KY> I tend to think kids shouldn't be in a nudist environment, but that 
 KY> should be entirely up to the parents.  It could be 
 KY> argued that one shouldn't see nakedness all the time 
 KY> in plain view and be publicly naked either, until they 
 KY> are old enough to understand the human body better.  
 
 TS> Why?  
 KY> It just seems logical to me that since nudity CAN lead to sexual
 KY> things, kids should understand their bodies first. But yes, I admit
 KY> that religious and cultural tradition COULD have a lot to do with my
 KY> beliefs here. 
I almost responded to you the first time, but since this thread is
continuing...  ;-)
I think you're responding from ignorance, to put it most simply.  I
don't think kids raised nudist from the get-go respond in any such
way.  To them the body is something they have always seen--it's just the
bag of flesh our consciousness all ride around in.  They don't respond
to it any different than you do to seeing someone's HAND!  They don't
have any of your preconceptions, or hang-ups if you will.  Ask someone
like Marie who was raised that way!  To them it's the rest of us who
have these wierd ideas about bodies.  They understand about the body
just fine, that it isn't of itself inherently sexual.
I don't for a second believe in Descartes "Tabula Rasa", but when it
comes to ideas about body consciousness it's clear from human cultures
around the world that those ideas "have to be carefully taught".  The
straight American culture's ideas of sexuality are 90% the result of
religion and marketing!  How would Playboy make any money if all public
swimming pools were CO?!  We can't have that!  Is there any idea so
ridiculous as a "swimming suit"?  And if the reason is modesty, why do
they need to change styles every year?  I wouldn't want to hazard a
guess as to what the proportions are between marketing and religion!  ;-)
... #76. Occasionally declare peace, it confuse the enemy  
--- Blue Wave v2.12 [NR]
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