Dear Chuck:

C'mon, give me a break, you know better. There is absolutely no comparison between works of great art and the depravity of nudism.

Nudist sites are merely another form of pornography. There are only three possible reasons (or combination thereof) to view a Nudist website and all three are sinful and disordered:

1. prurient interest (sexual titillation)
2. curiosity of the nudist lifestyle
3. personal interest in the nudist lifestyle

The most common reason to visit a nudist website is prurient interest. One wishes to look at naked people. Perhaps the nudest setting does not seem as sleazy as regular pornography or perhaps a person is aroused by the more "natural" setting of nudists scenes. Some people look at nudest pictures to look at naked teenagers or children rather than the more typical child pornography. This is grave sin.

The second most common reason is curiosity over the nudest lifestyle. This curiosity is usually short-lived and quickly falls into prurient interest. Indulging the curiosity is imprudent; viewing pornographic material is grave sin.

Some people may be attracted to the nudest lifestyle and philosophy and thus check out nudest websites for information and how to get involved. The nudest philosophy is absolutely inconsistent with Christianity, not so much because of the nudity though nudism does violate the virtue of modesty, but because the philosophy behind this lifestyle is counter to Christian philosophy. Nudism is usually a nature-philosophy that is either atheistic or worships, in effect or literally, a nature god. Interest in this lifestyle is disordered. Involvement in this lifestyle is sin.

The great artwork found in Churches hardly relates to any of this. Nudity in legitimate art celebrates God's creation of the human form, beauty, and in much of the religious art the nudity depicts innocence.

There is nothing celebratory of God's creation or of beauty or innocence by the immodest and disordered practice and philosophy of nudism.

And certainly there is a difference between a work of art and pictures of naked people playing volley ball on a beach or whatever -- and you know it.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary