Your Religious Attitude Toward Nudity and Sex

[Skwim]

For a couple of days now there's been an on going debate about children viewing pornography (See HERE). The issue was raise by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a video telling children what to do if they should happen upon pornography, which they described as "bad pictures of people with little or no clothes on."

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?


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[sayak83]

For a couple of days now there's been an on going debate about children viewing pornography (See HERE). The issue was raise by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a video telling children what to do if they should happen upon pornography, which they described as "bad pictures of people with little or no clothes on."

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?


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Currently not well at all, influenced by Victorian ideals brought in by the English. Earlier, much better.

 

[RedDragon94]

For a couple of days now there's been an on going debate about children viewing pornography (See HERE). The issue was raise by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a video telling children what to do if they should happen upon pornography, which they described as "bad pictures of people with little or no clothes on."

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?


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Sex is a great gift, I think that it's something God wants us to experience.

Sex can also be a vice if it consumes your mind. (Like, since I stopped by this thread I've had the desire to see breasts and am resisting. ) So there's a balance between being active and being self controlled. Some people can be Ascetic in their approach to it, and others can be hedonistic. I think Jesus would want people to be self controlled but not ascetic. I'd almost go as far as to say masturbation is alright as long as you're choosing to masturbate and not being compelled to masturbate. Anton LaVey was right when he said something along the lines of compulsion being a bad thing, because it negates your freewill. The Apostle Paul says in the New Testament that we shouldn't be mastered by anything.

And, in Genesis before the fall Moses says the Man (Adam) and Eve were naked and not ashamed. So yeah, God is good.

I'm probably a Christian Inclusivist.

 

[Enoch07]

How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?

So long as everyone involved is above the age of consent, and have given their consent. Whatever happens in the bedroom is their business alone.

 

[Polymath257]

So long as everyone involved is above the age of consent, and have given their consent. Whatever happens in the bedroom is their business alone.

My views precisely, although I might add that they are capable of giving consent.

 

[Trailblazer]

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them? .

My religion handles them alright, but you probably do not want to know HOW it handles them and WHY it handles them as it does...

Suffice to say, I handled them the same way my religion handles them even before I had any religion at all.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Since my religion's heaven has beer volcanoes and a stripper factory I do not think that either nudity or sex is a problem, As long as informed consent is always involved.

 

[Trailblazer]

So long as everyone involved is above the age of consent, and have given their consent. Whatever happens in the bedroom is their business alone.

I tend to agree with that, as I do not think religious authorities have any place in the bedroom...

The problem is that God has made it His business in the scriptures so if people claim to believe in those scriptures and the Prophets who revealed them, then it is hypocrisy to go against what is written in them.

 

[Enoch07]

I tend to agree with that, as I do not think religious authorities have any place in the bedroom...

The problem is that God has made it His business in the scriptures so if people claim to believe in those scriptures and the Prophets who revealed them, then it is hypocrisy to go against what is written in them.

Then that means it is between the people in the bedroom and God alone then. Either way it's none of my or anyone else's business.

 

[Trailblazer]

Since my religion's heaven has beer volcanoes and a stripper factory I do not think that either nudity or sex is a problem, As long as informed consent is always involved.

I have a long time friend from another forum who is an agnostic and he has a heaven kind of like yours...
He says it is going to be an air conditioned party with all kinds of fun activities and that the Christians are not allowed in....

Edited to add: I just remembered that he did not refer to it as a party in heaven, he referred to it as a party in hell, and that is why he needed the air conditioning and why the Christians are not allowed in.

I always tell him that his party sounds like more fun than hanging out with the believers, Lord knows I am sorely in need of some fun after promoting God all my life... Saying that does not get me any points with my fellow believers and probably God does not like it either, but I have never known to be anything but honest about my feelings...

 

[Trailblazer]

Then that means it is between the people in the bedroom and God alone then. Either way it's none of my or anyone else's business.

You are absolutely right.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I want to see Hindus comment, after all I grew up looking at Kama Sutra

 

[Trailblazer]

Sex can also be a vice if it consumes your mind. (Like, since I stopped by this thread I've had the desire to see breasts and am resisting. ) So there's a balance between being active and being self controlled.

I am kind of glad I did not read the fine print in my religious scriptures until after I was a bit older and ready to start seriously considering the "implications" of believing in God. My husband is probably also glad...

I certainly have not always been this way but now I take religion very seriously and I can be quite austere even though that is not a requirement of my religion...

I'm probably a Christian Inclusivist.

What the heck is that?

 

[Subduction Zone]

I have a long time friend from another forum who is an agnostic and he has a heaven kind of like yours...
He says it is going to be an air conditioned party with all kinds of fun activities and that the Christians are not allowed in....

Edited to add: I just remembered that he did not refer to it as a party in heaven, he referred to it as a party in hell, and that is why he needed the air conditioning and why the Christians are not allowed in.

I always tell him that his party sounds like more fun than hanging out with the believers, Lord knows I am sorely in need of some fun after promoting God all my life... Saying that does not get me any points with my fellow believers and probably God does not like it either, but I have never known to be anything but honest about my feelings...

This is the world's fastest growing carbohydrate based religion:

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

 

[Stevicus]

For a couple of days now there's been an on going debate about children viewing pornography (See HERE). The issue was raise by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a video telling children what to do if they should happen upon pornography, which they described as "bad pictures of people with little or no clothes on."

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?
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It is an interesting question, especially considering all the historical examples one might find of paintings and statues depicting humans in various states of undress. It might be okay to some degree, although I think many people react against pornography because of its graphic nature, while nudity done more tastefully or artistically might not be considered so bad.

Pornography seems to be in a different realm, considered more cheesy and low-budget compared to other film genres (and also might have seedier reputations).

I don't recall any formal lectures when I was a kid regarding what I should do if I happen upon pornography or nudity. But back in those days, it wasn't likely to come up. We didn't have internet porn, and the porno movie houses were many miles away - and they didn't let in little kids. You wouldn't just "happen upon" pornography. You'd have to go looking for it in some of skeezier sections of town.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Nudity is fine and the human body is celebrated in art. Most of my deities were traditionally depicted nude although the Greeks had this weird hangup were it was considered indecent if a man's glans penis was exposed. I have no idea what the reasoning behind that was. They also had some backwards ideas about sex that were mostly sexist in foundation. But I'm not trying to recreate ancient civilizations. Times change and so does human understanding of the Divine. I've never gotten the idea that the Gods I am fond of care much about what humans do sexually as long as we treat each other honorably and with respect. A few of them are rather raunchy and enjoy stirring up sexual lust. It's all just part of nature and life.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

This brought to mind the following questions: How does your religion handle nudity/partial nudity and sexual subjects, if it handles them at all? And if it doesn't, what have you gained from your religious upbringing to be the proper way to regard them?

Buddhism forbids non-consensual sex like with children or animals, and it condemns adultery. I think the reason for both of these admonitions is obvious. Both cause suffering. Especially sex with minors, which destroys their innocence and really messes up their life.

Adultery generates discord and destabilizes families- including near of kin and any children involved.

Beyond that, Buddhism forbids any and all sexual contact for monks, who have chosen to live as the Blessed One did after his enlightenment. They made that decision, and the Blessed One didn't have sex. There is nothing keeping monks in the order if they decide to resume a householder's life again and engage in intercourse- including marriage and children. They should think carefully about such a decision because marriage will bind them to their partner, and a heterosexual union may bring them children.

They'd be unable to rejoin the monastic community with such obligations, as destroying marriages and families is un-Buddhist.

Buddhism forbids nothing clearly about pornographic images and the like for lay persons- provided the subjects of said material are consenting adults. Same for gay relationships- not clearly forbidden.

I was raised agnostic, so becoming Buddhist has since contributed to my ethics on this subject.

 

[Trailblazer]

Beyond that, Buddhism forbids any and all sexual contact for monks, who have chosen to live as the Blessed One did after his enlightenment. They made that decision, and the Blessed One didn't have sex.

Are you saying that the Buddha did have sex before his enlightenment and then afterwards he chose not to? Is there a reason for that? That sounds kind of like the apostle Paul. I am not saying I think that is bad, actually I admire it for my own personal reasons. I am just curious.

I understand why Catholic monks have to be celibate, because they are supposed to be married to God. If Buddhist monks do not believe in God, why is celibacy necessary?

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Are you saying that the Buddha did have sex before his enlightenment and then afterwards he chose not to? Is there a reason for that?

Because the Buddha no longer felt sexual desire after his enlightenment. He'd overcome being enslaved to all the faculties. In the Dharmic religions, there are practices where one can learn to see sexual actions as attachment or craving, and may reach the point of giving them up. Not everyone reaches such a level.

 

[William Milverton]

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Jesus gave the rules of the Christian religion in 40 commandments at the Sermon On The Mount
He gave these right at the beginning of his ministry because he didn’t know if he would live to complete his ministry


After Jesus’ death, the Apostle Paul wrote a series of letters to his churches in which he explained Jesus ministry
A person was not accepted into Paul’s church unless he or she was fully complying with Jesus’ 40 commandments or making every effort to do so


Paul’s letters were written by someone who was complying with Jesus’ 40 commandments
and they were written to people who were complying with those commandments


Paul told his church that if they ‘believed’ in Jesus they would be ‘saved’
By this he meant that if they continued to live by Jesus’ 40 commandments to the best of their ability
Jesus would forgive their failures. Intention would carry the day


Christian Pharisees of the modern church remove Jesus’ 40 commandments from the picture
And teach Paul’s words as if they were separate and unrelated to them
This is like people pretending a car does not exist, and then using its workshop manual as a bible
Jesus’ 40 commandments underpinned every word Paul wrote and nothing he wrote can be understood without them


Jesus commanded that there be no sex outside of marriage in any form whatsoever
No masturbation. No lustful thoughts. Nothing.
As Jesus is God he knows exactly how impossible that is for you
So IF you live by his 40 commandments to the best of your ability then he will forgive your failures
Intention will carry the day


Those who choose to live by a Warrior code do not follow Jesus’ 40 commandments
They will go to the Upper Hell where they will pay for their sins physically in an appropriate way
It is expected that Warriors will have the integrity to face the consequences of their actions
If you are lacking in that integrity don’t follow the Warrior path
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