Yet, it is true that these ideas are part and parcel of the baggage of traditional Christianity, which has emphasized them to the neglect of love and liberty. It is this perverted version of Christianity which imprisons people in guilt and shame about their bodies and their God-given sexual desires. The purpose of Jesus in his life and death was to enable us to fulfill the demands of the law of God, not by sacrifice and legalistic obedience, but by loving God and loving our neighbor. I believe that it is in the intimacy of sexual relationships where this kind of love can be expressed in a very full way. One of the greatest deformities of true Christian faith is the collection of teachings that seeks in every way possible to remove godly love from the sexual experience.
Many people are afraid of such openness.
In a recent newsletter Dave wrote extensively about nudity and that subject was also discussed at our first introductory couples' session. It was clear from the response at the session that several people were fearful of experiencing nudity with others. There may be various reasons for such fears, including past religious and parental teachings and attitudes. These may need to be worked through. This is why we emphasize nudity in our materials and group session discussions.