Dear Glenn,

Thank you so much for your question- many people have wrestled with questions just like this. When it comes to complex or at least gray areas of morality, I often fall back on the Apostle Paul’s wise moral logic in Romans 14. Essentially, he argues that while “all things are permissible, not everything is beneficial,” and encourages each Christian to make moral decisions based on their own conscience, withholding judgement for other people’s decisions and also seeking to be respectful of others' moral boundaries.

When applied to a situation like nudity as you describe it, I would say that from my perspective, I don’t see being nude or engaging in skinny dipping as a sin- there is no moral or spiritual harm if it’s being done around consenting adults in a location where it is permitted- but if another Christian finds it objectionable, it would be wise for you not to engage in it around them or to seek to convince them to support your choices - and doing so might actually constitute an offense against them.

Many people have complicated relationships to their bodies for religious reasons and also many other, more complex reasons, so it is important to respect the boundaries and comfort level of others and to ensure that you’re not forcing your opinions of what should be acceptable on others. Your morality should not be based on the opinions of others, nor is it your job to convince others of your perspective.

Thankfully, there are large communities of places that enjoy nudity, there are nude beaches in many communities, and hopefully, you can build a community that enjoys expressing their God-created bodies in the ways that you do! I hope this is helpful!

~ Rev. Brandan Robertson