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Diger
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 Posted - 07/27/2006 : 10:41:24 AM
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The other night we had a covered dish supper for a couple of missionaries that just so happened to have been one of our favorite Ex Pastors and his Wife.
While in the serving line some of the ladies were comparing tans, when my wife said “Well … I have NO TAN LINES … My pool is private.” All I could do is smile and shake my head.
To my surprise there was no reaction at all, no one was shocked, not even embarrassed. I always thought we had a very special and thoughtful church, now I know we do.
We are far more open about our lifestyle now than ever before, but I would never have thought my Wife would share that with our church friends.
Has anyone else had an experience like this? Did it turn out positive or negative?
Diger
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Edited by - Moderator on 07/27/2006 1:25:57 PM
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Cheri
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Posted - 07/27/2006 : 1:55:25 PM
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I've had only positive experiences in relating to the congregation that I'm a skinnydipper. I use that term more often than nudist to explain my lifestyle.
We've a new Rabbi. It's going to be interesting. Since I appeared on TV a few years ago, just about everyone in this area is aware of my lifestyle.
Cheri
Doing what I can to positively promote nudism
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imnude2
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Posted - 09/02/2006 : 5:02:04 PM
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Hello Diger & Cheri,
That is great that so many people you know are aware of your lifestyle.
As in your case Digger, it only took an innocent comment from your wife to let others know a bit more about the lifestyle. It seems like there would be many church going people who enjoy the nudist lifestyle...some of us may be a bit shy to admit. Thanks to this forum, my shyness to many strangers suddenly disappeared (but it is still there so I am working on it.)
Thanks for sharing, I enjoy reading many of the posts.
Sincerely,
ImNude2
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balataf
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Posted - 09/04/2006 : 01:32:42 AM
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I've never heard anything to convince me that God wears clothes, either.
Actually my first real nudist contact was thru a member of my Wife's church. That's Life!
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natman55
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Posted - 09/28/2006 : 2:39:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Diger
To my surprise there was no reaction at all, no one was shocked, not even embarrassed. I always thought we had a very special and thoughtful church, now I know we do.
That has always been our experience also. My wife is far more open about our "naked time" than I am, and has broght the subject up many times at church functions. 'Never had a negative word or sideways look. 
"Be Naked but don't Sin."
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BareBackOnMyHorse
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Posted - 01/14/2007 : 5:23:24 PM
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I've told my good friends including my best friends who was surprized, but thinks it's good for me and respect me for it. My mum knows not my dad... Yet. Most staff at my house knows and a few of my house mate do.... Still need to talk to my room mate about it 'cus some times i sleep in the buff- Athough I THINK she does too. I want to talk to my pastor about it, but still am feeling shy and uncumfortible.
Don't judge people on the out side, But on the inside- their heart
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Diger
Forum Member
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Posted - 09/17/2007 : 6:55:15 PM
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In the last year we have become even more active in our church. We have also had church members over for swims, even though textile swims we have mentioned skinny-dipping
and have also had some positive comment about our oudoor shower. We take the oportunity to tell how nice it is to shower under the stars, and everyone has had good reactions.
I'm just trying to revive this thread.
Diger
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n/a
deleted
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Posted - 09/18/2007 : 11:17:48 AM
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Our small church is structured into smaller "sharing" groups that meet regularly in addition to sunday morning worship. We've shared about our journey into naturism with our small group pretty much as it happened. Part of the group dynamic is that we trust what we discuss will be kept in confidence. It was helpful to have their feedback as we "tried on" taking it all off. Being accountable to the group was an important safety net for my wife.
We've recently turned a bit of a corner in our journey, having joined a club and bought a trailer...which definitely takes us out of the experimental stage. This reality has made us more open to widening the circle of those who know. We've told other close friends (who are church members), because it felt wrong to carve out a chunk of our life and keep it a big secret. We've told my parents, who live in the same town as we do, as it would be difficult to explain where we were going on weekends, otherwise.
Reactions have always been, first surprise, then questions, and finally, some degree of understanding. In the final analysis, it's only strengthened the relationships with those we've shared with. This is something of a "duh" outcome, as you would expect honesty in a relationship to be a positive.
So, to sum up, I'd say tell the people you trust. If that's your church, great! If it's not, maybe you need a different church ;-)
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tgg
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Posted - 10/25/2007 : 12:58:11 PM
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I no longer go to church due to the negative way I have been treated by churchies when I tried to bring up the subject of naturism. These days I prefer to read the Bible for myself.
'Fear wraps our bodies in clothing, love allows us to stand naked' - Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations With God 1)
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Diger
Forum Member
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Posted - 10/25/2007 : 4:31:11 PM
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tgg,
Sorry to here of your negative experience, but don't let it stop you from finding a Church for yourself. I agree with prairieflya, maybe you just need a different Church.
Satan just loves to keep us down over things like this. Next time try using terms like Skinny-dipping or No Tanlines, these seem more textile friendly than Nudist or Naturism.
Diger
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Country: USA
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agde
Forum Member
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Posted - 10/29/2007 : 1:20:59 PM
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My family was naturist and my dad was a protestant preacher. The parsonage when I was a teenager had a small swimming pool in the backyard. At least once a summer, we hosted a congregational nude picnic -- usually with a title like "Back to the Garden", "Eden before the Serpent", or "Shameless Sunday Skinnydip". Plenty of theological hooks. Apples were banned from potluck dishes. 
People really enjoyed! Never a negative word, in the congregation or from church hierarchy. Of course it was a simpler era, but at least it helps explain why outings at the sunclub still sort of feel like a church picnic to me.
Was just thinking maybe Garden of Eden picnics might still work as an idea for church sharing groups?
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Edited by - agde on 10/29/2007 1:26:03 PM |
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Country: France
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Diger
Forum Member
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Posted - 12/06/2007 : 10:49:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by agde
My family was naturist and my dad was a protestant preacher. The parsonage when I was a teenager had a small swimming pool in the backyard. At least once a summer, we hosted a congregational nude picnic -- usually with a title like "Back to the Garden", "Eden before the Serpent", or "Shameless Sunday Skinnydip". Plenty of theological hooks. Apples were banned from potluck dishes.
People really enjoyed! Never a negative word, in the congregation or from church hierarchy. Of course it was a simpler era, but at least it helps explain why outings at the sunclub still sort of feel like a church picnic to me.
Was just thinking maybe Garden of Eden picnics might still work as an idea for church sharing groups?
Adge,
Was this in France, I've not heard of anything like that in the USA. WOW that sounds like a great time.
Diger
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melissastarr
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Posted - 12/07/2007 : 03:28:21 AM
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My best friend, who is my roommate, was the first person outside of the nudist community that I told about my desire to attend a nude swim. She, being tied to the apron strings of her mother, told her family. To explain what that has to do with the discussion, we go to the same church and her dad is an elder there. Such is life. We laugh about it now and then, but I think the whole family sees a positive difference in me since becoming a nudist. I'm more free-feeling and open. I'm able to take care of myself better and I'm more confident. We like the new me.
Prior to that, I did go to another church (I switched churches when I moved several months ago.) At the other church I was good friends with Fran and got to know her husband John aka Balataf who you know here today. So I guess I have invited some church friends into social nudism, you could say.
Melissa
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"Be who you are and say how you feel because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter" -Dr. Seuss
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agde
Forum Member
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Posted - 12/08/2007 : 02:28:23 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Diger
Was this in France, I've not heard of anything like that in the USA.
It was actually in northern California. I know it is nowadays sometimes kind of hard to remember the days when churches were a liberal force, when "liberation theology" was the vogue, and when congregations were the main nexus for community networking, social services and recreational activities. At the time, the picnics seemed a quite innocently normal skinny-dipper way to make theological points about getting back to the Garden.
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Edited by - agde on 12/08/2007 02:30:20 AM |
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Country: France
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Diger
Forum Member
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Posted - 12/08/2007 : 2:57:40 PM
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That's my lifes goal, getting back to the garden. I've always said, "You can have the streets of gold, just give me the garden".
Diger
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Edited by - Diger on 12/08/2007 2:59:13 PM |
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Country: USA
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catbird
Forum Member
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Posted - 04/02/2008 : 4:58:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tgg
I no longer go to church due to the negative way I have been treated by churchies when I tried to bring up the subject of naturism. These days I prefer to read the Bible for myself.
Sorry about your experience in that church. Don't give up on church membership. It is to anybody's spiritual benefit to regularly worship at a church. Perhaps you need a different church.
To discuss naturism among the parishioners, there isn't any need for that. If you don't share that among parishioners, that is OK too.
As a generalization, church people have that common clothing compulsory belief. This applies in the Fundamentalist churches, as well as the mainline churches (i.e., Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and Episcopal). Nevertheless I am a naturist and am active in a church; however I don't tell my parishioners.
Once I at a nude beach, I observed that a naked woman was wearing a cross pendant hanging from her neck. I commented that it is interesting to be wearing a cross at a nude beach. She shared with me which church she worships at, and that church is very conservative.
I have felt very close to God while nude in nature. The feeling of the sun and breeze on my bare skin can make me feel close to God.
Naturally, Catbird
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