Why is public nudity condemned by the Christian Church

[1couple]

Hi everyone and fellow Christians
Given the title of this thread, I will get right to it.
My husband and myself have been born again Christians for 25 years and very active nudists for about the same time.
We have often wondered and discussed why if the Bible and /or Jesus never directly condemned public nudity, then why do Christians?
Let me know if there is anyone out there that has a good answer to that.

[Difflugia]

For some folks, Rom 14:1 itself is a gray issue.

I won't hold it against them.

[The Barbarian]

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with nudity, but my great guess is that it incites lust in weak Christians. So in order to protect some Christians from committing such a sin Christianity has decided that nudity be put on the church's "Verboten" list so everyone will be stopped from potentially arousing their weak brethren. Fair? No, but then who says Christianity has to be fair? Certainly not Christians.

It's not a sin, but given the way our culture works, it's an occasion to sin. Which we should avoid. Those who are comfortable with nudity, to the point that it does not produce temptation any more than people wearing clothes, do nothing wrong by being nude among others. Doesn't work ro me, and that's about all a Christian can say about it.

[Miles]

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with nudity, but my great guess is that it incites lust in weak Christians. So in order to protect some Christians from committing such a sin Christianity has decided that nudity be put on the church's "Verboten" list so everyone will be stopped from potentially arousing their weak brethren. Fair? No, but then who says Christianity has to be fair? Certainly not Christians.

It's not a sin, but given the way our culture works, it's an occasion to sin. Which we should avoid. Those who are comfortable with nudity, to the point that it does not produce temptation any more than people wearing clothes, do nothing wrong by being nude among others. Doesn't work ro me, and that's about all a Christian can say about it.

It's nice, I guess, that you don't think lust is a sin, but some Christians think it is.

"Why Is Lust a Sin?

God’s design for sexuality was intended for one woman and one man within the bonds of marriage. It was His desire all along for sexual intimacy to be shared and enjoyed within marriage, and that has not changed. Yet, our culture has hijacked God’s intention for sexuality and turned much of this desire into a lust issue. Lust, essentially, is a sexual inclination that does not include the value of people or God at its center and also lies outside the boundaries of God’s design. Pornography. Masturbation. Homosexuality. Sex outside of marriage and or with multiple partners. These are all acts outside of His will that extract others and God for self-interest. 

The Bible makes a very strong statement regarding lust and sin in 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8, "God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you." Although we may fall into the iniquity of lust, we can repent and turn from our selfish ways. We are called to love others as ourselves, not to use others for our own desires. The Christian faith calls for selflessness and is characterized by virtue and love.
source

And

"Lust Is a Sin

The Bible describes lust as sinful, a form of faithlessness and immorality that "comes not from the Father but from the world." Believers are warned to guard against it:

Matthew 5:28
"But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts."

1 Corinthians 6:18
"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body."

1 John 2:16
"For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world."

Mark 7:20-23
"And then he added, 'It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.'"
source

.

[The Barbarian]

It's not a sin, but given the way our culture works, it's an occasion to sin. Which we should avoid. Those who are comfortable with nudity, to the point that it does not produce temptation any more than people wearing clothes, do nothing wrong by being nude among others. Doesn't work ro me, and that's about all a Christian can say about it.

That's nice, I guess, that you don't think lust is a sin,

What makes you think it's not a sin? Read what I said, again.

There's nothing inherently sinful in nudity. Only if it is an occasion to sin. Nudity is not lust. The problem is that most of us are conditioned to respond to naked humans as sexual. If we weren't, it would be no more an occasion to sin than seeing an attractive person who was wearing clothing.

but some Christians think it is.

Nudity is not lust, but it will generally lead to lust. Incidentally, it's fine to desire your spouse.

So, we know that lusting after someone other than your spouse is wrong, but what about when it is your spouse? The answer to this question is multi-faceted, so hang with me for just a minute. The basic answer is that it’s impossible to sin by lusting after your spouse, because within the covenant of marriage, God gives us an enormous amount of freedom to express our desire for one another. The Bible even celebrates marital desire and sex in multiple writings including the ultra-steamy Song of Solomon which is an erotic love poem using very sensual and explicit imagery to celebrate a husband and wife’s yearning for each other and sexual expression with each other.

That’s the good news. God wants you to have a steamy sex life with your spouse. He wants you to be aroused and delighted by the sight of each other. After all, He is the one who invented sex as a gift for married couples, and it’s a gift He wants you both to enjoy often! Here’s the bad news…it’s possible to have sinful lust in your marriage even when you’re remaining physically monogamous to your spouse.
https://xomarriage.com/articles/is-it-a ... ur-spouse/

The point is that if one looks on another than one's own spouse with desire, one is guilty of the sin of lust. If one looks on one's spouse with desire, that's exactly what God wants, and celebrates in the Song of Solomon. It's why He made us to desire.

Nudity is not lust. The issue comes in the fact that most of us are conditioned to respond to it that way. If we were not, it wouldn't be a sin at all.

[WebersHome]

.
• Ex 20:26 . . And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.

I'm pretty sure that doesn't prohibit nudity per se because it pertains to priests rather than the rank and file.

The thing is: the undersides of a man might be a pleasant distraction for some of the ladies, but all in all, it would seriously affect the tone of what's supposed to be a sacred moment devoted to God rather than thrill seekers at a strip club.
_