Is God a Nudist?

nudebynature · #1 03-08-2004, 01:58 PM

In looking for various defences for nudism in the Bible, I started thinking. Always a dangerous pastime for me....

In the Garden of Eden, God met with Adam and Eve face to face. We know that Adam and Eve were nude prior to eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It says in Gen 3:8 that God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. It is clear that he was physically there, because Adam says that he heard him.

Some people say that God is a spirit and not corporeal. This verse would suggest otherwise. A spirit would not walk nor would it make noise.

If God was in the habit of meeting with Adam and Eve face to face, would he likely be clothed or unclothed? The Bible doesn't say.

We know that He made us in His image. We know that He made us naked and the He was pleased. We know that He allowed us to be naked in His garden.

When He met with Adam and Eve face to face was He clothed? If so how would He present that to Adam and Eve? And as soon as Eve saw that there was something called clothes wouldn't she want to go shopping for some? LOL

If God was nude, was He a man or a woman?

We are not likely to find out, but sometimes it is fun to speculate.

Was God a nudist in the Garden of Eden?

nudebynature · #2 03-08-2004, 01:58 PM

In looking for various defences for nudism in the Bible, I started thinking. Always a dangerous pastime for me....

In the Garden of Eden, God met with Adam and Eve face to face. We know that Adam and Eve were nude prior to eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It says in Gen 3:8 that God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. It is clear that he was physically there, because Adam says that he heard him.

Some people say that God is a spirit and not corporeal. This verse would suggest otherwise. A spirit would not walk nor would it make noise.

If God was in the habit of meeting with Adam and Eve face to face, would he likely be clothed or unclothed? The Bible doesn't say.

We know that He made us in His image. We know that He made us naked and the He was pleased. We know that He allowed us to be naked in His garden.

When He met with Adam and Eve face to face was He clothed? If so how would He present that to Adam and Eve? And as soon as Eve saw that there was something called clothes wouldn't she want to go shopping for some? LOL

If God was nude, was He a man or a woman?

We are not likely to find out, but sometimes it is fun to speculate.

Was God a nudist in the Garden of Eden?

Ben_m · #3 03-08-2004, 02:41 PM

Interesting thoughts/'speculation'. I tend to agree with where you seem to be going with your thoughts. More importantly, however, I'm glad to know I'm not the only person that has thought along this line.

I personally suspect that Adam (and Eve) would have had to have been an idiot(s) to have not noticed if God was clothed while he was not. I see no reason to believe he was an idiot. I suppose it's possible he noticed and didn't mention, however. Although, if, he looked to God like we would look to our own parents, I see this as unlikely.

O.k., now I'll quit too, before I get myself into (more?) trouble.

hm0504 · #4 03-08-2004, 02:46 PM

"Some people say that God is a spirit and not corporeal. This verse would suggest otherwise."
God can be anything he wants to be, except non-God. A human incarnation is certainly possible.

Would God be clothed or unclothed? God could have met Adam and Eve in any form, even one not obviously corporeal. Would God appear unclothed in a human body. Sure. In the Christian tradion, God (as Christ) dies naked on a cross.

Thinking of God as either male or female is insensible. Maleness and femaleness is a specific biological condition which, though obviously glorious creations in themselves, are creations not an intrinsic part of being God. When I use "He" as a pronoun for God, I use it in the non-gender-specific sense.

For a detailed discussion of the Bible and Nudity, see
http://www.religioustolerance.org/nu_bibl.htm

Based on the numerous references to being nude before God, one comes to the conclusion that there is a significant spiritual importance to nudity.

So yes, God is a nudist. As expressed so eloquently in the Garden of Eden narrative, clothing is symbolic of our undue fear of, and separation from, God. Adding all the more importance to the symbol of God dying in the nude to restore that relationship.

**REDCHIK** · #5 03-08-2004, 03:26 PM

If you read Genesis 3:7-11, you may have a better understanding, or see it in a different light. In verse seven, it is then both Adam & Eve realize that they are in fact naked. In verse ten, when Adam is called out by God, he says to Him that he was hiding because of his nakedness. Finally in verse eleven God says," Who told you that you were naked?" He then goes on to ask if they had eaten from the tree.

These verses imply to me that God was offended by the couple clothing themselves. Hence, case closed. If original sin had never incurred, we would all still be living in paradise...NAKED.

NuTex · #6 03-08-2004, 03:33 PM

While an interesting question, IMHO, it's a non-issue. This only becomes a problem from a creationist view. There are of course many theologians and clergy who find no conflict between evolution and the bible.

I don't believe Genesis to be a literal description on the origin of life so there isn't a reason to think of God walking through a actual garden.

BTW, well said hm0504.
NuTex

namedun · #7 03-08-2004, 03:38 PM

I agree with you NuTex, even though I'm an athiest, it seems that alot of the old testiment stories (mostly the ones tought in sunday school) are pretty much just metaphorical, and not to be taken literally.

Namedun

Naturist Mark · #8 03-08-2004, 04:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by NuTex:
[qb]I don't believe Genesis to be a literal description on the origin of life so there isn't a reason to think of God walking through a actual garden.
[/qb]

Most biblical scholars and theologians don't consider the creation stories to be literal (although a sizable and very vocal minority do). That doesn't mean they are meaningless, these stories are the cultural, social and ideological foundation of a great people, and all those who trace their cultural roots to them. As creation stories the two accounts in Genesis have less to do with explaining how the world actually began than with illustrating what our relationship to the creator is and should be. It is entirely appropriate to search for answers within the context of the lesson.

-Mark

namedun · #9 03-08-2004, 04:37 PM

It's just a shame that the story of genesis has provided us with a little time bomb.

hm0504 · #10 03-08-2004, 04:43 PM

NuTex wrote:
"BTW, well said hm0504"

Thanks NuTex.

BTW everyone, I'm a theistic evolutionist and though I have no problem taking much of the Bible symbolically, I also regard themes as ultimately more important to life than plots. So actually I don't really care much if the plot of a Bible story is historically true but rather whether the theme is true, and that transcends physical reality. To me, no other short story comes close to the Jahwist narrative of Creation as far as explaining the innate spritual condition of mankind.