Why do We have to Wear Clothes?

[JamesR]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing? If humans prior to the fall of Adam were naked and it was good, and clothing and shame came after the Fall, why do we still have to wear them? If Christ redeemed us as the "New Adam" then doesn't it follow that the same and guilt from the first Adam has been canceled out and we could go back to being nude? I mean, sure, there are times when--given the weather and obeying civil law--we'd have to wear clothes. But what about in Church? If the Liturgy transcends reality as we know it and is where Heaven and Earth meet--in the presence of God under the new Covenant, why do we still have to wear clothing--which only signifies the shame from the first Adam? Christ is risen and is the new Adam, there's no need for clothing anymore if we've been redeemed.

[genesisone]

Interestingly, I recently watched a TV documentary about the Doukhobors in British Colombia in the 1950s and 60s. They believed that we should be free and open before God. That was one of the points that led to serious clashes (that according to the documentary were poorly handled by the RCMP and other authorities).

We've been redeemed, OK - but have we achieved theosis in its fullness?

[Orthodox11]

1. Weather. Christ did not stop us dying of cold or getting sunburn.

2. We are still subject to the passions and have to struggle against them. The world in which we live is still a fallen one.

[katherineofdixie]

1. Weather. Christ did not stop us dying of cold or getting sunburn.

2. We are still subject to the passions and have to struggle against them. The world in which we live is still a fallen one.

And

3. For esthetic reasons.

[LBK]

1. Weather. Christ did not stop us dying of cold or getting sunburn.

2. We are still subject to the passions and have to struggle against them. The world in which we live is still a fallen one.

And

3. For esthetic reasons.

THIS!! The sight of me in the altogether is Not A Good Thing.    

[valgeronk]

Being the practical person that I am - not wearing clothes in Estonia autumn, winter, spring and most of the summer will result in either death or severe hypothermia. 

[Michał Kalina]

Best thread's title in a while.

[biro]

Anybody else notice James has a one-track mind?

[Arachne]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing?

Exposing one's own shortcomings is never a smart idea.

http://haldolongwidget.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/public-nudity/

[LBK]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing?

Exposing one's own shortcomings is never a smart idea.

http://haldolongwidget.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/public-nudity/

Thanks for posting this spectacular and welcome dose of grumpiness, Arachne. 

[orthros]

Best thread's title in a while.

"Why Are Roman Catholics Always Trying to Jack Our Swag?" is still the frontrunner.  I laugh every time I think about it.

[Papist]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

[podkarpatska]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

Wasn't that point made in a Seinfeld episode?

[Shanghaiski]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing? If humans prior to the fall of Adam were naked and it was good, and clothing and shame came after the Fall, why do we still have to wear them? If Christ redeemed us as the "New Adam" then doesn't it follow that the same and guilt from the first Adam has been canceled out and we could go back to being nude? I mean, sure, there are times when--given the weather and obeying civil law--we'd have to wear clothes. But what about in Church? If the Liturgy transcends reality as we know it and is where Heaven and Earth meet--in the presence of God under the new Covenant, why do we still have to wear clothing--which only signifies the shame from the first Adam? Christ is risen and is the new Adam, there's no need for clothing anymore if we've been redeemed.

For the same reason we don't eat meat sacrificed to idols--for the same of our brethren.

[Shanghaiski]

St. Gabriel of Mtskheta said the followers of Antichrist will walk around naked.

[JamesR]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

[Achronos]

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

LMBO!

[LBK]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about. 

[Achronos]

From middle school to high school the outfits on the girls were more revealing every year. There used to be one area in the school where a certain ethnic group hung out and you could have sworn you were at a prostitute's street corner.

The principal at the time didn't care too much and allowed us to wear hats in school.

Oh and sagging was allowed.

[username!]

You go naked in 20F weather and tell me how long you can stand it.  I can't stand it most of the time when I'm dressed like a marshmallow.

[LBK]

You go naked in 20F weather and tell me how long you can stand it.  I can't stand it most of the time when I'm dressed like a marshmallow.

Indeed. You go naked in 105F weather and see how long you'll last. 

[Maria]

You go naked in 20F weather and tell me how long you can stand it.  I can't stand it most of the time when I'm dressed like a marshmallow.

Indeed. You go naked in 105F weather and see how long you'll last. 

Indeed, studies done in the military show that fully clothed soldiers could handle the heat better than men who went around bare-backed while wearing shorts.

[Shanghaiski]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about. 

For them, then, there is caning.

[choy]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing? If humans prior to the fall of Adam were naked and it was good, and clothing and shame came after the Fall, why do we still have to wear them? If Christ redeemed us as the "New Adam" then doesn't it follow that the same and guilt from the first Adam has been canceled out and we could go back to being nude? I mean, sure, there are times when--given the weather and obeying civil law--we'd have to wear clothes. But what about in Church? If the Liturgy transcends reality as we know it and is where Heaven and Earth meet--in the presence of God under the new Covenant, why do we still have to wear clothing--which only signifies the shame from the first Adam? Christ is risen and is the new Adam, there's no need for clothing anymore if we've been redeemed.

Come to Canada and you'll know why.  There is still a week of winter left

[LBK]

You go naked in 20F weather and tell me how long you can stand it.  I can't stand it most of the time when I'm dressed like a marshmallow.

Indeed. You go naked in 105F weather and see how long you'll last. 

Indeed, studies done in the military show that fully clothed soldiers could handle the heat better than men who went around bare-backed while wearing shorts.

Anyone who lives in places where it gets seriously hot can tell you the same thing. If heatstroke doesn't get you, sunburn will. To the point of blisters and burns of all three degrees. One's delicate bits would be particularly vulnerable.

And then there's the long term risk of skin cancer. Not all of them are deadly, but why tempt fate?

[Maria]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about. 

For them, then, there is caning.

caning?

[choy]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

Okay then, try prostrating behind someone.

[Gamliel]

If we did not wear clothes, it would put a lot more factory workers out of work and depress the economy even more.  Keep wearing clothes.  

[LBK]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about. 

For them, then, there is caning.

Caning in schools was abolished in my neck of the woods about 40 years ago, so there goes that option.  

God only knows how I've managed to restrain myself over the years from sneaking up behind a lad with saggy pants, and yanking them down to the ankles.  

[Asteriktos]

If we did not have clothes, the existence of James would necessitate their creation.

[Maria]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

Okay then, try prostrating behind someone.

Perish the thought and scent.

[Maria]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about.  

For them, then, there is caning.

Caning in schools was abolished in my neck of the woods about 40 years ago, so there goes that option.  

God only knows how I've managed to restrain myself over the years from sneaking up behind a lad with saggy pants, and yanking them down to the ankles.  

So, caning as in paddling or belting? Yes, those forms of corporeal punishment are rarely seen today.

Yanking pants .... logismoi confession time?

[LBK]

If we did not have clothes, the existence of James would necessitate their creation.

Oooo, you horrible, horrible, man, you.

[LBK]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Side note: At the beginning of every school year, when discussing the dress code with my students, I always make the following announcement:

"To all of the gentle men who like to "sag" their pants, and to all of the ladies who like to wear short shorts, I would like to remind you that the chairs in this classroom are never washed. Consider that before selecting your outfit every morning."

I imagine the girls would have enough "ewwwww" factor to heed this advice. The lads, I'm not so sure about.  

For them, then, there is caning.

Caning in schools was abolished in my neck of the woods about 40 years ago, so there goes that option.  

God only knows how I've managed to restrain myself over the years from sneaking up behind a lad with saggy pants, and yanking them down to the ankles.  

logismoi confession time?

No, just proving that grumpy old farts like me are capable of reining in their impulses. Though, in such cases, I often wish I hadn't.  

[Nephi]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

Okay then, try prostrating behind someone.

 

[Maria]

If we did not have clothes, the existence of James would necessitate their creation.

Oooo, you horrible, horrible, man, you.

No, the presence of us older sagging adults would necessitate clothes.
Gravity pulls everything down. Longer earlobes, longer noses, ... you get the point.

[Cyrillic]

According to St. Augustine's de haeresibus there were schismatic heretics in the early Church who went to church naked.

[Papist]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

[yeshuaisiam]

Still trying to find where Christ made us the "New Adam", but he did redeem our sins.
 
But we keep sinning.  We know of sin, and innocence lost.

I think a good question is, with our sins redeemed, why do we keep sinning?
If everybody went without clothes would people be sinning in lust, judgment, etc.?

Anyway, just my thoughts.

[Arachne]

Come to Canada and you'll know why.  There is still a week of winter left

Which doesn't say much, as the four seasons in Canada are really called Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

[LBK]

According to St. Augustine's de haeresibus there were schismatic heretics in the early Church who went to church naked.

Bet that sect didn't last long, the yiayia (I don't know what it is in Arabic or Latin) squad would've soon sorted them out. (Babushki were still several centuries away)

[Kerdy]

For starters, most people don't want to see you naked.

[Orthodox11]

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

The only thing I want to see swinging in church is the censer.

[Orthodox11]

Bet that sect didn't last long, the yiayia (I don't know what it is in Arabic or Latin) squad would've soon sorted them out. (Babushki were still several centuries away)

The Berber is apparently 'henna'.

[Schultz]

If we did not have clothes, the existence of James would necessitate their creation.

Asteriktos wins this thread.

[podkarpatska]

Come to Canada and you'll know why.  There is still a week of winter left

Which doesn't say much, as the four seasons in Canada are really called Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

I thought that was Pennsylvania !!!!

[Papist]

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

The only thing I want to see swinging in church is the censer.

  Well done!

[Fabio Leite]

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Gênesis 3:21

Said that, the naked body is not an impure thing of itself, but the way we look at it may be.

Amazonic indians lived mostly naked, bodypaint filling the cultural role of clothes. Non-integrated tribes still live half-naked and some of the isolated tribes do not wear any clothes.

I would like to remind you and all others that the forum policy is simple: "Clean Images/Media -- Please keep all posted images and media "clean". Pornography or other distasteful images or videos will be deleted and trigger disciplinary actions ranging from warning to outright ban."

While images of naked folks engaged in non-sexual activities is not pornography, they are not "clean" IMHO. I am not going to take disciplinary action in this instance as I wish to confer with my fellow moderators since this is a precedent under the latest version of the rule, at least for me. Accordingly, I eliminated the pictures from this post. Please do not post any more "National Geography" type pictures or any other pictures/paintings until further notice. Thanks, Carl Kraeff

[Cantor Krishnich]

Someone hasn't read the Book of Genesis!

[orthonorm]

[Redacted cause I didn't read any of it]

LOL! I just looked at the title. I can't believe you got as many responses as you did.

You have a gift. A troll in the truest sense.

Respect.

[orthonorm]

There used to be one area in the school where a certain ethnic group hung out and you could have sworn you were at a prostitute's street corner.

James can't keep from making great threads, but I must educate someone here.

I dunno where you live, but where I do, and I am primarily in the prostitution area. Literally, one of the local news stations did an investigation cause there were up to 12 or so women on the corner about 180 yards away from me. It was comical to drive much less walk through.

In any case, having lived where I do, and having lived basically in a Catholic Parish which was next to a high-end brothel, and live around other places where it was common, I've seen and spoken with and what have you with lotsa working girls.

You don't want most of the girls in your high school looking like the "typical" prostitute.

[JamesR]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

Well, it'd definitely save me time in the morning and I could sleep longer before Liturgy...

[Shanghaiski]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

Well, it'd definitely save me time in the morning and I could sleep longer before Liturgy...

The road to hell is so much more convenient.

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

Forgiveness Sunday is in three days. Let's take a recess until after Bright Week. In case I forget, please PM me if you really want this topic reopened. Thanks, Carl

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

This topic is unlocked as promised. Carl Kraeff

[Keble]

I have to wear clothes because it is cold outside much of the year and because much of the rest of the year either I'll get skin cancer from too much sum or I'll freeze to death due to too much AC at the office.

Oh, and because I'm a slave to societal norms.

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

Last week, I was talking to a retired Marine and joking about his close-cropped hair. He came back with "you must have a beard to hide the ugly!" After I finished laughing, I explained to him why what he said was so true. Years ago, I was negotiating with Egyptians and they kept saying that I knew Arabic (not true) because I looked like a Saudi. It is true that I have the Saudi nose and double chin, just as it is true that after I retired from the USAF, I did grow a beard to cover the double chin, or the "ugly." 

I wonder if that is also the case with clothes.

[Schultz]

I wear clothes because clothes are awesome.

[James2]

If we did not wear clothes, would you really want to sit in the same chair in which some one else just sat?

Guess again, Papist! We Orthodox stand in Church! Check and mate 

So you are saying you want to walk around naked at church?

Well, it'd definitely save me time in the morning and I could sleep longer before Liturgy...

Then go "commando" - it might save you 20 seconds and nobody will know. 

[J Michael]

I wear clothes for 2 reasons: a) to keep warm when it's cold (although wrapping up in a blanket might achieve the same result); b) as an act of Christian mercy for anyone who happens to see more of me than just my head and bearded face. 

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

I wear clothes for 2 reasons: a) to keep warm when it's cold (although wrapping up in a blanket might achieve the same result); b) as an act of Christian mercy for anyone who happens to see more of me than just my head and bearded face. 

You said it brother!

[Keble]

I wear clothes because clothes are awesome.

I've seen your clothes, and "awesome" is not the word I would use for them. 

[yeshuaisiam]

I think it has to do something with sin.

Garden of eden, after sin they covered their nakedness.

Since man was booted from the garden, now guarded by an angel with a flaming sword, we can't go back.

Hence we need clothes.   We understand good/evil now.   We need modesty & pure minds.

[lovesupreme]

My thoughts were stirred...

[Nicene]

Cause I don't want to see naked people.

[Santagranddad]

Serious question--from a purely religious standpoint, why do we have to wear clothing? If humans prior to the fall of Adam were naked and it was good, and clothing and shame came after the Fall, why do we still have to wear them? If Christ redeemed us as the "New Adam" then doesn't it follow that the same and guilt from the first Adam has been canceled out and we could go back to being nude? I mean, sure, there are times when--given the weather and obeying civil law--we'd have to wear clothes. But what about in Church? If the Liturgy transcends reality as we know it and is where Heaven and Earth meet--in the presence of God under the new Covenant, why do we still have to wear clothing--which only signifies the shame from the first Adam? Christ is risen and is the new Adam, there's no need for clothing anymore if we've been redeemed.

Visiting Aegina I found a church with a notice in four languages asking visitors only to enter the building clothed. On enquiring was shocked to hear naked tourists were in the habit of dropping in.

I adequately clothed people already cause enough discomfort and distraction in too many Greek churches as it is. And even there you need clothes just to keep warm at altitude year round, and in winter at any altitude. Saint John Chrysostom wrote fondly to a young bride to be on the need to dress modestly and without great ostentation. (Letter seen on Orthodox Christian Information Centre website).

[fibonacci]

because people's mind will be preoccupied with lustful thoughts

and society wouldn't progress very far

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