Friday, November 9, 2007 at 12:12am
How much naked is acceptable?
Column: For His Glory
"How much naked is acceptable?" That is an intriguing question, wouldn't you say? What are you thinking about when you read that question? Surely the context of the situation will determine how much naked is acceptable. If your spouse were in her underwear in front of her sister as she changed outfits, this would conjure up different feelings than if she were in her underwear in front of your male boss. The context changes things in this scenario, doesn't it? So how much naked is acceptable in public, let's say for your teenage kids or your spouse, or even for yourself?
Are these even questions we think about these days? When sex seems to be the No. 1 advertising tool in America, who stops to think about how suggestive we look? Now I know that this problem falls mainly on men, as we are more visual then women. Yet it affects women as well. I have seen grown women turn silly over a man walking shirtless who has chiseled abs. But let's face it, men, advertising agencies aren't putting half-clad women on TV during NFL Sundays because they think their majority audience is women.
This problem of how much naked is acceptable is a problem not only in secular society; it's a problem many more churches are having to deal with. When we see young women and young men dressing in ways that look to highlight their bodies rather than their character, we have to be careful our appearance isn't causing others to stumble. Jesus reminds us that adultery starts in the mind.
"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).
And although you might say that's a problem for the person looking in lust and I can't control them, we have to be sensitive that our actions do not lead someone else down the wrong path. Our liberty does not allow me to hinder someone else; that is the essence of Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 8:13.
So "how much naked is acceptable?" That is the title of a sermon I heard on the New Perceptions Television website at the request of a friend. So if you want to truly know, you are going to have to listen. It dealt mainly with the issues of clothing among society, especially in the Christian community. The title intrigued me simply because it was catchy and I wanted to know where the preacher was going to end up. So if you are curious, intrigued about the subject, head over to the site and listen to a deeper discussion about the subject. The evidence may surprise you.
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Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
Are these even questions we think about these days? When sex seems to be the No. 1 advertising tool in America, who stops to think about how suggestive we look? Now I know that this problem falls mainly on men, as we are more visual then women. Yet it affects women as well. I have seen grown women turn silly over a man walking shirtless who has chiseled abs. But let's face it, men, advertising agencies aren't putting half-clad women on TV during NFL Sundays because they think their majority audience is women.
This problem of how much naked is acceptable is a problem not only in secular society; it's a problem many more churches are having to deal with. When we see young women and young men dressing in ways that look to highlight their bodies rather than their character, we have to be careful our appearance isn't causing others to stumble. Jesus reminds us that adultery starts in the mind.
"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).
And although you might say that's a problem for the person looking in lust and I can't control them, we have to be sensitive that our actions do not lead someone else down the wrong path. Our liberty does not allow me to hinder someone else; that is the essence of Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 8:13.
So "how much naked is acceptable?" That is the title of a sermon I heard on the New Perceptions Television website at the request of a friend. So if you want to truly know, you are going to have to listen. It dealt mainly with the issues of clothing among society, especially in the Christian community. The title intrigued me simply because it was catchy and I wanted to know where the preacher was going to end up. So if you are curious, intrigued about the subject, head over to the site and listen to a deeper discussion about the subject. The evidence may surprise you.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.