article<\/a>,\u00a0you stated, “Nakedness is the exposure of the sexual organs. Any clothing that allows a view of these parts is considered equivalent to being naked.” I agree with this on the basis of what is said about the priestly garments and other Old Testament passages. \u00a0The New Testament even mentions that our bodies have parts that are “unpresentable.”<\/p>\nMy confusion is this: Where I live, the majority of people teach that “nakedness” is highly tied to the tunics given to Adam and Eve, which supposedly covered from the shoulder to the knee. \u00a0Therefore, they reason that anything between the shoulder and the knee is naked. \u00a0This doesn’t seem to be consistent with the rest of the passages.<\/p>\n
For example, I see a progression in Isaiah 47:2-3. \u00a0Many read this and say the thigh is considered “naked.” However, if we are being consistent, wouldn’t that also make the unveiled face naked? \u00a0It seems like the veil and robes were removed, then the legs uncovered, and then finally, the nakedness uncovered (an additional exposure beyond the legs, face, and whatever the robe was covering).\u00a0 I think your assessment that nakedness refers to sexual organs is accurate, considering this.<\/p>\n
My question now: Obviously there is some swimwear that is quite brief and reveals a good portion of the sexual organs. This wouldn’t be appropriate for a Christian. However, most preachers I know would say that Christians need a t-shirt and long shorts to the knee to remain modest during swimming.<\/p>\n
Based on how you defined “nakedness”, what is your view of the more conservative styles of swimwear? \u00a0Must a man wear a shirt while swimming as nothing (except for perhaps Genesis 3) defines anything above the waist as naked for a man? \u00a0Could a woman wear a one-piece, tankini, or a full bikini that covers the breasts, groin, and bottom completely? \u00a0Granted, these styles aren’t as common as others, but they do exist.<\/p>\n
Based on what culture deems appropriate for swimming and the correct definition of nakedness in Scripture, is it possible that there are some modest swimsuits?<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
When God clothed Adam and Eve with tunics, it is reasonable to assume that He did not aim for the minimal necessary clothing. Throughout the Bible, we are taught to keep a distance from sin and not to see how close we can come with crossing the line. A tunic is an example of clothing that meets God’s standards of modesty.<\/p>\n
In regards to the exposure of the chest on males as being a part of nakedness, I am still looking for some clear way of determining it. So far, the closest I’ve found is the mention of the disciples fishing: “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea<\/em>” (John 21:7). The word for “stripped” is\u00a0gumnos<\/em> which means naked in either a literal or figurative sense. Since a tunic was not considered naked, I would assume he was wearing a loincloth, but since the passage doesn’t say it, it is hard to draw a firm conclusion.<\/p>\nModesty isn’t just about not being naked. It is also about not drawing attention to yourself due to what you are wearing (or not wearing). Fortunately, because of today’s concerns over sun exposure, you can find swimming trunks and swim tops that are perfectly modest and suitable for use in a pool. These are actually better than t-shirts as they don’t cling or become transparent when wet. For women, the longer bottoms are called board shorts. One-piece suits, tankinis, and bikinis generally leave too much exposed and are typically too form-fitting.<\/p>\n\t
Response:<\/h2>\n
Thank you for your response, Mr. Hamilton!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: After reading many of your questions and answers on the subject of apparel, I am still confused a little bit. In one\u00a0article,\u00a0you stated, “Nakedness is the exposure of the sexual organs. Any clothing that allows a view of these parts is considered equivalent to being naked.” I agree with this on the basis of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[208,366,365],"class_list":["post-39589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-clothing","tag-dress","tag-modesty"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25187,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-constant-exposure-to-nudity-reduce-lust\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":0},"title":"Would constant exposure to nudity reduce lust?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: A link to\u00a0your survey was sent to me by a girl in Nepal who has been reading the arguments we've made on our anti-porn-addiction website. This is what I'm wondering: What would the answers to those survey questions have looked like from teens growing up in a \"naked people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2742,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-long-were-the-priests-breeches\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":1},"title":"How long were the priests’ breeches?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 14, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In one of your articles, you mentioned that\u00a0Exodus 28:42\u00a0means from the waist to and including the thighs. What is your source for this interpretation? Answer: \"And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs\" (Exodus 28:42). This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8568,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-ham-have-sex-with-his-mother\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":2},"title":"Did Ham have sex with his mother?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just read your answer to the question about whether boys should see one another naked as in locker rooms, etc. In the Bible, when Ham \"saw his father's nakedness,\" that does not mean he literally saw his father without clothing on. It literally meant that he had sex\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8062,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-view-naked-girls\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":3},"title":"Is it a sin to view naked girls?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 4, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it a sin to view naked girls? Not in a pornographic way, but as in like just girls without their clothes on. Answer: Much depends on the purpose for which the viewing takes place. If it was a sin to see someone naked (boy or girl), then parents\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16469,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-look-at-nudes-as-art\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":4},"title":"Is it wrong to look at nudes as art?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: There are people who chose to put their bodies on display as art. Is it wrong to appreciate the body in that way? It's not porn. It doesn't cause the body to lust. It's just people standing around naked. Answer: When Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18312,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-you-saying-that-some-societies-standards-of-dress-are-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":39589,"position":5},"title":"Are you saying that some societies’ standards of dress are wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, I agree with you on modesty but was wondering what you would say in the case of societies like some in Africa where women are bare-chested as well as the men. Is this like the case similar to an ankle in the Victorian age or are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39589\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}