Articles
Nakedness
There is constant tension in modern Western culture between those who wish for people to be decently clothed in public and those who think that exposing nakedness is harmless, even desirable. Champions of the latter category: the Kardashians, Hollywood entertainers, sports organizations (think NFL cheerleaders), pornographic publishers and advertisers.
Outside of the scandalous greed of the purveyors of smut, what is particularly puzzling are parents who promote looseness by buying provocative clothes for their young daughters. There is a total disconnect between dressing like a call-girl and then being ogled, groped and raped. Idealists yammer on about the “right” to dress any way you want while howling about being violated by testosterone-charged young men.
Hello! Note of realism to the naïve: You cannot keep inflaming base animal passions and expect that every man will keep his hands and his eyes to himself. Most will, but some will be overcome by lust. It is instructive that the first hint of moral awareness of mankind was: “The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Gn 3:7). In that condition they hid themselves, which is the natural response to being naked in public.
But a sense of shame can be overcome by societal approval. The envelope isn’t just being pushed; it is ripping at the seams.
