Dear DOMAI
What a great story! I think Gil’s letter was very revealing of some enormous differences in culture. How beautiful that some entire cultures are much more innocent than ours, and can see the goodness of the body without feeling enticed to sin, and without supposing that others must feel that the naked body is a source of temptation to sin. THOSE are the healthier cultures!
I lived as a missionary in South America for a number of years – not in a big city. And although the women from that region generally dressed covering the same parts of the body as women of the US and Europe, that was not because of belief that all nudity is evil or a source of temptation.
Regularly we had baptisms of a dozen or more babies/small children. The mothers of these children were perfectly comfortable breastfeeding their little ones, in plain sight of the whole world, whenever the babies called for a meal. I, for my part, was happy that the children were being fed and satisfied, and was happy to see this beautiful relationship of mother and child in its natural state. (something I never experienced nor saw with my own mother.)
Even in the middle of the Baptism ceremony, when I would draw close to the babies to bless them on the forehead, the mothers would not cover up or change their actions at all. They were perfectly content to let the little ones continue enjoying their meal. It seemed the most natural thing in the world ~ because it IS the most natural thing in the world! Nobody seemed to be tempted in the least to sin or lust at this incredibly beautiful connection of mother and child.
Contrast those experiences with a plane ride I had in the States some time ago. I was seated between two American women. The woman in the window seat was breastfeeding her little three-month-old daughter, with her breast visible. The woman in the aisle seat said to me in a stage-whisper “That’s disgusting!” I couldn’t help but react, saying that this was not only NOT disgusting, but was one of the most beautiful things in the world ~ both the woman in her natural beauty, including her lovely breast, and the tender natural relationship between mother and her son. What is disgusting – or at least incredibly sad - is that people can look on that beauty as disgusting.
As a society, our modern western culture, generally speaking, has lost its innocence. When we find some people that have still have it, our tendency is to thrust our lost innocence on others. A sorry state of affairs. To quote the Good Book – ‘In the beginning it was not so!” There was no shame in nakedness. What would be a much more wholesome situation is that we learn innocence from those who have it concerning the human body ~ the naked human body.
Viewers of Domai either start with the assumption that the naked human body is innocent, or are invited to grow into that belief and feeling and practice. All things told, it is a lot healthier (not to mention more appreciative of God’s gifts!) than a prudish society in which any exposed body parts must automatically be assumed as a source of temptation.
Does some portrayal of nakedness intend to entice someone to lust? Sure. That is what porn is all about. But look at some of the great classic artists over the centuries! They had an understanding and appreciation of the beauty of the human body in all its glory. Generally speaking, (thought perhaps not with every image), Domai tends to foster that sort of innocent appreciation of the naked body. In my humble opinion, Domai is a step in the right direction!
- MJ
P.S. A cute (and true) story: A blind minister friend of mine – a very wonderful fellow – shared about a somewhat embarrassing experience he had while baptizing little ones. One time when it came time to anoint a nursing baby on the chest with oil, my friend accidentally missed the baby and anointed the mother’s breast instead! From the feel of things, he immediately became aware of his mistake and simply said: “Oops! Guess that wasn’t the baby at all, was it?!”, and he continued to anoint the baby instead of the woman’s breast. Everyone present at the Baptism simply chuckled at the blind minister’s innocent and understandable lack of aim.
|
"... yours is the one site that truly respects art and beauty, and actually gives you EXACTLY what it promises. I would even say that it gives us more than it promises." - R. Ware
[e-mail address used with permission]
|
Lucynova
Marta and Roma, twins
Martisha
Roxy
These are samples from the members' section. In fact only from this week's pages! And the pages go back to the nineties.
Pictures are available in 6X size for members.
Join today.
|
