Wrong to be nude in your back garden ?

Stark

InFront wrote:

I think the man was being foolish in videotaping the woman who was sunbathing naked, but I can see why he wold be angry.
What if you had kids and every time they went into their garden or an upstairs bedroom they were looking out at some naked woman sunbathing? Surely she should be asked to stop and if she refuses then further action should maybe be considered. (not videotaping her) Of course this all depends on the aspect size and proximity of her garden

Well the court decided that her garden wasn't easily viewable from his vantage point, so in her specific case, she wasn't doing anything wrong.

Dades

InFront wrote:

What if you had kids and every time they went into their garden or an upstairs bedroom they were looking out at some naked woman sunbathing?

So what? Should your kids be so repressed that they aren't allowed know that nakedness exists? Its the very fact that people are so conservative that makes people so facinated by nudity in the first place. You see more in an ad for shampoo these days anyway.

dalk

Out of curiosity, is it actually illegal to be naked in public in Ireland? I'm am not talking about people exposing themselves for sexual gratification or lewd behaviour, indecency or any of the other things that people can get charged with.

As far as i know, in English law public nudity technically isn't illegal. Naked people generally get arrested for Indecent Exposure (if there is a sexual element) or Public Disorder (distress to others etc), but not technically for being nude...

growler

The Atheist wrote:

So what? Should your kids be so repressed that they aren't allowed know that nakedness exists? Its the very fact that people are so conservative that makes people so facinated by nudity in the first place. .

conservatism born largely from religions' attitude that nakedness = sex / shame

(Kaoists excepted)

down with that sort of thing!!

Stark

Funnily enough, I don't think Christianity has anything in particular against nudity. The human body being created in God's own image and inherently beautiful and all that. The whole naked shame thing seemed to have been tacked on by grumpy old priests. Of course, Islam would be very clear on its anti-nudity stance.

growler

Stark wrote:

Funnily enough, I don't think Christianity has anything in particular against nudity. The human body being created in God's own image and inherently beautiful and all that. The whole naked shame thing seemed to have been tacked on by grumpy old priests. Of course, Islam would be very clear on its anti-nudity stance.

My Bible knowledge isn't the greatest but I seem to remember a passage in geneis where the two proto-humans suddenly got a fit of shyness when the Big Fella cme to visit them for tea and biscuits and they dashed off and fashioned knickers out of fig leaves ?

Which set the tone for the rest of christianity thenceforth.

Stark

The shyness came part and parcel of original sin. Prior to original sin, Adam and Eve walked around merrily nude without a care and God was pleased...

Later generations were more wary of his watchful eye.

Samos

Why is it wrong/illegal to be unclothed in any context or location?

growler wrote:

because there are enough deranged perverts out there to warrant it i'd imagine.

As such it is the "perverts" who are commiting the harm, not those who are sans apparel. With this kind of logic, might we be better looking children and other vulnerables in a room full of cotton wool, lest they be exposed to the potential dangers of the world...?

The Atheist wrote:

So what? Should your kids be so repressed that they aren't allowed know that nakedness exists? Its the very fact that people are so conservative that makes people so facinated by nudity in the first place. You see more in an ad for shampoo these days anyway.

Couldn't agree more: forbidden fruit tasting alot better and all that. Religious beliefs have condemned human sexual nature to such an extent that anything, however obtusely related to sex, elicits shame and denial. And the rest is unhappy history.

normar

r3nu4l wrote:

I'm asking my next question seriously normar so relax the hackles there chappie! If you were a father of a really hot daughter, 18+ we'll say and you were all out sunbathing or having a BBQ, naked in the garden, would you be offended by a neighbour peeking over the fence and checking her out?

I can imagine it would annoy me a lot but if I raised my daughter to see no shame in being naked and be proud of her body would I be right to tell the guy to F*ck off?

A fair question needs an honest answer.
Firstly we are a naturist family. And we do have an 18 + year old who is also a sometimes naturist.
We can go nude in our garden now because we cannot be seen from there. In our previous house we could not go nude in the garden because our neighbours both sides could see us, and we would never wish to give offence so we did not do it.

But at the moment if we are naked on a nice day in our secluded garden and someone stuck their heads over the fence or trees to see us we would consider this to be offensive and rude. And we would tell them this straight away.

Being nude in your own back garden is not like being nude on a beach. In the latter case on the beach you do expect to be seen and you accept this as a naturist.
But in your own back secluded garden we do not expect to be gawked at by anyone whether you are clothed or naked, and we would let this be known immediately. It would be the same thing to us if anyone was looking in through our curtins while we ate breakfast. We would get them to stop.

Just to restate the position on nudity in Irish law. If you can be seen nude then you can be prosecuted for indecent exposure if someone files a complaint with the Garda. It is not required in Irish law that a sexual or intimidating posture or intent is there. Just being seen nude is the offence.
Fortunately for naturists the Guards will only act on a complaint and will generally warn you to put your clothes back on.

This has never happened to us as naturists because we are not in the business of causing offence and practice and enjoy naturism on tolerated beaches with manners and respect for others.

M+N