A nice essay on nudity and adult masculinity
Nudity and the Fullness of Manhood
Great essay.
Strange that a devout, conservative Christian was concerned about nudity at the Young Men's Christian Association. Especially when 50+ years ago, the YMCA had a much stronger Christian identity than it does now, and nudity was usually required in the pool and often permitted in the gym.
Some men even commented that if they were staying in the residential section of the Y, they would just leave their clothes in their room, walk naked to the gym/pool area, excerice, swim, shower and return to their room with no clothing in their possession.
I relate to his background as a recovering evangelical. It's interesting that he focuses on nudity but is no more explicit that to say "balls hanging." He doesn't claim to be nudist or naturist, or even mention the word penis. Perhaps because it's too loaded a concept in a religion which I experienced as not only shaming but emasculating. But he comes to terms with his own nakedness and nudity - and claims pride in his naked masculinity in an affirming way the world needs more of:
I do not believe any man has fully stepped into the wholeness of his manhood if he refuses to get undressed around other men. Its not a matter of nudity. Nudity is simply the expression of a deeper truth. Fear and shame are what need to be overcome, and if a man is still controlled by fear and shame to the point that he is unable to be seen naked by his peers, then he hasnt overcome the enemy that oppresses him and stunts his growth into complete manhood. If a man simply doesnt like hanging out naked, thats one thing. But being afraid of nudity or feeling shame when nude is something else. Its not the nudity that needs to be welcomed; its the fear and shame that need to be overcome. And I believe acceptance and comfort in nudity will naturally follow afterward.
I think your analysis might be a little critical. His view (as I read it) is simply to comment on the lack of male nudity in places where it should be and has been customary. His listed background is commentary on why a potentially simple act was initially made challenging for him. I throughly enjoyed the read and shared it with my wife. Her thoughts were quite similar to mine. Maybe we all need to lighten up?
I think your analysis might be a little critical ... Maybe we all need to lighten up?
My background in evangelical Christianity makes me critical indeed. They were all so polite and friendly in their judging ways, and then quick to judge their victims as "having issues." In my case I was shamed a lot, encountered sexual abuse, but the worst was losing many church friends, a lost generation, to a string of tragic accidents and suicide. It became more a matter of dealing with PTSD over "lightening up."
Historically, evangelicals shifted from promoting "muscular Christianity" at the beginning of the 20th century to strong homophobia by the 1980's. I admire the blog poster for dealing with this directly in his own brave but insignificant way as an act of defiance and healing. But that's just my take.
As a simple summation, yes, we all indeed need to lighten up. Being critical of everything and everybody does no good and furthers the current maelstrom. Take whatever you see and read (even more so) with a grain of salt as everyone's perception is indeed different. And, yes I agree it was quite brave but also believe it was more a call to action than a defense. Additionally, the evangelical Christians come in all shapes, sizes & mindsets. I, too, have witnessed the same; it is both positive and negative. BTW, it was still a great essay!
I read the essay and just like John916 said, I enjoyed reading it and it shows how much nudity is lacking nowadays. I have a good comparison as I used to lived in Canada and now currently residing in the US, I must say that the Americans are a bit more conservative in terms of nudity in the locker rooms.
When I was living in Canada until 2 months ago, I go to community center with a full facility: gym, pool, locker room, hot tub that can sit 12 people and a hot sauna. I enjoyed going there because the men that goes there doesnt have any hang ups in getting naked in the locker room and showering naked in the communal shower. In the hot tub, they recommended to at least put a trunk but 99% go naked instead. In a couple of years that Ive been going there, I only saw a handful of men that wear trunks the whole time and afraid to get naked eventhough they are surrounded with all these naked men. I enjoyed going there because that is the only safe place that I can hang out naked with my fellow men without any judgement or any sexual threat at all. It is just purely a place where you are supposed to be naked as you shower and relax after a gym session. I know a couple of nice older men that hang out there longer naked than exercising the gym. I used to be a member of the LA fitness here in the US a little way back and in the locker room, you will see maybe one or two men that will be naked out of the 20 men that are there. That is the only thing I missed in Canada. I still need to see now if the locker room here in the US are still the same.
But Kevin is right. Nudity need to come back and people dont need to over sexualized nudity. I am a Christian myself and I came from a very conservative cultural background where nudity doesnt exist at all. Growing up, I also had to fight my own demons as I am very active religiously but as I matured, I decided to lead my own life and discovered things that makes me happy and fulfilled without forgetting about Jesus rather than being in prison with my religious ideology that always makes me feel condemned and be shun in shame. I think the society that we lived in now also overly reacting to a lot of topics especially concerning nudity and sexuality which makes it worst.
A thing that strikes me about Kevin's post is that he says "I was sure that if my mother or father or my pastor or that lady who sat behind me in church..."
He doesn't say any of these people had actually commented about nudity; he owns that this was in his own head, his own issue. In a community, it may take only a stray comment or one or two people with an issue, or even just a general silence, to allow one to feel as if the whole community is disapproving.
just read the essay and your response. Both of you are spot on... Amazed that so many people in the locker room are locked into doing the towel dance as they prepare to go to/from a closed shower stall, or even to change. Seems like too much effort to me
A nice essay, from a man's perspective on being nude around other men, and how in his mind he equates it with "the fullness of manhood."
But the essay sounds very much like essays that women have written about being nude around other women, and how they equate it to something very much like "the fullness of womanhood."
It would have been nice to have the author go that one step further, and experience being naked around both men and women, so as to experience "the fullness of humanity" where all are on an equal footing in the eyes of God.
He writes: "Its not the nudity that needs to be welcomed; its the fear and shame that need to be overcome. And I believe acceptance and comfort in nudity will naturally follow afterward."
And that is true. When he makes that next step, and can feel comfortable being naked with both sexes when hiking or showering or swimming or sitting in a hot tub or sauna, he will be one step closer to being a true nudist, and fulfilling his potential as a human being. I do hope he realizes that in time.
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