QUOTES 11/22/2016

“Society tells us to be naked is weak, demeaning, and worse, bad, promiscuous, or deviant.  Only crazy people with severe mental problems take off their clothing.  However, society also tells us we are inferior and have body issues.  That we need to be part of the latest trend to fit in and be okay with ourselves.  Nudists know better.  When they get undressed, it’s not just to be nude, it is an affirmation that they are not their clothing.  They are in control of their lives, they accept their bodies, they love themselves and others.” - http://thenakedtao.tumblr.com/post/113428247037/madeinthenude-lifes-obstacles-it-sometimes

“Deciding to be naked — whether you let others see you or not — is an empowering decision precisely because it involves vulnerability.  Taking off your clothes means facing down your own body, and while not everyone finds that to be a confidence-booster, the very act of confronting yourself can be liberating.  That's one reason selfies can be a tool of empowerment.” - Amanda Chatel, http://mic.com/articles/112782/there-s-good-news-for-people-who-just-love-being-naked#.V9iVvt1bR

“Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was that with the shedding of my clothes, I shed all my fears and anxieties, and it happened in just a moment, that moment.  Anxious, pants off, not anxious any more.  What a strange thing.  Almost as if it was the clothes themselves which had some power over me and through some insidious influence were trying to prevent me from disrobing, and then, free from their influence I was liberated as humans must have been across the world before clothes were invented.” – Mike, http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/information/about-naturism/first-time-experiences/a-new-and-a-maze-ing-experience-by-mike-r25?pg=1

“The naked body is everywhere, but it's not easy for everyone to be naked.  The standard for perfection makes it hard for us to accept things like wrinkles, stretch marks, blemishes, scars, folds and fat.  Our impossible expectations for nudity, though, reflect what we see in advertisements and entertainment where bodies are regularly nipped, tucked and photoshopped.” – Rebecca Ruiz, http://mashable.com/2015/12/14/not-gross-things/#KmP0KWku8OqJ

“Today, religious organizations yearn for a return to the proverbial garden, for a paradise on Earth, for peace and love, which is admirable. . . Naturists pretty much yearn for the same thing: a return to the proverbial garden where they can be in their natural state, where everybody is equal.  I’m betting that nudism/naturism is almost a spiritual experience for some.  But while there are churches everywhere for people to get their spiritual fix, there aren’t a lot of public places where naturists can congregate and bask in their God-given/natural-born state.  Indeed, of all the groups of people I write about who face discrimination, surely nudists face the most.  They are relegated to tiny spots in far too few locations, and if they bare it all in public places elsewhere, they can be hauled off and punished.  It seems ironic that one can be persecuted for being in their natural state, doesn’t it?  It’s got nothing to do with God or the evolution of the species, because if it did, we’d be born with clothes on.” – Jillian Page, http://jillianpage.com/2013/06/18/nudismnaturism-widespread-discrimination/