Let's talk about sex...

[Hitchey]

I can separate easily the difference between sex and being naked. I think it is more about innocence. Babies can run around naked and never know the difference, but it is taboo if adults do it.

Unless you are a member of a nudist colony. I don't think it is about innocence at all. It's about what is culturally acceptable. Christianity made nudity and sexuallity into a taboo.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Christine ES,
You are right.
It is about innocence and so Jesus says One has to be child like to enter the kingdom of God.
Sex is not the problem it is the attachment of the mind with sex that is the problem.
Sex can be used as a doorway to that emptiness and that WAY is what Tantra [sanatan dharma] is all about.

Love & rgds

 

[AlsoAnima]

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were naked and it was not a problem. Was it God's intent for us to be naked?

Yes, and no. We were made naked because we didn't need protection.

If after the big event of falling, made us ashamed of our nakedness in public settings, what else changed at the same time?

Good question. I suppose we'll never know since the account isn't that detailed.

Is being aware of our nakedness, both literal and figurative? What could be the figurative meanings behind naked awareness and the shame it brought?

Being insecure about one's appearance is extremely common. Clothes can hide flaws.

How does the meaning behind the figurative and literal awareness to being naked apply to sexuality today in the year 2009?

It... doesn't?

This isn't intended to draw a one word or one sentence reply, but if that is what you want to share than please do.

Sorry, I mean, I can't really think of writing an entire paragraph on being ashamed of one's physical flaws. Seems pretty straight foward to me.

 

[AlsoAnima]

Unless you are a member of a nudist colony. I don't think it is about innocence at all. It's about what is culturally acceptable. Christianity made nudity and sexuallity into a taboo.

Christianity did?
In the words of the scout "Uhm... no!"

 

[Hitchey]

Unless you are a member of a nudist colony. I don't think it is about innocence at all. It's about what is culturally acceptable. Christianity made nudity and sexuallity into a taboo.

Christianity did?
In the words of the scout "Uhm... no!"

It strikes me that the pagans had a more open attitude toward sex and nudity. Yet as Christianity replaced paganism attitudes changed. Are you saying that the new attitude toward sexuality had nothing to do with Christianity. What about Paul's comment that it is better to marry than burn (I Corinthians 7:9) "Saint Paul, however, urged Christians who were unmarried to stay single. Marriage, he believed, was only for those in whom the temptation to sin was too strong." < Religion: Christian Marriage - TIME > Sex was sinful. I don't think this was a view held by the pagans. Taboos on sex entered our culture through Christianity.

 

[logician]

It is true that the churches' preoccupation with the sinfulness of sex has influenced our society to be almost schizophrenic on the subject.

 

[Hitchey]

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were naked and it was not a problem. Was it God's intent for us to be naked?

Yes, and no. We were made naked because we didn't need protection.

Good question. I suppose we'll never know since the account isn't that detailed.

Being insecure about one's appearance is extremely common. Clothes can hide flaws.

It... doesn't?

Sorry, I mean, I can't really think of writing an entire paragraph on being ashamed of one's physical flaws. Seems pretty straight foward to me.

Were not Adam and Eve in their youth? The Fall had not yet occurred so were their bodies not perfection? They had no imperfections to hide. When they ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they became aware of thier nakedness. Christians don't go about naked because that would be sinful. Thus, the first couple, covered themselves in God's presence because they became aware of the sin of being naked in public. Perhaps in the privacy of their hut they would have no problem being naked.

In reality stone age people in warm climates (at least those anthropologists studied) had no concerns about being naked in public; whether their bodies were flawed was irrelevant. They accepted their bodies as is. The sudden concern with nakedness shown by Adam and Eve is really a reflection of Jewish cultural mores at the time the story was written.

"Being insecure about one's appearance is extremely common," you said, but this is not true in every culture. It was not true among the primitive stone age peoples photographed in National Geographic and it is not true of nudists. "Seems pretty straight foward to me," you concluded, but it really is not straight forward at all. Being self conscious of our bodies is something that is culturally learned . Nudists and primitive people (who go about naked all the time) are proof that it is not normal human nature to show the timidity about nakedness that Adam and Eve displayed after eating the apple. The moral of the story is that there is something wrong with being naked when you go walking about. This is proof, it seems to me, that this is a cultural tale that reflects the values of the Jewish writer who composed this story. Adam and Eve were reflecting the values of the culture that created this story. And the story explains why people (actually, Jewish people) feel self-conscious about being naked. That is what myths do, they explain the reasons for things.

If two magical trees and a talking snake are not enough to convince you that this story is not a representation of actual events then the false claims it seems to make about our feelings regarding nakedness should give a bit more for a person to chew on.

 

[Valjean]

Well if God originally intended us to be innocent and unashamed, should we not honor His wishes?

Surely God's Christian church wouldn't cherry-pick scriptures or 'interpret' His word to support current societal norms and values.

 

[Hitchey]

It is true that the churches' preoccupation with the sinfulness of sex has influenced our society to be almost schizophrenic on the subject.

I would think you are not far off.

By the way. Gotta love the Three Stooges.

 

[strange_lupe]

Its about puberty. When your young life is good: everything is provided for you, you can do what you want, no worries. Then one day you learn about sex and life just goes downhill from there.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
just for FUN!

Love & rgds

 

[Zorro1227]

Unless you are a member of a nudist colony. I don't think it is about innocence at all. It's about what is culturally acceptable. Christianity made nudity and sexuallity into a taboo.

Well that is not exactly true. Chrisitianity alone did not make nudity and sexuality a taboo. There are other relgions and cultures that do not approve of nudity. I have actually considered becoming a nudist. I would rather be naked then wear anything. However, in this f"""""" up society we can't.

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Its because before they ate the fruit they didn't realize they were naked because Genesis 3:11 And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, Whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
See this is evidence that that they didn't know that they were naked before they ate of the tree. Because sin came into Adam and Eve life they would have lustful desires and so would their children reason why God cloth us was because to help us not lust after each other.

 

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

Its because before they ate the fruit they didn't realize they were naked because Genesis 3:11 And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, Whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
See this is evidence that that they didn't know that they were naked before they ate of the tree. Because sin came into Adam and Eve life they would have lustful desires and so would their children reason why God cloth us was because to help us not lust after each other.

You know ... its difficult to come up with a fairy tale even more "fairy like" than this one.

 

[.lava]

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were naked and it was not a problem. Was it God's intent for us to be naked?

If after the big event of falling, made us ashamed of our nakedness in public settings, what else changed at the same time?

Is being aware of our nakedness, both literal and figurative? What could be the figurative meanings behind naked awareness and the shame it brought?

How does the meaning behind the figurative and literal awareness to being naked apply to sexuality today in the year 2009?

This isn't intended to draw a one word or one sentence reply, but if that is what you want to share than please do.

LET'S NOT!

i have one question for you though, if you do not mind me asking....

do you remember those days when you were innocent enough not to know your gender?

i do and that makes me understand a few things about Adam and Eve. they were free of sins, they were innocent till they 'eat' from family tree in heaven. yep, here some wisemen call that tree 'family tree'. i think it explains good enough.





.

 

[Metempsychosis]

Many eastern religions deal only with sex(not in literal sense) not with matter,through divine union.

 

[T-Dawg]

What about Paul's comment that it is better to marry than burn (I Corinthians 7:9)

Er, I'm not normally one to defend Paul, but... just in case anyone misinterprets this passage... Hitchey cut off part of the passage (whether intentionally or not I do not know). The statement was "It is better to marry than to burn with passion." Paul is NOT saying that you will burn in hell if you do not marry, or anything like that (although such a statement really wouldn't be out of character for him ).

"Saint Paul, however, urged Christians who were unmarried to stay single. Marriage, he believed, was only for those in whom the temptation to sin was too strong." < Religion: Christian Marriage - TIME > Sex was sinful. I don't think this was a view held by the pagans. Taboos on sex entered our culture through Christianity.

The "temptation to sin" is not refering to sex in and of itself, it is refering to extramarrital sex. From what I understand, the Bible encourages married sex (in fact, even Paul specifically commands that husband and wife not deprive eachother of sexual intercourse, lest they be tempted by lust, or something like that).

I don't think the taboo entered with Christianity. It would have originated in Judaism, and then spread to the rest of the western world by means of Christianity (I mean come on, they wouldn't even let a man sleep with his wife during her menstrual period, and men were "unclean" every time they had an emission or had sex).

 

[ragordon168]

Its because before they ate the fruit they didn't realize they were naked because Genesis 3:11 And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, Whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
See this is evidence that that they didn't know that they were naked before they ate of the tree. Because sin came into Adam and Eve life they would have lustful desires and so would their children reason why God cloth us was because to help us not lust after each other.

but i think they would have noticed they were naked.

think about it. they walked around looking at trees so i think eve would have noticed adam's 'wood' so to speak.

and men are programmed to stare at breasts and arse so i dont think adam would see anything else