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Jazuela · 05-13-2006, 07:43 PM

Tim, the concept of modesty is not "specific" to the Christians. It is not *only* common among Christians (as opposed to being common among any other non-Christian sect). In addition, Christianity is a religion, and not a culture. Judaism, which is both a religion -and- a culture, which predates Christianity by a couple thousand years, has always embraced modesty as a cultural and religious norm. That isn't to say nudity within the privacy of your own home is taboo, but nudity outside the privacy of your own home would likely get you in trouble, or even cast out, in a secluded Jewish community. Even within the home, an Orthodox wife is required to wear a shteitle (a wig or other hair covering) except when she is alone or solely in the company of her husband. I've never been to a ritual bath (required for Orthodox women who are menstruating) so I can't attest to the rules there. Nudity would be allowed, then of course, but I'm not sure if they'd be allowed to remove their head covering even then.

It has nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with Christianity. Sure, Christians have turned the whole sex taboo thing into an art form, but they most certainly don't hold the patent.

Even Eskimos know better than to run around their neighborhood naked. Maybe inside the home, sure. But even in the Alaskan summer, when temperatures are perfect for nude sun-bathing, they embrace modesty in public. Hindus and Hindis also practice modesty. As do Muslims, and religious communities of -most- faiths and populations.

You'll find that the majority of cultures who prefer nudity or semi-nudity live in climates that are conducive to it. It makes sense to strip down in semi-tropical areas. In the jungles though, stripping down could mean dying to disease carried by flies and mosquitoes, so clothing isn't optional; it's a survival tactic. Modesty, in most cases, descends from necessity and not from religious morality (or lack thereof). Those who dwell in the desert climes where the majority of Muslims live NEED clothing, because without it the sands and winds would strip their skin raw. And so - after time, they decided, "Hey let's make it an actual rule so idiots don't start making a fuss about how they're bleeding to death in the middle of a storm." Necessity isn't only the mother of invention, it's the father of social, cultural, and religious mores.

05-13-2006, 07:43 PM	#76
Jazuela Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New England Posts: 849	Tim, the concept of modesty is not "specific" to the Christians. It is not only common among Christians (as opposed to being common among any other non-Christian sect). In addition, Christianity is a religion, and not a culture. Judaism, which is both a religion -and- a culture, which predates Christianity by a couple thousand years, has always embraced modesty as a cultural and religious norm. That isn't to say nudity within the privacy of your own home is taboo, but nudity outside the privacy of your own home would likely get you in trouble, or even cast out, in a secluded Jewish community. Even within the home, an Orthodox wife is required to wear a shteitle (a wig or other hair covering) except when she is alone or solely in the company of her husband. I've never been to a ritual bath (required for Orthodox women who are menstruating) so I can't attest to the rules there. Nudity would be allowed, then of course, but I'm not sure if they'd be allowed to remove their head covering even then. It has nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with Christianity. Sure, Christians have turned the whole sex taboo thing into an art form, but they most certainly don't hold the patent. Even Eskimos know better than to run around their neighborhood naked. Maybe inside the home, sure. But even in the Alaskan summer, when temperatures are perfect for nude sun-bathing, they embrace modesty in public. Hindus and Hindis also practice modesty. As do Muslims, and religious communities of -most- faiths and populations. You'll find that the majority of cultures who prefer nudity or semi-nudity live in climates that are conducive to it. It makes sense to strip down in semi-tropical areas. In the jungles though, stripping down could mean dying to disease carried by flies and mosquitoes, so clothing isn't optional; it's a survival tactic. Modesty, in most cases, descends from necessity and not from religious morality (or lack thereof). Those who dwell in the desert climes where the majority of Muslims live NEED clothing, because without it the sands and winds would strip their skin raw. And so - after time, they decided, "Hey let's make it an actual rule so idiots don't start making a fuss about how they're bleeding to death in the middle of a storm." Necessity isn't only the mother of invention, it's the father of social, cultural, and religious mores.