Naked Church USA...Yikes

Vienna-Via email

More crazy...

Daily Mail: February 11, 2014

Cited:

 ''And they were naked – and not ashamed': Church allows nude worship Congregation at White Tail Chapel, Virginia attend church while in the nude Pastor Allen Parker says the idea is to 'equalise' everybody in front of God Church leader claims Jesus was naked at Bible's most important moments Chapel even hosts naked weddings, with families encouraged to strip off'

Cited:

'Mr Parker is believed to have drawn at least some of his opinions on nudity from the book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve were originally described as 'both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed'.

Cited:

'It was only after sinfully eating forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that Adam and Even are said to have seen their nudity as shameful, at which point they sowed fig leaves into loincloths.'

1. Theologically, with the results of the fall, public and corporate nudity appears no longer a Scriptural option.

English Standard Version

Genesis 3:6-7

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves [br]loin coverings.

The human body is this present realm is contrasted with the perfection of the resurrection body of 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 43 states the body is sown in dishonour and raised in glory. Dishonour having to do with death, but also as Walsh states it is tied to concepts of being shameful from Romans 1: 26 and of humiliation from Philippians 3: 21.

This in my mind, does not rule out genuine nude art, although not a personal interest, but it does rule out Biblical, public, corporate nudity. Excesses in what is of dishonour.

1 Timothy 2:8-10

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

Public modesty for women, implied for men...

1 Corinthians 12: 21-24

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require.

A Biblical, New Testament model of public modesty.

2. I have, to put it mildly, zero interest in attending any church, any time, with a bunch of fat nude Americans.

I have had several eye surgeries, now finalized and now with my improved looks and vision, I wish to protect my eyes from that which is 'fatastic' as opposed to fantastic...

3. Being naked will not make everyone equal.

Trust me, philosophically I have deduced that much even in my less than married state...

4. It would however, provide certain bodybuilder types with opportunity...  

Classic...

MARSH, PAUL, W. (1986) ‘1 Corinthians’, in F.F. Bruce, (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/Zondervan.