Is God Naked?
A lot of people sure are interested in religion these days. Are you a Christian? Jew? Muslim? It doesn't end there, though. Are you a Catholic or Protestant? Baptist or Presbyterian? Southern Baptist, Primitive Baptist, or Independent? One can't even profess a lack of religion. Are you a pagan, agnostic, or athiest?
Well, I hate to disappoint, but I don't intend to answer any of those questions here, at least not tonight. I do intend to put forth a few thoughts related to the subject, though, and if you can figure out what religion I am, then I suppose you're probably one step ahead of me.
I was watching television one night. I don't remember what show, but whatever it was, they showed God. It was the classical image of God, the one that looks like the one in pictures and paintings I've seen since I was little: the wise old bearded God in long flowing robes. For some reason, my mind lingered on this image for a few minutes. I find it hard to believe that God actually looks like that. Didn't some old painter just make it up based on some fundamental images associated with characteristics typically used to describe God? God has been around since before time, so he probably looks something like men in those really old paintings; you know, the old Greek art. Yeah, definitely in a toga.
But that can't be right. After all, we're just mortals, and surely God doesn't have to conform to our image of these characteristics, and surely the images associated with these characteristics have changed throughout history. I have another idea. You know, the Bible says that God created man in his own image. We're all born naked. Heck, even Adam and Eve were created naked, and only developed a fashion sense after getting a sinful case of the munchies. Logically, wouldn't it follow that God is naked, too? It sounds juvenile and facetious, but I'm thinking that it has to be right, doesn't it? I suppose so, and even though that means that there must be nothing wrong with being naked, I can't help but giggle at the thought of God roaming around heaven in the buff for all to see. At the risk of offending, do you think that our male relatives who have gone to heaven secretly compare themselves to the "Big Guy?"
On a little bit of a more serious note, it does raise some interesting religious questions. If we should strive to be closer to God, wouldn't it follow that going around in our birthday suits should be thought of a pious thing to do instead of generally condemned by law? Why is it that Adam and Eve were ashamed when they realized that they were naked? Wouldn't it make more sense that they should be ashamed for not being naked? In our supposedly civilized society, we think of uncivilized tribespeople romping around without any clothes on as primitives that someone should train to be more decent. Aren't they the ones with the right idea, not us?
I don't know, but next time I'm flipping channels and catch some nature show with gorillas getting it on, I just don't think I'll ever be able to laugh at them again, and part of me thinks that that is the real shame.
Oh well, until next time, have fun!
3 Comments:
Actually God has no body and is in Sprit form. The references to "the hand, breath, eyes, etc of God" are attempts to bring understanding to us.
I have a hard time with the perceptions before the fall that nakedness did not matter to Adam and Eve. It was only after they sinned that the ambarasment occured. I guess noticing and being embarassed are two seperate things
Just to give a random Jewish perspective (I was passing by while looking for political cartoons on google image search), the first commentor is semi-correct. G-d doesn't have a body like we do (as I'm sure you know), but there is a sort of spiritual equivalent (hence the whole 'make man in our image' quote in Genesis). Furthermore, he also has spiritual clothes... Clothes, you say? Adam and Eve were embarrassed after they ate from the tree of knowledge... once we have knowledge, we have a sense of understanding. When we see certain body parts, and understand their implications (as you say, men comparing themselves to each other), we blush because we know that we're seeing something private. So we put on clothes. So how does this connect to the spiritual clothes? Here's the deal... we all have a true self, which has some good aspects, and some aspects that make us blush. So we wear "clothes," and these clothes are our thought, speach, and actions. We don't do private things in a place where everyone can see us (at least, not all the time), and to a lesser extent we don't talk about them, and in some cases we don't even think about them. The punchline is, we cover our privates with these clothes. G-d does the same, he covers up what he doesn't really want the world to see (not so much from embarrassment, more simply because there are just some things that everyone wants to keep private). So, to answer the original question, G-d covers himself in the best style around (being omniscient, he knows exactly what the hottest new look is at any given second). I imagine that, at least once in a while, that might actually be a toga.
this is a really old post but i had to comment on what might be the best quote i've ever heard of the adam and eve saga.....
"Heck, even Adam and Eve were created naked, and only developed a fashion sense after getting a sinful case of the munchies."
fantastic
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