And it's gone because of religion and patriarchy.

Sadly so...

I suppose that is why we have laws that require hygiene under certain circumstances. I am all for such laws.

Making nudity legal does not mean there would not be limitations or regulations. For instance even speech is regulated under some circumstances, such as it is illegal to yell fire in a theater or auditorium. Above I already mention the limitation that a naked person should not be doing anything with the intent of sexually arousing either themselves or anyone else. Other limitations would very likely be needed to insure hygienic protections... because some people are just idiots and/or assholes in regards to being considerate of others.

@snytiger6 The limitations needed to make general public nudity sufficiently hygienic would most likely amount to see-through clothing, Which rather defeats the purpose. All beaches being clothing optional, parks the same, probably public swimming pools but I'd want input from the managers of such. These would be reasonable options. Nudity on public transport would be both invasive and grotty. If we could limit the close contact into which people come it would probably be reasonably safe. I suspect that clothing is the easier option.

"Inappropriate"? Only by the church's definition.

What is "inappropriate", really? Society needs to get a grip on the whole "can't bear to even think about sexual reality". If society didn't have all the repressed sexuality issues, you wouldn't pop a boner when you saw a naked woman.

I think my 'popping a boner' may be due to evoloution or biology but I'm quite happy to blame the church for it, if it gets me out of trouble

Definitions of "beauty" are arbitrary and have varied from one culture to another. It is only recently, with easy world communication that that has been any general agreement. Too bad it currently centers on models with eating disorders and Photoshopped pictures that create a totally unrealistic standard of what beauty is. Nobody can maintain the current standards of beauty forever.

Naturists/Nudists in general are not so judgemental as society in general. No matter wha tyou look like, you are generally accepted. Judgements are reserved for how you act and behave and not in how you look.

@snytiger6 yeah heard that excuse countless times but I still stand by what I said

A lot of ideas from modern society came from Ancient Greece which idealized the nude body. In the ancient Olympics athletes competed in the nude. In ancient Greece and Rome clothign was more for warmth and protection than it was a sign of "beign civilized".In many cultures, although they wore clothing, thee was no shame associated with nudity. Shame for the nude body is a learned trait.

@snytiger6 clothing is actually being associated with civilised society, don't be panic,if ur daughter or sister roam arround u being naked what would u do? Will u support ? Or support them to be naked,clothing must be decent not be vulgar. Beleive or not but nudity seems good for others when a chance comes to apply it on ourseleves then tenets become change.

Technically, in some states, but not all, just beign naked can put you on a sex offenders list. In Washington State is specifically beign naked in front of children. Evidently the law makers of various states ,made the presumption, in their small perverted minds, that if you are naked then you must be wanting to do something sexual.

As many people only get naked for either bathing or sex, for many it is hard to imagine beign naked outside of one of those two contexts. Feeling ashmaed of nudity and of your body is a learned behavior, which seems to go unquestioned as to whether or not it is healthy or reasonable. Many states in the U.S. reflect the nonthinking, and blind acceptance of presumptions which are rooted in religion and religious ideas.

In the U.S. a lot of our culture still carries the religious idea that authority is nto to be questioned, especially with conservatives, and religion teaches or rather demands that people do not question their authority.

So, people are taught to feel shame about nudity and to be ashamed of their bodies, and they seldom question whether or not they actually should feel ashamed.

It's a form of cultural dysfunction.

Not strictly true these days - although it was more tolerated 40 years ago, at the end of the Franco era. Nowadays, certain beaches are designated OK for nudity, but there must be signs informing the public of the fact. That way one can choose whether to rush on to the beach or shun it.

Of course there wold have to be some regulation for hygienic purposes.

It really isn't about "seeing" people, so much as it is about personal freedom.

@snytiger6 No, it is definitely about seeing people.

I think the reasons probably vary greatly, but the majority have probably been taught to be ashamed of their own bodies, and also taught to shame other people's bodies as well, as a way of trying to make themselves feel superior.

@snytiger6 No. LOL

I think I get your point there.

As another respondent pointed out, each person should be free to choose. Laws agains tnudity are mor eaobut controlling people than they are abbout providing any actual benefit to society.

One of my favorite T-Shirts reads "If we were meant to be naked, we'd have been born that way."

It is considered proper etiquette in nudist culture to carry towels to sit on for hygienic purposes.

A lot of the point of nudism is to get over feeling ashamed of one's body. I think it is criminal tht we are taught to feel embarrassment and shame over how we look, and are taught that the ideal beauty is what we see in photos that are all touched up and altered to a point that it is impossible to reach in real life.

The thing about contracts,even social cottracts, is that they can be modified, changed or even broken.

I agree that there probably shoudl be designated places for the practice, but on the other hand, I think people shoudl also be allowed to be nude outside of designated places if they so choose. If they choose to rake on the risks of such actions that is their choice. However, I think few would choose to do so, just as few persons choose to park a brand new car in South Central Los Angeles (a crime ridden area). People so mostly use common sense to reduce their risks.

Anyway, changes in public nudity laws would have to be gradual, to alloow for cultural adaptation. No responsible legislators would go from a total ban on nudity to allowing nudity everywhere over night. That would likely be chaotic.

It would be more like in Europe, where they would designate sections of public parks where nude sunbathing is legal, and sections of beaches stc...

The states of Vermont and Oregon have pretty nude friendly laws. In Oregon, you can legally be nude anywhere if you are protesting. The oregon State Supreme Court ruled that nudity is protected under the State's constitution. The wording of the decision is clear about protests, but vague about other situations.

While visiting a friend in Palms Springs, where the high temperatures were 110-120F, I was introduced to Nutrogena sun screen (I am talking about he creme that somes in a tube, nto hte spray). I found with just one application, I could go in and out of the water all day without burning or having to reapply it. It is expensive, but well worth it. I have never burned while wearing it, no matter how much time I spent in the sun. Abotu a minute after you put it on it is dry to the touch, so you dont' get on clothes if you put clothes on over it. Anyway, if you are fair skinned, it shoudl allow you to be in the sun for much longer. You will still fell warm, but definitely won't be as apt to burn.

Wow. Interesting story. Hope society gets over its warped attitudes soon. Clothing only when naturally necessary.

I am thinking (or a least hoping) that Trump will push too hard and too far and there will be a societal push back in the other direction.

Beautiful nakedness is in the eye of the beholder.

yes, what you describe, is the way things shoudl be.

What are your reasons for this opinion?

The first time I went to a nude beach, Within an hour, the nudity all around me was no big deal. Even though it took several trips before I went nude myself, I strted to see nudity as "normal".

If nudity is normalized. then it is no big deal.

Yeah, there will be obese people, but at the nude beach, i hear a lot less derogatory comments than I her in public places where everyone is clothed. Beauty value judgements are mostly learned. They can be unlearned (or better yet not learned in the first place). Too many people equate beauty and beign sexually attractive as they saem thing, but they are not. Everyone at some time in their life has seen someone who was physiclly beautiful to whom they were not attracted to sexually. The serialization of the human body, or rather seeing every human body in terms of sexual attractiveness and making a beauty judgement on that basis has not made for a better world or society.

Naked is natural. Clothign is unnatural. Why do we mostly choose to live so out of touch with nature?

One of my favortite T-shirts reads "If we were meant to be naked, We'd have been born that way".

It isn't about being seen. It is more aobut having the self confidence and aelf assurance enough to not care if you are seen, and just enjoying the freedom in movement without clothes and experience the sun wind and/or rain as nature intended.

I've read all the replies and yours is one that seems to be more thought out than the knee jerk responses a few person put out there. Our society could not handle an "overnight" change, but it would have to be adopted gradually with clear regulations for purposes of public safety (and hygiene) so that people could adjust and adapt in a gradual and sensible way.