The pope on nakedness and modesty

Just in time for a follow-up to my last post, I ran across this quote from the Pope on the subject of nakedness, half-nakedness, and modesty. I generally have little interest in what the Pontiff says (I'm neither a Catholic or a believer in most religion), but for once he makes a sensible point:

"Sexual modesty cannot then in any simple way be identified with the use of clothing, nor shamelessness with the absence of clothing and total or partial nakedness. There are circumstances in which total nakedness is not immodest... nakedness as such is not to be equated with physical shamelessness. Immodesty is only present when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person... The human body is not in itself shameful, nor for the same reasons are sensual reactions, and human sensuality in general. Shamelessness (just like shame and modesty) is a function of the interior of the individual." - Pope John Paul II (*) (*) Wojtyla, Karol (Pope John Paul II) (August 1994) Love and Responsibility Ignatius Press (ISBN 0-89870-4456)

This was posted in the Beeper (body pride ride) Yahoo group, an organization that raises body issue awareness through its public naked bike rides.

Half-naked natterings

On warm days I take off my shirt in the office when I first arrive. This lets me cool down a little from my morning walk before changing into a fresh shirt. I'm the only one here this early so no one is the wiser.

Except, that is, for the ladies in the building behind me who sometimes look out their window toward mine.

If you think i enjoy the danger of being caught, you're wrong. I wish everyone was comfortable with the half-naked body — or even the fully naked body. But in the workplace we hide in our clothes. For now.