Now correct me if I am wrong, but in the time of Adam and Eve (who Judaism, Christianity and Islam recognise as the first humans), these two sole humans walked about in the nuddy and recognised no shame, as they were in a state of perfection. They were in fact created 'naked and free', without shame. Without censorship.
This of course ended when the devil in the form of a serpent tempted Eve into eating the apple which removed that innocence, and them from the Garden of Eden.
But logically, if you believe this to be true, then nakedness is next, or at least very near to that state of godliness. But of course most societies frown upon overt public displays of nekkedness outside of designated public areas such as nudist beaches, or the privacy of your own homes.
None more so than the very religious (conservative as the BBC like to say) of the Middle East or Asia, even though on the face of it they should be the most tolerant of it ....
But even so it was perhaps no surprise that a self promoting Belgian female 'artist', Marisa Papen, who uses naked photos of herself as 'art', has upset various groups across the Middle East by posing for photos of herself naked, and including in the background culturally or religiously sensitive buildings or objects.
First she risked it in Egypt, by taking a photo of herself in the buff, ostensibly to help promote a sunglasses advertising campaign near the pyramids in Cairo ... her cameraman had to bribe the local antiquities guard to get the Pyramids into the shot. However her luck ran out when in a temple in the historic southern city of Luxor, where they were stopped by police and spent a night in an Egyptian prison before being released.
Describing the negative response of two passers-by, she said: "We tried to explain them that we were making art with the highest respect for Egyptian culture, but they could not see a connection between nudity and art. In their eyes it was porn, or something like that."
Undaunted at the nearness she came to a very unhappy time in an Egyptian prison, and allegedly wanting "to push the boundaries [sic] of religion and politics even further... [by] showing my personal religion, in a world where freedom is becoming a very luxurious thing".... Yeah, Sure .... She decided to visit Israel, when it was marking its 70th anniversary of its founding, and during the controversial opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem in May.
Both of which she commemorated by posting an image of herself reclining naked on a rooftop overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem entitled "The Wall of Shame" .... Other photos from the historic trip, showed her naked in the Dead Sea, and also straddling an Israeli flagpole .... but of course all 'artistic', and done in the best possible taste.
However just like those Egyptians, she upset the locals .... The Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovich said that "This is an embarrassing incident, grave and lamentable, which offends the sanctity of the site and the feelings of those who visit the holy places." .... social media comments were not encouraging either, with many accusing her of deliberately excluding the Dome of the Rock and the other religious sites sacred to Muslims, to either protect Muslim sensitivities, or herself, from their violent responses.
But she pointed out, it was "just way better artistically," to exclude those buildings ....
.... to which I ask the innocent question, 'What even that gold shiny building of top of the skyline?' ....
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| There Goes The Neighbourhood ..... |
This of course ended when the devil in the form of a serpent tempted Eve into eating the apple which removed that innocence, and them from the Garden of Eden.
But logically, if you believe this to be true, then nakedness is next, or at least very near to that state of godliness. But of course most societies frown upon overt public displays of nekkedness outside of designated public areas such as nudist beaches, or the privacy of your own homes.
None more so than the very religious (conservative as the BBC like to say) of the Middle East or Asia, even though on the face of it they should be the most tolerant of it ....
But even so it was perhaps no surprise that a self promoting Belgian female 'artist', Marisa Papen, who uses naked photos of herself as 'art', has upset various groups across the Middle East by posing for photos of herself naked, and including in the background culturally or religiously sensitive buildings or objects.
First she risked it in Egypt, by taking a photo of herself in the buff, ostensibly to help promote a sunglasses advertising campaign near the pyramids in Cairo ... her cameraman had to bribe the local antiquities guard to get the Pyramids into the shot. However her luck ran out when in a temple in the historic southern city of Luxor, where they were stopped by police and spent a night in an Egyptian prison before being released.
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| Pyramids Babe ... 'Respecting The Culture' |
Describing the negative response of two passers-by, she said: "We tried to explain them that we were making art with the highest respect for Egyptian culture, but they could not see a connection between nudity and art. In their eyes it was porn, or something like that."
Undaunted at the nearness she came to a very unhappy time in an Egyptian prison, and allegedly wanting "to push the boundaries [sic] of religion and politics even further... [by] showing my personal religion, in a world where freedom is becoming a very luxurious thing".... Yeah, Sure .... She decided to visit Israel, when it was marking its 70th anniversary of its founding, and during the controversial opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem in May.
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| 'Wailing Wall' Followed By Wailing Complaints .... |
Both of which she commemorated by posting an image of herself reclining naked on a rooftop overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem entitled "The Wall of Shame" .... Other photos from the historic trip, showed her naked in the Dead Sea, and also straddling an Israeli flagpole .... but of course all 'artistic', and done in the best possible taste.
 |
| Saluting The Flag ..... |
However just like those Egyptians, she upset the locals .... The Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovich said that "This is an embarrassing incident, grave and lamentable, which offends the sanctity of the site and the feelings of those who visit the holy places." .... social media comments were not encouraging either, with many accusing her of deliberately excluding the Dome of the Rock and the other religious sites sacred to Muslims, to either protect Muslim sensitivities, or herself, from their violent responses.
But she pointed out, it was "just way better artistically," to exclude those buildings ....
 |
| Not Artistic Background Enough For A Belgian Artist |
.... to which I ask the innocent question, 'What even that gold shiny building of top of the skyline?' ....
That creation story fails on every level - their innocence and lack of shame in the beginning would have been a severe handicap in their ability to not eat the fruit; only after having eaten the fruit would they have had the knowledge that the right thing to have done was to obey god and not eat it, or to know that snakes don't talk, etc, etc, etc!
ReplyDeleteSo it's really not surprising that believers have trouble making good decisions when their guide book is a mixed up collection of vague myths and metaphors. It's like trying to repair your car using a handbook for a food blender - worse than having no book at all.
Vroomfondel old chap. I must say that your almost evangelical in your preaching against religion(s). Even I am happy to concede that many of the bible stories are often allegorical e.g. The fall from grace and expulsion from Eden, representing that humans are not perfect, despite being built in gods image.
DeleteOthers, such as the 10 commandments, try to give us some basic rules for civilised living with others. Its literal interpretations of these religious books that get my goat. Thanks as usual for the comment.