It's going to come as a horrible surprise to some Church going folk when they eventually die and get to stand in front of God only to find the ol' guy is butt naked! If the Bible is to be believed there is every reason to believe that he could be, after all God didn't cloth Adam and Eve. In the book of Genesis we're told "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." It was only when Adam and Eve committed the 'original sin' did they suddenly feel the need to cover their naked bodies.

However, despite the fact that under our clothes we're all naked, Christian Church going folks are still easily offended by the site of skin. In fact their need to feel offended often stretches beyond actual nudity and to words to describe body parts. For example a lot of Christians cringe uncomfortable when they hear words like tits, boobs, ass, etc.

I'm not saying that I feel we should all throw off our clothes and walk around naked, that's a ridiculous notion. For starters we're not all models are we. I mean try to imagine everyone in your Church naked, singing praise and worship songs as naked as the day they were born. With that thought in mind it's easy to see how a Christian might be offended by the prospect of naked flesh.
I suppose what I am trying to say is that there are surely better things in life for a good God fearing Christian churchgoer to get wound up about other than a little bit of nakedness?

I heard recently that a Christian looked at a comment I made on a friends blog about about "Big Boobs" and managed to conclude from that I was a "pervert". Perhaps this person doesn't understand the actual meaning of this word. It is widely misused by Christians to describe anyone who is open and honest about their sexuality. My comment was just harmless banter in which I humorously admitted to liking "big boobs". The comment was was taken in the vein in which is was meant by everyone else who was involved in the discussion apart from this one Christian who felt the need to imminently label me as some kind of deviant.

On reflection I should have expected such a reaction. The comment was made by an older lady who I would, perhaps equally as unfairly, label a 'stay-at-home Christian.' In other words the kind of Christian that lives in a world that revolves around their church and the safety that provides.

In truth I can understand why a Christian might retreat to a life shielded by the church and the shelter it offers from the world outside. When the mention of "big boobs" is cause for offense then it's not hard to see why a Church environment might be a little more appealing to some. But God himself said "GO OUT and make disciples of all men." In the real world, the modern world, people talk openly about things they might not ordinarily do in Church, but if making disciples of all men is a command from God then surely some of these easily offended Christians could do with thicker skin.

The woman who described me as a pervert, after reading just that one comment by me, shows that she is not only unable to see humor, but that she also quick to pass a quite damning judgment. Her words not only show her up but also reflect badly on ALL those brave enough to call themselves Christians.

Sadly this woman's attitude is an example of precisely the reason why I am unlikely to return to Church. Though my belief in God is as real today as it was the day I 'gave my life' I can't say I have any confidence in the Church as a place to find community love and support for my faith. Instead it seems to be a rigid body of people who all work harder at "avoiding the appearance of evil" rather than actually doing anything good.