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Half Price Tapas with Scotland on Sunday

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The bare truth



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Published Date: 03 January 2009
Concerning topless sun bathers, your interpretation of Biblical teaching about nudity was confused (editorial, 31 December). After the fall, when sin entered humankind, clothing became (and still is) necessary and God provided it. The Song of Solomon is indeed a celebration of sex (including breasts compared to shapely fruit) in its proper context (a married man and woman), but is not an invitation to exhibitionism and ogling.
To look on a woman lustfully is sin, according to Jesus, and if bare breasts are not sexually stimulating what are page three shots all about?

I'm sure many of the men on Sydney's beaches support topless sunbathing, but this is not because they hold to a libertarian philosophy and endorse feminist sexual freedom.

A Biblical guide to contemporary practice is: "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety."

RICHARD LUCAS

Cowan Road

Edinburgh





The full article contains 147 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 02 January 2009 9:06 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Cynicus in Exile,

03/01/2009 01:30:06
"The Song of Solomon is indeed a celebration of sex (including breasts compared to shapely fruit) in its proper context (a married man and woman)"-RICHARD LUCAS

Is this statement a Christian heresy? I thought the church line was that this collection of er otic poems was an allegory of the love between Christ and the Church?

(Sorry about the space in the word preceding "poems." The ludicrously prissy US censorship software rejects the joined-up version.)
2

StuartAD,

West Lothian 03/01/2009 07:25:11
That would be the "Liberal Church" then, Cynicus in exile?
3

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 03/01/2009 12:19:47
'To look on a woman lustfully is sin, according to Jesus, and if bare breasts are not sexually stimulating what are page three shots all about?'

There is surely a difference between forming the intention to have sex with a woman who is not your wife and enjoying the stimulation of the body of a woman who is not your wife. In my interpretation, the remarks which Richard alludes to here concern the former.

Furthermore, nudity can be interesting without being sexually stimulating. The bare breasts of women in newspaper photographs are far from sexually stimulating, in my experience, even if they might (rarely) be of interest to look at. The Venus de Milo is interesting to look at but it is unlikely to inspire lust. Bottoms, on the other hand, so to speak....
4

wheels5894,

03/01/2009 15:06:41
Yes, guys, all very well, but the world is not just for Christians. Beaches where women can be topless are just places Christians wouldn't visit. Not everyone bases their views and life on an bronze age book.
5

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 03/01/2009 22:03:30
'Beaches where women can be topless are just places Christians wouldn't visit'

Christ told us to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves. It is far from obvious that this precludes the frequenting of topless beaches.
6

Ewan Oosami,

04/01/2009 13:34:23
So God provided clothing did he? Sod it and I've been going to Matalan and paying for it!
Unfortunately there is a cross section of shapes on topless beaches and believe me 99% are not stimulating. It appears that those who have the bodies to go topless don't whereas those that don't do.
It appears that Muslim men if they see a naked woman other than their wives then they have to commit suicide.....come on ladies you know what to do....

 

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