Reading Material

Paul said, "We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face because ...in Christ the veil is taken away.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory." - 2 Corinthians 3:13-18

Fig Leaf Forum

A *FREE* text-only newsletter "for fellowship, edification and encouragement to Bible-believing Christian nudists."
Non-denominational, non-political, and non-profit
A conservative publication for serious-minded Christians

Interested in an honest, in-depth and thoughtful look at nudism/naturism? Interested in possibly meeting other Christian nudists/naturists from all over the world? If you said yes, then Fig Leaf Forum is for you. Fig Leaf Forum is an excellent monthly newsletter produced by John Kundert. Fig Leaf Forum includes subscriber contributions, e.g. articles, letters, poems, etc., as well as material from non-naturists that discuss nudity or nudism. Subscribers receive it FREE via email or for a small fee (about the cost of postage) via "snail mail."

Of special interest is "a formal written debate between John Kundert and a preacher from the Westside Church of Christ in Irving TX. The proposition of the debate: Social nudism is condemned by the Bible as sinful."

Optionally, you can subscribe to the "Fig Leaf Forum Daily Digest," a daily email that fills in the gap for the Fig Leaf Forum newsletter. It contains material similar to what you find in the Fig Leaf Forum newsletter, often including excerpts from various discussion boards.

To subscribe to Fig Leaf Forum and/or the Daily Digest, or if you simply want to learn more, visit Fig Leaf Forum online.

My Bible Studies

Simple, concise, easy to read and understand, these Bible studies help you see what the Bible really says about clothing and nudity.

For instance, reflect on the fact that the Lord God established social nudity as His standard in The Garden, and ask, what does that mean? It means that social nudity was His idea, His will, His ideal. It means He approves of social nudity. It means social nudity is good. Of course, most Christians argue that sin changed everything, that lust is now an issue, and so you can go nude socially no more. What is wrong with that argument? Several things! Whether intentional or not, this argument ignores some important facts...

First, and most importantly, although sin did in deed change everything, Jesus Christ changed everything, too. Through Christ, "you have been set free from sin..." (Romans 6:18). "Christ *redeemed* us from the curse..." (Galatians 3:13). He freed us from sin and its curses, and if that is true, then why do people need clothes for the sake of sin? I mean, if you rely on clothes, then why do you need Christ? Do clothes really help deal with sin? Don't people sin either way? The important question is, which *do* you rely on...clothes, or Christ?

Second, the Lord God has not changed His mind about social nudity. Various scriptures tell us that He does not change (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17). Since He established chaste social nudity as the norm in the Garden, that means it is still His ideal today. As you consider that, you easily see how "His ways are not our ways and ours ways are not His" (Isaiah 55:8, 1 Corinthians 1:25, 2:14, 3:19). The important question is, which attitude do you reflect? God's or...?

Finally, besides clothing, other consequences of sin include hard labor (at work and in childbearing), hatred and discord, sickness and disease, etc., etc., even death. The question is, how do you handle these consequences? How does everyone handle them? Do you submit to them or do you try to live free from them in whatever way you can? My point is, except for nudity, most people try to live as God originally intended, free from hatred and discord, sickness and disease, etc. In fact, we often fight sin's consequences as hard as we can. My question is, why is nudity different? Why not handle it the same way we handle all the other consequences -- by trying to live as close as possible to what God intended?

I'm sure there are other reasons why such an argument is wrong, but these are three important reasons why I think it is. Ultimately, all that really matters are your convictions. Why do you feel or think the way you do? Does it agree with scripture, or rather, the Lord? Does it truly make sense? Etc.

God's Good Work - Images of God: The Bible teaches us that God created us in the image of God and that it good. After all, God created it and it reflects God. Are you surprised that God's enemy, who hates Him, hates His image, too, and thus wants to hide and, if possible, destroy it?
Unveiling Glory - Revealing God's Workmanship: The Old Testament declared a coming Lord and Savior, but the Lord "hid" Him until a time when, as declared in the New Testament, God was ready to "reveal" Him. As you will see in this study, the Old Testament focuses on "hiding," while the New Testament focuses "revealing."

My Writings

Being Properly Clothed: Do you clothe yourself properly? If not, God will not accept you.
Benefits of Naturism: Although the benefits are too numerous to list, you will find a few here.
Book Reviews: Learn about the books I have read.
Conquer Lust God's Way: Do you think you know something about lust? Conquer it God's Way!
Did You Know?: Various facts about nudity from various sources, including the Bible.
My Way of Life: How my family and I currently live out this way of life.
Nudism / Naturism Defined: Everyone has their own ideas about what they think nudism or naturism is. Read my views.
Quips and Quotes: Quips, quotes, etc. related to clothing, nudity, nudism, naturism, etc.
"Reluctant Spouse" Resources: Resources that address the "reluctant spouse" issue. Includes many links to material on other sites, and is a great resource on communication, negotiation, persuasion, influence and leadership.
Shame the Dividing Barrier!: Adam and Eve were "naked and not ashamed." Is that possible for us today?
Think on These Things: Things to think about regarding nudity.
Under a Kilt?: Ever heard that people wear nothing under their kilts? See the truth for yourself! :)
What is Wrong with Nudism?: Like all good things, some people do misuse nudism or naturism. What can you do about it?
What I Believe About Nudity: Based on the Word of God.
Who is Offending Who?: Who should really be offended, the nude or the clothed?
Why Nudism?: My struggle to reconcile lifelong convictions. My decision was not made lightly!
Why Wear Clothes?: Many good reasons! What are yours? Are they good enough?

Writings of Others

205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Naturism: A rather lengthy study of the effects of naturism, including some references for Christians.
A Brief History of Nudism: "A very brief overview of the renewal of social nudity in modern European and American cultures."
A Matter of Conscience: "Whether you personally agree or not, for many people a preference for nudity is an expression of their belief that the whole body is decent and should not be covered in shame."
Body Acceptance?: "Advocates of social nudism say non-sexual nudity promotes body acceptance, the very opposite of anxiety."
Breaking Shame: "Analyzing some of the strangest and most paradigmatic anti-Naturist affirmations."
Children and Naturism - An Open Debate - Xavier López: "Shame is a crippling emotion that leaves people feeling that they are inherently defective. Common responses to shame are paralysis, escapism, withdrawal, perfectionism, criticism, even rage."
Children and Nudism: "Most people are ignorant of these studies and the data which was collected. Instead they choose to argue with 'gut feelings' instead of facts - and our feelings are affected by our upbringing and environment - and are therefore very unreliable in matters such as these."
Dare To Go Bare: Nudism And Naturism: "Dealing with the conflicts between some Christian spokespersons and other elements in society" regarding nudism.
Does body acceptance promote lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates?: "Teen-agers in the United States are far more likely to get pregnant and get an abortion than their counterparts in Western European countries. Planned Parenthood officials believe that's because Europeans talk to their teen-agers about sex differently from Americans, viewing it as a public health issue rather than a moral, religious or political matter."
Does God Desire us to be Ashamed? - David Blood: "What does the Bible say...?"
Good Nudity - Jeff: "That’s not exactly a phrase you are accustomed to seeing. It was several years ago that we were forced by life to consider this topic. This theological study is a result of many hours of prayerful and careful research in the Bible."
Growing up Naked - A True Story - Michael Smith: "And when I do say here 'growing up naked' then I do mean exactly that..."
History of Nudism: "An overview of social nudity during the times of the early Greeks to modern European and American cultures."
How to Get Started Being Naked - Charles Daney: "It's simple. There's really only one step, which costs nothing and requires very little time: Take your clothes off!"
Isn't Nudism Wrong? - Rick: "My thoughts..."
Is Social Nudism Condemned by the Bible as Sinful?: "A formal written debate between the editor of Fig Leaf Forum and a preacher from the Westside church of Christ in Irving TX. The proposition of the debate: 'Social nudism is condemned by the Bible as sinful.'"
Is this ok for kids? - Bare Buns Family Nudist Club: "We don't present this information in an attempt to try to make ourselves appear to be 'better' than our non-nudist friends; instead, it may explain some other interesting facts about nudists' lives."
Prison Suits: "No matter how much or how little they cover, swim suits communicate that there is something shameful about parts of the body."
Morality - Knowing Right from Wrong - Jim C. Cunningham: "It is natural to want to be good; we were made that way. Even when we err and do wrong, before doing so we had to first convince ourselves that it was right."
Naturism: Excellent overview of naturism.
Naturist Studies: "Dedicated to trying to inspire serious study into the social, psychological, spiritual and emotional effects of children growing up with natural nakedness as a normal, frequent part of their lives."
Nudity, what does it mean to you? - Traute Klein, biogardener: "A Rose is a Rose is a Rose. Not so. At least not when it comes to nudity."
Stumbling over the Issue of Stumbling - Pastor Jeffrey S. Bowman: "Christians commonly teach that the Lord does not want us to do anything that might cause another Christian to stumble and fall in their Christian lives... Here is my summary on the 'stumbling block' texts of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8."
The Bible, Society and Nudity - Jell Rockel: An extensive and thorough Biblical study of nudity.
The Effects of Naturism on People: Overview of various studies showing the positive effects of naturism.
The Effects on Children (also Published Psychology Summary): "The results of the research presented would seem to speak clearly and with force: Children's exposure to nudity is not only not harmful, it appears to be beneficial."
The Freedom To Be Yourself - Vincent Bethell: "All about the simple non-sexual visual appearance of the human body, which is a strong part of our human racial identity, and the goal is a situation where every body is confident enough to publicly celebrate their humanity identity, free from persecution."
Unclothes: "The Ultimate in Comfort. The Very Best in Design. Unclothes - Nothing is Better Than Your Skin!"
Why Nude Recreation? - Mike Taylor: "There is such a thing as good nudity. It is not sex. It is about body acceptance, age acceptance, freedom, breaking shame, increasing self confidence and celebrating God's greatest creation."
What The Bible Says About Clothing and Nakedness - Ian B. Johnson: "Surprise! God isn't offended by your body!"
What shall we tell the children?: Good information on introducing your family to nudism/naturism.
World's Best Swimsuit: "The only sensible thing to wear for swimming, sunbathing, and more! Man made swimming suits are irrelevant to any activity in, under, or out of the water."

Page last updated: Thursday, June 25, 2009