I was raised by a Swedish mother. What does this mean? This means that I was raised to avoid clothing At All Times. I love being naked, anywhere, anytime. It's not something I'm embarrassed of (although I have deathly low self-esteem, helloooo BPD) or that seems sexual to me, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings amongst my fellow adolescents. Just yesterday, I was scolded by a woman on my private beach for going topless.

I simply don't understand what's wrong with it or why I need to cover up.

The naked body is shamelessly natural. Having said that, I looked at your link and that's the reason why people need to cover up. Did you see all those ugly people? They're not movie stars! ;)

I don't have too much of a problem with nudity. I just have some guidelines to it. First off, I don't think it should just be anywhere, especially in a place where a child might see you. When I was a kid I would have been mortified if I saw a naked person. Secondly, especially in America, I would really REALLY prefer if gross looking fat people kept their clothes on. No offense to them, but I really don't feel like seeing a guy mow his lawn with fat rolls and a huge beer belly. Similar to this, excessive hair is also kind of gross. If I ever become a wolf/man hybrid type person, I'll most likely keep my shirt on at almost all times.

And I want to send a message to old men that when you're in a locker room, it doesn't mean "Let's all get naked! w00t!" Please, for the love of God, put a towel on! >.<

There's nothing shameful about the naked body.

However, just because something is natural, doesn't mean its OK to flash in front of other people.

Taking a dump is natural, but I don't think anyone would be OK with people crapping in the street.

Also note that people usually uncover the parts of their body that are needed to communicate or to perform a task. Which is why we show our faces and our hands.

When you take a dump you uncover you bum. When you swim you uncover a lot more cause it makes swimming more efficient.

It's only when you make love that the whole naked body is offered to someone else. That is the beauty of it. That's what makes full nudity so special. It's that sense of vulnerability and full exposure to a person you have feelings for.

Why flaunt this to all and everybody? Why give away all of your sexual bodily mystery for the sake of feeling "natural" and "changing attitudes"?

I just find it juvenile. Why is "changing other people's attitudes" so important anyway? Maybe they like their attitude.

And if it is that important to you to be naked outdoors then by all means, there are places where you can do that.

Speaking solely from my experience as an American, I can safely say that our mainstream society has put a taboo upon one of the most natural things on Earth. The female breasts were (and still are) designed to nurture babies. Male and female reproductive organs were simply created for the purpose of "reproduction". Why such a stigma surrounds nudity is beyond me. Nobody talks about it, yet men want to have a bigger penis and women want "perfect" breasts. I honestly enjoy being naked for the sole purpose of being naked. It's freeing and natural. My friends understand me, though they don't take the same liberties as I do.

I'm a religious person, and I like to look at the Bible when issues such as these arise (that's just me though). Technically speaking, nudity is not a sin or is not sinful. I do not think though that God looks favorably upon nudist colonies or other nudist activities because he clothed Adam and Eve when they came out of the garden. If God was favorable toward it, I don't think he would have done that. Again, private nudity is okay but when it comes to public nudity, it is not okay. I think that is why you see so many people taking offense to it in the US, with a majority of people being religious and all.

There's nothing inherently wrong with nudity. But, I do think that people have to right to not be forced to see naked people everywhere they go...because whether or not it should be associated with sexuality, it IS in most of our current society, and if it's going to freak someone out, they shouldn't HAVE to see it. So no, of course there's nothing wrong with being naked, but I personally would prefer if people have their nudist colonies rather than walking in front of me. X_X But that's my own issues due to the society in which I was raised, and I'm aware of that. But I also know that people can't just automatically "desexualize" nudity in their minds, so I don't think unrestricted, completely public nudity would be a good thing at this point in our society.

If we all became nudists or something, nudity wouldn't be as awesome as it is right now. I think we're at the perfect moment, where there's still some mystery, but it's still something looked at in a sexual manner (if you're into it: FOTC!!!)

Plus, right now, nudity can also be funny (see Bruno).

If everyone just becomes naked... it won't be that sexual or that funny anymore. Same thing if we no longer use censors on television. The word fuck will lose all of its power.

See MK's arguement too because he's right.

1. Naked is always natural.

2. But sometimes it's also shameful

and this has 0 to do with anything Puritan, there's a health issue here

So here are the naked rules:

1. No fat people. Fat is unnatural so keep your fat ass covered or quit eating like a pig.

2. Old people... especially men. You disgust everyone. Yes, even in the locker room. I don't care how straight I am, if your balls are swinging 3ft, and your cock looks like an inverted pen cap and you have old people spots bigger than my head on your ass, I'm going to notice, and I will vomit in my mouth.

3. Sasquash, you know who you are. Man has been walking the earth for hundreds of thousands of years, we've built homes, air conditioning, heaters, showers, and every kind of hair removing aparatus imaginable. There is no survival reason for you to maintain your rastafarian body dreads, they smell within a 10ft radius like burning sulfur and brimstone, they have god knows what clinging to them, you are not a cudly bear, you are a Middle Earth Troll and you need to either cover yourself or get some trimmers.

I see nothing shameful about the human body although I think it's a shame how some people keep their bodies so out of shape. It's great when you see a naked person that is in the best of shape and I think everyone can appreciate that unless they're jealous that the person has a much nicer body than their own. Public nudity can be an abberation to some and I must say I include myself in that assessment. I truly don't wish to be walking down Fifth Avenue and see two naked people walking arm in arm, no matter how great their bodies might be. On the beach it's a different story and a place where you can always expect some degree of nudity. Nudity has its time and place as most things do.

As long as you aren't offending anyone, and as long as it isn't overtly sexual, then go for it. However, in the US, most people ARE offended by nudity and it's illegal, and I can think of legislation that's more urgent than changing nudity laws. But more power to folk comfy in their own skin!