Naturism: Is it a lifestyle, a right, a religion?
Please note that NUDISM & NATURISM are interchangeable terms in the clothes free lifestyle.
Nudism is a synonym of naturism - Naturism is a synonym of nudism.
They have slightly different definitions:
In most countries, the practice of the naturism (enjoyment of clothes free lifestyle or if you prefer, the preference of living nude), is legislated. Many countries around the world prohibit public nudity and their laws and punishments can be severe, for whoever display their nude body, in public.
Others have decided to change their constitution, and as such they allow public nudity – I am referring to Spain’s constitution, which provides the RIGHTS for anyone to go out and about nude in any public settings.
But many countries, are more conservative and do allow public nudity in certain settings such as beaches, or specially designated national parks trails, like in Germany.
If you talk to individual naturist and nudist as well as their representing organisation, they will tell you it is a lifestyle in which a person enjoy not wearing clothes. As stated above, some Governments recognise naturism as a legal lifestyle.
How about a right? Well according to my understanding of various countries laws, only Spain accept public nudity as a right! Yes their constitution gives anyone in Spain the right to go out & about…nude! What a fantastic country to leave in!
So next thing is to find out if NATURISM is a religion.
This one is going to create such a controversy – I already see the polemic in the medias and social medias!
Why would I even ask this question?...well my ulterior motive is that here in Australia, the constitution state that, no one can be discriminated based on their religion. So if we could establish that NATURISM is a religion, there will be legal grounds, for all those practicing naturism to go out and about their daily life, …in the nude…legally…without being discriminated!
If this theory is proven, imagine the social revolution, that will occur, once the primary onset of contestations, complaints and legal cases have passed!
In order to assess this theory…let’s look at religions around the world and acceptance of nudity in the past & current society:
Here, where I live, in Australia, it is an offence to deliberately expose your genitalia (nude body) if it may offend someone, who can see you from a public area– so if you are naked in your house and people can see you from the street via your windows, you are committing an offence.
So let’s step back a bit and do some analysis:
Nudity in religion deals with the differing attitudes to nudity and modesty among world religions.
Ancient Greek religion
Hesiod, the writer of the poem Theogony, which describes the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods in Ancient Greek religion, suggested that farmers should "Sow naked, and plough naked, and harvest naked, if you wish to bring in all Demeter's fruits in due season." Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and agriculture, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth.
Although most ceremony and traditions involve dressing up, often with some preferential attire, certain cultural or religious traditions actually prescribed ritual nudity. For example, ancient Sparta held a yearly celebration from 668 BC called gymnopaedia during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of war dancing.
Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all recount the legend of the Garden of Eden, found in the Hebrew Bible, in which Adam and Eve are unaware of their nakedness until they eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. After this, they feel ashamed and try to cover themselves with fig leaves.[3] Judaism does not share the Christian association of nakedness with original sin, an aspect integral to the doctrine of redemption and salvation. In Islam the garden is in Paradise, not on Earth.[a] This is to show that women and men should be covered in clothing, for nudity has the stigma of shame attached to it.[b] Each of these religions has its own unique understanding of what is meant to be taught with the recounting of the story of Adam and Eve.
Indian/Dharmic religions
Naga mystics, at the Hindu bathing ceremony of Ardha Kumbh Mela, at Allahabad
In ancient Indian cultures, there was a tradition of extreme asceticism (obviously minoritarian) that included full nudity. This tradition continued from the gymnosophists (philosophers in antiquity) to certain holy men (who may however cover themselves with ashes) in present-day Hindu devotion and in Jainism.
In the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great encountered, in India, wandering groups of naked holy men whom he dubbed the naked philosophers (Gr gymnos: naked; sophist: knowledge). The philosopher Onesicritus investigated their beliefs and lifestyle. Pyrrho the Sceptic was impressed and incorporated nudity into his philosophy. The Gymnosophists were Hindus, but Jain and Ajivika monks practiced nudity as a statement that they had given up all worldly goods.
Hinduism
Philosophical basis
The philosophical basis of nudity arises out of the concept of 'Purushartha' (four ends of human life). 'Purushartha' (Puruṣārtha) are 'Kama' (enjoyment), 'Artha' (wealth), ‘Dharma’ (virtue) and 'Moksha' (liberation). It is ‘Purushartha’ which impels a human being towards nudity or any of its related aspect(s) either for spiritual aim or for the aim of enjoyment. Practice of ‘Dharma’ (virtue) brings good result(s) and non-practice of 'Dharma' leads to negative result(s).
Spiritual basis
In the spiritual aspect of Hinduism nudity symbolizes renunciation ('tyaga' in Hindi) of the highest type. A nude person or deity (for example Kali is a nude deity) denotes one who is devoid of Maya or attachment to the body and one who is an embodiment of infinity. Trailanga Swami, the famous nude saint of India, had given an explanation for nudity in religion in the following words, "Lahiri Mahasaya is like a divine kitten, remaining wherever the Cosmic Mother has placed him. While dutifully playing the part of a worldly man, he has received that perfect Self-realization which I have sought by renouncing everything – even my loincloth!"
Material basis
In comparison in the material aspect nudity is considered an art. This view is supported by Sri Aurobindo in his book The Renaissance in India. He says about Hinduism in the book – "Its spiritual extremism could not prevent it from fathoming through a long era the life of the senses and its enjoyments, and there too it sought the utmost richness of sensuous detail and the depths and intensities of sensual experience. Yet it is notable that this pursuit of the most opposite extremes never resulted in disorder…"Extreme hedonists and materialists like the Charvakas are very candid with regard to pursuing of sensual pleasures. They say, "Marthakamaveva purusharthau" (Riches and pleasure is the summum bonum of life). There is another sloka in support of their view – "Anganalingananadijanyam sukhameva purusatha" (The sensual pleasure arising from the embrace of a woman and other objects is the highest good or end). For non-hedonists pursuing kama (sensual pleasures) accompanied with dharma (virtue) can be the highest ideal or goal in life. There is nothing wrong in it.
Occurrence
Some of the famous nude male and female yogi (male and female saints of India) of Hinduism include Lalla Yogishwari (Lalleshwari), Trailanga Swami, Harihar Baba, Tota Puri. Also in the biography of saint Gorakhnath we have reference to nude male and female yogis who had visited the famous Amarnath Temple during medieval period of India.
Among the Hindu religious sects, only the sadhus (monks) of the Nāga sect can be seen nude.[49] They usually wear a loin-cloth around their waist, but not always; and usually remain in their Akhara or deep forest or isolation and come out in public only once every four years during Kumbh Mela. They have a very long history and are warrior monks, who usually also carry a talwar (sword), trishul (trident), bhala (javelin) or such weapons, and in medieval times have fought many wars to protect Hindu temples and shrines.
Jainism
In India, Digambara monks reject any form of clothing and practice nudity. Digambara (lit. 'sky clad') is one of the two main sects of Jainism.[38] However, the Shwetambar sect is "white-clad" and their holy statues wear a loin cloth.
New religious movements
Raelians in South Korea
New Gymnosophy Society
The first English naturists adopted the name Gymnosophy as a thinly disguised euphemism for their pastime. The English Gymnosophical Society was formed in 1922 and became the New Gymnosophy Society in 1926; they purchased land at 'Bricket Wood' to become Britain's first nudist colony. One of the first members was Gerald Gardner, who in 1945 established the 'Five Acres Club' nearby, ostensibly as a nudist club, but as a front for Wiccans, as witchcraft was illegal in England until 1951.[citation needed]
Neopaganism
In many modern neopagan religious movements, such as Wicca, social and ritual nudity is (relatively) commonplace. In Wicca, the term skyclad refers to ritual nudity instead of social nudity.
Raëlism
In Raëlism, nudity is not problematic. Raëlists in North America have formed GoTopless.org, which organizes demonstrations in support of topfreedom on the basis of the legal and public attitudes to the gender inequality. GoTopless sponsors an annual "Go Topless Day" protest (also known as "National GoTopless Day", "International Go-Topless Day", etc.) in advocacy for women's right to go topless on gender equality grounds.
Now that we have established nudity is supported or prohibited depending of the religion, let’s take a look at the very definition of what a religion is:
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DEFINITION OF "DEVOTION"
The “pursuit or interest followed with great devotion” …If you ask a fervent naturist, what they wish for…Most will reply, they wish to be able to live their lifestyle, freely, without discrimination and interference from their governments! A lot of them are devoted to their lifestyle, but presently are very limited in the practice of this same lifestyle, as laws prohibit them to practice in public areas or in view of public areas!
So according to the very definition of religion, NATURISM, is a religion, if a person live the clothes free lifestyle and/or try to live it, as much as they can, within the limits of the laws where they reside.
Ok, ok, Let’s not jump the gun yet and celebrate! Let’s analyse a bit further, would you?
What is it required for the Australian Taxation Office to recognise a religious institution:
Have you ever heard of NATURALISM (no, it is not a typo….it is not NATURISM!)
Religious naturalism
Religious naturalism combines a naturalist worldview with ideals, perceptions, traditions, and values that have been traditionally associated with many religions or religious institutions. "Religious naturalism is a perspective that finds religious meaning in the natural world and rejects the notion of a supernatural realm." The term religious in this context is construed in general terms, separate from the traditions, customs, or beliefs of any one of the established religions.
Areas of inquiry include attempts to understand the natural world and the spiritual and moral implications of naturalist views. Understanding is based on knowledge obtained through scientific inquiry, and insights from the humanities and the arts. Religious naturalists use these perspectives when they respond to personal and social challenges (e.g. finding purpose, seeking justice, coming to terms with mortality) and concerning the natural world.
Religious naturalists use the term "religious" to refer to an attitude of being appreciative of and interested in concerns that have long been a part of religions. These include:
· A spiritual sense, which may include a sense of mystery or wonder or feelings of reverence or awe in response to the scope and power and beauty of the natural world.
· A moral sense with compassion, desire for justice, and attempts to do what is right—concerning other people, other creatures, and the natural environment)
As the source of all that is and the reason why all things are as they are, the natural world can be of utmost importance.
As in other religious orientations, religious naturalism includes a central story, a modern creation myth, to describe humanity and its place in the world. This story begins with the Big Bang and the emergence of galaxies, stars, planets, life, and evolution that led to the emergence of human beings. Taking this insight into the being and origin of humans, religious naturalists look to the natural world, as the source of human intelligence and inclinations, for information and insights that may help to understand and respond to unanswered philosophical questions such as :
· Why do we want what we want?
· Why do we do the things we do?
· What might we try to point ourselves toward?
Furthermore, religious naturalists try to find ways to minimize problems (both internally and externally), to allow us to better ourselves, and relate to others and the world we are part of.
When discussing distinctions between religious naturalists and secular naturalists, Loyal Rue said: "I regard a religious or spiritual person to be one who takes ultimate concerns to heart." He noted that, while "plain old" naturalists are concerned with morals and may have emotional responses to the mysteries and wonders of the world, those who describe themselves as religious naturalists take it more "to heart" and show an active interest in this area
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I came across this article, which is certainly food for thoughts regarding naturalism/naturism as a religion:
Naturism: Crosby’s religion of nature
https://religiousnaturalism.org/naturism-crosbys-religion-of-nature
by Mars Lewis
. . . Crosby describes his religion of nature as a faith without many traditional elements of faith: without gods, without the supernatural, without revelation, without an afterlife of bliss, without purpose, without design. Since nature is metaphysically ultimate, it is the ultimate source of value and meaning, and is therefore “the appropriate focus of religious faith and dedication.” Nature can be viewed religiously as “unambiguously right or good…. Nature is therefore entitled, in these respects, to be the focus of religious faith.”
Crosby calls his version of religious naturalism naturism to differentiate it from other forms which retain some form of deity, and in his writings he is explicit that no form of god is part of his religion.
“Thus, I am neither a monotheist, a polytheist, a pantheist, a panentheist, nor an animist, and yet I claim profound religious value and meaning for the immanent, self-contained powers of nature – admittedly impersonal though they may be – that produce, suffuse, and sustain us and all other forms of being.”
“For me, nature is sacred but not divine.”
Crosby summarises his choice of nature over god:
“Nature is every bit as mysterious and wonderful as traditional concepts of God, and perhaps far more so in that it is not the outcome of deliberate purpose or design but of self-contained, incredibly self-transcending creative processes.”
Crosby shapes his religion of nature first by attributing a set of values to nature, and then by demonstrating that nature fulfills all of the functions required of an object of religious concern. Here I will summarise both of these approaches.
Values in Nature
Crosby clusters one set of values around life in general, these include: life itself, biological species, the conditions necessary for the maintenance of diverse life forms, the biosphere as a whole, diversity of life forms, and creativity. These values are founded on the observation that life affirms life, that all organisms strive to live, and that, therefore, life is a value. Particular species strive to procreate, and progeny are clearly valued by their parents. Therefore, the ecological conditions for such living and procreating must also be valued, as must the entire biosphere, since all ecosystems are interdependent. Diversity is a value because, like ecosystems, life forms are interdependent with other life forms; for example, animals require plants for oxygen, and other plants and animals to eat. Crosby includes creativity in this cluster of values because the novelty generated through the mutation of genes yields the diversity of life. Fundamentally, for Crosby, life is the source of value – without life-forms, there would be no values:
“Organisms can be said to make assessment of value and disvalue in their ongoing lives, some of which are borne out in their experiences and other of which are not. Usually these assessments are unconscious and instinctive, but they still must meet such tests as compatibility with patterns of the past or suitability for new circumstances. Living beings, then, are preconditions for values, since in order for values to exist, there must be valuers or assessors of value. Living beings are of incontrovertible importance and value, because they are the necessary basis for the existence of all other values. If anything else is to be of value, life must be of value.”
In addition to the above life-oriented values, Crosby adds splendour (e.g., vastness, complexity, and beauty), practical value (e.g., provision of food and shelter) and moral value. All of the values mentioned, he notes, point toward nature’s moral value, since “they imply urgent obligation on the part of humans to recognize, respect, and seek to preserve them.”
Crosby’s final value attributed to nature is religious value, which he establishes by demonstrating that nature fulfills “role-functional categories” of any object of religious concern. These categories include: uniqueness, primacy, pervasiveness, rightness, permanence, and hiddenness. Crosby considers each of these from a personal perspective (i.e., how each impacts individual religious people), and from a cosmic perspective (i.e., how each relates to the entire cosmos). Crosby stresses that these are functions and not attributes of religious objects. In other words, these are functions that gods perform – not characteristics of particular gods; of course, in this case, he is applying these functions to nature.
Uniqueness refers to way in which the religious person would know of nothing else like this object; it would be radically different than everything else. This, Crosby claims, applies to nature, which can serve as a focus of “piety and reverence.”
Primacy refers to what is most important – of greatest interest or concern. Cosmically, it serves as the “root principle” from which everything depends. For Crosby, this refers to the ultimacy of nature which “does not require anything beyond itself in order to exist.”
Pervasiveness refers to the way in which nature touches every aspect of the person’s life; cosmically, this means that nature “establishes a bond between the deepest levels of the self and what is believed to be the core of reality.” Crosby believes that nature satisfies this function as the source and sustainer of everything.
Rightness means that the goal of human existence is defined by nature, and that nature is responsive to strivings. Also, nature is the standard of goodness. For Crosby, faith in nature includes recognition of the harmony from which we arise and on which we depend.
Permanence refers to the way nature is either everlasting or timeless.
Hiddenness refers to “mystery and awe” and to the ways in which causality and chance mysteriously yield human freedom. For individuals, this mystery is inexhaustible.
For Crosby, the values previously outlined and the functions which nature fulfills – the same functions as fulfilled by the gods of traditional religions – sum to yield nature as a worthy object of religious focus. However, nature is also fundamentally ambiguous. Given that nature is all change, creativity and newness, the old is being replaced as the new emerges. Therefore, along with creativity comes destruction. In this way, “reality and ambiguity go necessarily together.” This ambiguity yields pairs of “profound oppositions”, including:
“…creation and destruction, order and disorder, stability and change, causality and chance, plurality and unity, beauty and ugliness, the fixity of the past and the openness of the future, continuity and freedom, evolutionary emergence and evolutionary extinction, life and death, disease and health, satiety and starvation, pleasure and pain, and moral goodness and evil.”
Therefore, Crosby concludes, nature contains moral evil, as it must. However, he insists that nature is perfectly good in the religious sense of the term, and therefore deserving of our reverence and devotion. Distinguishing between these two senses of evil allows him to claim that his religion of nature is not challenged by the problem of evil as are some religious traditions. Natural processes contain moral evils, but nature, as a whole is perfectly good.
Cosby’s metaphysics of nature connects the characteristics of novelty, creativity and unpredictability with feelings and convictions which he claims are part of a religious outlook. For example, given nature’s ongoing evolutionary change, we can hope for a better future; given free will, we can live with a purpose of (and responsibility for) creating a better future; and given the profound role of chance, we can feel compassion for others, and gratitude for “transcendent events of grace” in our lives.
Crosby offers reasons why it is appropriate to place one’s religious faith in nature. Among these are his contention that, “we owe everything we are and have to nature.” We are fully embedded in nature, and all of our capabilities, our cultures, and our histories come from nature and are supported by nature. “Should we not, therefore, reverence it and meditate upon its gifts with intense religious gratitude and fervor?” “We are at home here;” there is no other place, no supernatural dimension, nothing outside of nature. In contrast with other objects of religious concern, we do not need to struggle to prove the existence of nature. Finally, Crosby argues for a new perspective on salvation:
“…nature can be saving for those attuned to its presence and influence.
It has the power to inspire, enhance, and renew our lives.
We are natural beings in the deepest recesses of our bodies and spirits,
and learning how to live in accordance with that fact
provides us with both profound challenge and profound hope.”
What exactly does it mean, though, to have such faith? Crosby defines such faith as: conceiving of one’s life within nature as something of momentous value and importance, using all of the resources and capacities of one’s being. Such faith means being open to events of grace in one’s life, “transformative gifts which we can humbly accept and for which we can give hearty thanks.” These events provide opportunities for reflection and growth. Crosby offers examples of such triggering experiences:
“…a casual meeting with someone that unexpectedly turns into a lifelong and deeply meaningful relationship. Or a teacher might have said something early in one’s life, perhaps only in passing, that opened up new possibilities and set one’s life on a new course…a passage in a book that points the way to new, enriching ways of thinking and acting, sometimes in respects quite difference from those intended or envisioned by the book’s author… being forgiven…the sight of a cardinal at the feeder in the back yard, a sight that we may have enjoyed in the past but that on this occasion is suddenly full of ecstatic joy and meaning.”
Faith in nature also entails engaging in what Crosby calls a religious search “for values and modes of awareness that can provide basis, orientation, and direction for the whole course of our lives.” Such values and modes include: “issues of birth and death, meaning and despair, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, joy and sorrow, hope and frustration, forgiveness and guilt, honor and shame.” The quest is also for a sense of attunement, responsibility and purpose, and seeks answers to fundamental questions:
“By what or whom have we come into being, and by what or whom are we most profoundly guided and sustained?
What, at the most fundamental level of our lives, should we live for and aspire toward?
Who are we, and what ought we to become?
How can our lives be most creatively and fruitfully directed and transformed?
What is to be valued above all else in the living or our lives?”
The result of this search and this faith in nature can include lifting us “out of moods of hopelessness and futility, encouraging us to continue to have confidence that moral progress is possible and that our moral strivings continue to be worthwhile.”
In summary, naturism is Crosby’s proposed religion of nature; his metaphysics of nature – including the paradoxical combination of consistency and radical change – yields a view of nature that includes religious values, a religious sense of ultimacy, and his case for nature as a appropriate object of religious concern.
Sources of quotes from Donald Crosby:A Religion of Nature, p. 81
Living With Ambiguity, p. 2-3, 24, 27, 48, 50, 51, 56, 59, 63, 80-83, 85
Transcendence and Immanence in a Religion of Nature, p. 245, 253
This paper is an excerpt from:
Lewis, Marshall. ‘The Atheistic Religious Naturalism of Goodenough, Crosby and Rue’.
Post-Graduate Dissertation. University of Otago, 2013.
In conclusion: It could be said, that indeed, if One pursuit or is interest in naturism and this latest, is followed with great devotion, then we could certainly view and consider naturism as a religion.
To my understanding, by extension, in Australia at least, according to the Constitution, One could have the rights, to follow their religious beliefs and practice their religion of naturism, without discrimination and totally legally. Therefore someone who is devoted to the naturism religion could go out and about his daily business, including in public settings, totally nude, without any fear or prosecutions and persecutions.
Of course without legal precedent, and social & legal background/recognition and support of naturism as a religion, and the freedom to express naturism in public settings, one doing so, will expose themselves to certain vilifications from the general community and to potential legal actions.
So the first step is for naturists to rally and start registration of the naturist lifestyle as a religion. Step two, will be to get full legislative support, and step three will be the education of the larger community.
To avoid confusion, I propose for this religion to be known as
NaturismR
What are your thoughts on the matter, feel free to share them by commenting on this blog – All comments are reviewed to ensure fairness and no obscene, abusive or threatening comments get displayed.
Stay nude, stay safe, have fun!
