[Vision2020] RE: A (Boring) Liberal World

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 19:47:22 EST

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Joshua et. al.

I want to clarify exactly what I am talking about regarding the "promotion" 
of public nudity.  If my comments have been interpreted to mean I think 
everyone should go around publicly, as Nature or God or the Goddess or whoever or 
whatever you believe created us, for the good of society, etc. I do NOT mean to 
suggest this sort of mandated social engineering.  

If someone wishes to keep their body a secret for their future husband or 
wife, or believes based on their spiritual faith that they should always cover 
their body in public, more power to them.  

What I object to is having the government declare the mere public sight of 
the human body to be a CRIME, as though this very sight is a social evil that 
creates great harm.  This IS mandated social engineering, of the sort it appears 
you approve?  Or are you willing to let individuals decide for themselves, 
absent criminal sanctions, how bored with their body, according to your thesis, 
they are willing to let others become? 

Moreover, the argument you make that acceptance of nudity strips (sorry) the 
body of its mystery and beauty I find flawed.  If your argument was mostly 
valid, we would also cover our faces, as much as possible, till we were married, 
to maintain the beauty and mystery of eyes and lips.  Maybe Islam follows your 
logic in a more consistent fashion with the veiling of women?  But we do not 
commonly veil women in America, and I can assure you from vast personal 
experience that the mystery, beauty and allure of a women's eyes and lips has in no 
way been diminished by the absence of the veil.  

To frame this discussion in another context, by now sunsets should have lost 
all their beauty and mystery at this stage in my life, after watching 
gazillions of them, ditto for the moon, stars and planets.  I should be bored with it 
all.  No veils, except those we impose on the mind, cover these aspects of 
nature to maintain their mystery and beauty.  Yet sunsets can still be flat out 
amazingly beautiful, and I still feel an undefinable mysterious awe in gazing 
at the infinity of space.  

Whether the human body is boring, lacking in beauty and mystery, is not a 
function of whether or not we make it against the law to show it in public.  Nor 
do I think someone who has seen naked bodies often will necessarily lose their 
capacity to view the body as beautiful or mysterious.  Many married couples, 
who have seen very few naked bodies of the opposite sex except their spouses, 
feel boredom in their sex lives, which they mitigate with the stimulus of 
watching other naked bodies, to add excitement, a fact which totally contradicts 
your thesis that exposure to nudity creates boredom.

Ted

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<HTML>
 Joshua et. al.
 
 I want to clarify exactly what I am talking about regarding the "promoti=
on" of public nudity. &nbsp;If my comments have been interpreted to mean I t=
hink everyone should go around publicly, as Nature or God or the Goddess or=20=
whoever or whatever you believe created us, for the good of society, etc. I=20=
do NOT mean to suggest this sort of mandated social engineering. &nbsp;
 
 If someone wishes to keep their body a secret for their future husband o=
r wife, or believes based on their spiritual faith that they should always c=
over their body in public, more power to them. &nbsp;
 
 What I object to is having the government declare the mere public sight=20=
of the human body to be a CRIME, as though this very sight is a social evil=20=
that creates great harm. &nbsp;This IS mandated social engineering, of the s=
ort it appears you approve? &nbsp;Or are you willing to let individuals deci=
de for themselves, absent criminal sanctions, how bored with their body, acc=
ording to your thesis, they are willing to let others become?=20
 
 Moreover, the argument you make that acceptance of nudity strips (sorry)=
 the body of its mystery and beauty I find flawed. &nbsp;If your argument wa=
s mostly valid, we would also cover our faces, as much as possible, till we=20=
were married, to maintain the beauty and mystery of eyes and lips. &nbsp;May=
be Islam follows your logic in a more consistent fashion with the veiling of=
 women? &nbsp;But we do not commonly veil women in America, and I can assure=
 you from vast personal experience that the mystery, beauty and allure of a=20=
women's eyes and lips has in no way been diminished by the absence of the ve=
il. &nbsp;
 
 To frame this discussion in another context, by now sunsets should have=20=
lost all their beauty and mystery at this stage in my life, after watching g=
azillions of them, ditto for the moon, stars and planets. &nbsp;I should be=20=
bored with it all. &nbsp;No veils, except those we impose on the mind, cover=
 these aspects of nature to maintain their mystery and beauty. &nbsp;Yet sun=
sets can still be flat out amazingly beautiful, and I still feel an undefina=
ble mysterious awe in gazing at the infinity of space. &nbsp;
 
 Whether the human body is boring, lacking in beauty and mystery, is not=20=
a function of whether or not we make it against the law to show it in public=
. &nbsp;Nor do I think someone who has seen naked bodies often will necessar=
ily lose their capacity to view the body as beautiful or mysterious. &nbsp;M=
any married couples, who have seen very few naked bodies of the opposite sex=
 except their spouses, feel boredom in their sex lives, which they mitigate=20=
with the stimulus of watching other naked bodies, to add excitement, a fact=20=
which totally contradicts your thesis that exposure to nudity creates boredo=
m.
 
 Ted</HTML>

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