason that Eve was created last. The Brethren feel that Woman represents the Crowning Achievement of Creation. Admiration for that creation just to appreciate it isn't lust.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Elton comes from a religious group that teaches that we should confine our sexual appetites to our husbands or wives, not even approving of fanciful lust over images of women (or men).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>We are also taught that sex, when performed in the Bonds of Marriage, is the noble and most profound way to express love. Sex is for the family. Outside of Marriage, this significance is cheapened.

No, Cindyanne, I did not mean that Social Nudity IS the one and only answer to break free. I said there was two answers. Both work in Synergy. The Atonement gives us the power to Break Free of Pornography if we wish it, and social nudity gives us the power to avoid the smut.

[nunne]

Elton said: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The Brethren feel that Woman represents the crowning achievement of Creation. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Here's where the Brethren and I part company. If Woman were the crowning achievement of creation:

1. Why can't they think logically?
2. Why do they have so many headaches?
3. Why can't they parallel park?
4. Why don't they understand the importance of Sunday afternoon football?
5. Why do they read hidden meaning into the simplest of statements?
6. Why don't they act more like men?

[nunne]

Otherwise, quite frankly, I totally agree with what Elton has posted.

[Trailscout]

Women can think logically, but it's a different kind of logic. Men excel at linear thought, (a plus b equals c), and the ladies can do that with slightly lesser facility. In addition, women tend to be good at analysing data and processing all this information in a way that men often claim is an "emotional" decision, but it turns out to work very much like probability studies in mathematics. The resulting "intuitive leaps" women are famous for are a very nice complement to pure linear thought.

Women have headaches because of a variety of reasons, some stemming from female metabolism, but a lot of their headaches come from men.

Parallel parking may not come as easy to women because of lack of practice, but there may also be a gender component. Men are more adept at spatial skills (finding your way around). Women navigate by other means such as visual cues, landmarks.

Quite a few women like football, but yes, more men enjoy it than women. Male hormone-driven competitiveness may explain why more men enjoy football than women.

Women are far superior to men in social skills. They tend to have superior verbal skills as well. If there is hidden meaning in someone's words, they do an outstanding job in finding it.

Men tend to be less ambiguous. We say what we mean and no more. Until women learn this trait of ours, many of them think that we are being subtle like they are. There is nothing subtle about a man.

Women don't act or think like men because the female mind is the perfect companion to the male mind. God knew what he was doing when he made us.

[Elton]

I couldn't have said it better myself, Trailscout!
/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[nicehund]

Social nudism is some kind a liberation from those who are chained to pornography. Tough you can have pornographic thoughts in social nudism. There is always sexual energy flowing from one nude person to another. It is nice to see nice nude people around, there is nothing wrong or right, there is just the practical or unpractical consequence of the behavior of the nude person.

[Trailscout]

nicehund,
Do you mind if I disagree with you on some of that?

I don't see any evidence that sexual energy "always" flows between people who are nude. Nor have I any evidence that sexual energy doesn't flow between clothed people.

I am clueless about your comment, "there is nothing wrong or right". Right is defined as obedience to the law of God. Wrong is disobedience to it.

I think we can agree that some people with porn addictions have escaped it after becoming nudist.

I wish more folks would give it a try.

[hm0504]

I think people (other than Stu et al!) have in innate need to see the human body and by typically including nudity, pornography helps alleviate this need. Unfortunately, by being primarily focused on sex, pornography propagates the idea that sex and nudity always go hand in hand. (This isn't pornography's fault, but rather the comparative absense of material with non-sexual nudity that is available to the public.)

Social nudity satisfies the need to see the human body and so alleviates the need to view pornography. This is not to say that people do not have a desire to see sex but that when there is no other way to view nude people other than in pornography, pornography garners more audience than it would otherwise.

Based on talking to various people I know, I definitely think nudism greatly lessens, or eliminates, unhealthy interest in pornography.

[BareDebCNA]

Thanks, I couldnt have said it better either and whole heartedly agree with Trailscout. (nunne, please dont take it personally okay.) I am what I am and what God made me and that's the way it is. Not perfect, not junk (He doesnt make junk) and just me.

[Rex]

Interesting reading for those who sometimes wonder about the different ways in which men and women think.

Why Women Can't Read Maps, and Won't Stop Talking, by Allan and Barbara Pease. ISBN 0 9593 6586 9.

[Allan Pease is the author of international best seller, Body Language, Barbara is his wife.]

[Elton]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by nurse2b:
Thanks, I couldnt have said it better either and whole heartedly agree with Trailscout. (nunne, please dont take it personally okay.) I am what I am and what God made me and that's the way it is. Not perfect, not junk (He doesnt make junk) and just me. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Just remember, a man and a woman are incomplete without each other. The two sexes complement each other in many ways, as Trailscout pointed out.

[Trailscout]

Elton, it is also helpful if the two sexes compliment each other, if you follow my meaning.

[missouriboy]

Complement and compliment, yessireee!

I read a book called "Uni-Chotometrics," a term coined by author Eugene A. Albright to mean the antithesis of "dichotomy," the idea that everything always has two sides. In it, he posited that males and females are each just one-half of a complete organism, and that their natural state is to always be paired for the completion of their existence. His measure of this completeness is the level of sanity, health, and happiness attained when coupled, as opposed to the level of lone single beings. OR non male-female pairings, for that matter.

It's interesting to think about.

[Elton]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Trailscout:
Elton, it is also helpful if the two sexes compliment each other, if you follow my meaning. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[tarsus]

porn degrades men and women,social nudity seeks to accept everyone on an equal term. of course nothing is perfect. porn is like an auto accident
if you come upon it you look,you tell yourselve don't look but that only makes you want to look more. in my case i usaully get up at 4 if working 6 if not,i do not eat before 8 or 9, when i have to have tests run,i am starving--even though i can get these done at 6:30 in the morning and never,later then 8:00. it is desire of the heart,that is our downfall. its not how many times you fall down,but how many times you get up.
i have been up for twenty-five years--one day at a time.

[Ben_m]

I just noticed this thread. I certainly agree with you, conceptually, Elton. In my personal opinion, the greatest potential for naturism is to free us from the deception that anyone, including ("beautiful") women, including ourselves, is 'appropriately' merely the object or potential object of lust, but rather a beautiful and wonderful living and feeling person - even a son or daughter of God. We should understand this anyway, but I feel that the naturism that I've experienced has greatly enhanced my understanding and feelings in this regard.

Sadly, no, not all that claim to be naturists seem to be at this point. But, I most certainly believe in the potential, because I too have experienced it. Some good points and thoughts have been expressed in this thread.

[Ren]

I stumbled across this site while searching for more prurient sites, and my life has changed for the better for it. Oftentimes I would be nude for a little while, but then felt that the only reason for being nude would be to fulfill sexual desire, and would do what came as a result of that. Then I started reading about nudism, and while I still looked at suggestive sites, I was able to separate the two.

Essentially now, I've given up those sites, and am dedicated to being a nudist for the pure reasons that living naturally is the healthiest way to live.

My girlfriend grew up in a relatively closed-minded house and the naked body was equated to sex in her home. Since we met, she's been doing homework and practicing some at-home nudism from time to time, and she's learning what I did from it.

I don't see anything wrong with the existence of porn, but I don't require it in my life the way I once did. Nudism did that for me.

I can't remember what I was looking for when I came across this Web site, but I'm glad I did. Porn was a serious problem for me before getting into nudism. Now I have no interest in hard core porn, and soft core porn without the sex isn't TOO different from nudist photos except that they are still meant to entice and are not meant to further naturism. I no longer have any interest in watching other people enjoying themselves or other people in a sexual way. That's why I've never liked bed scenes on TV, although you don't actually SEE anything; it's implied more than shown.