We are born naked. Everyone knows that.

But the moment we leave the womb, we are wrapped in a blanket, and the skin hardly ever sees the light of day again. For the next 70+ years of life, we wrap our skin in a cocoon of fabric.

Is this healthy for our bodies? Were our bodies designed to be forever clothed? If you believe in evolution, the answer has to be no. Of course evolution didn't create a body designed for clothing.

If you believe in the Judeo-Christian divine creation of the human body, the answer must still be no. Adam and Eve lived naked in the garden of Eden. That's what their bodies were designed to do.

Why have this magnificent organ of skin enveloping our entire bodies, every square inch of it covered with delicate sensory nerves and sophisticated temperature regulation pores, then wrap it up 24/7 in artificial coverings so it's all useless? Clothing can keep us warm in extreme conditions. But in other cases, it actually interferes with the body's natural temperature regulation processes. It's obvious that a hot day would be much easier to tolerate nude than clothed. But those with experience can also testify that the nude body is able to comfortably withstand cool temperatures much easier than most people think, because clothes aren't interfering with the body's attempt to regulate internal temperature.

Protection against cold, against the elements, against injury while performing risky activities--these are good reasons for covering the miraculous organ of skin with clothing. But how can it possibly be healthy to never let it "breathe"--at least for an hour or two every day_

(By the way, it's much easier to notice a malignant skin tumor early enough for successful treatment if you let other people see you naked now and then.)

Physical health is only one aspect of nudity. What about our emotional health?)

Who are we? We are our bodies. Whatever attitude we have toward our bodies is the attitude we have toward ourselves.

And what is the attitude we have toward our bodies? Shame.

This shame may very well be the most pervasive emotional conditioning of our lives. We prefer to call it brainwashing because it's forced upon us throughout our lives, warps our natural attitudes toward our and others' bodies, and is a deeply emotional, irrational process. Emotional abuse, in our opinion.