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Gramps,

I have a question regarding depictions of nudity in Japanese anime and a gospel perspective on it. I’m told in Japanese culture, that nudity in anime often signifies Japanese animesome supernatural happening or some other pseudoscientific event that signifies the character is changing in some way. Like a transformation. This sort of nudity isn’t usually erotic. I guess I’m wondering, is this sort of thing OK to partake of? I mean, there are pieces of art from ancient Greece and the Renaissance that have non-sexual nudity, but I’m a little confused; At what point does it become pornography?

Signed,

Anonymous

_______________

Anonymous,

I’ve shared a story about this situation before. If you recognize it, well, pretend you don’t.

A stagecoach company needed to hire a new driver for one of their routes. The manager performing the interviews asked the three best candidates to come in for a final interview. In the final interview he told each man that part of the route they would be driving comes rather close to the top of a very high cliff. His question to each driver was this; how close could you drive to the edge of the cliff?

The first driver said “I could keep the coach within a couple feet of the edge.” The second driver said “I could keep the coach within a foot of the edge.” The third driver said “I’d keep the coach as far from the edge of that cliff as possible.”

You’re the manager, which driver would you hire?

On a certain level your question is very relevant, however, when we are discussing the Lord’s standards it is entirely beside the point of the core issue at hand. I’m not saying that nudity in classical art, historic sculpture, or even anime is evil. Suppose a young child saw some nude anime scenes, and suppose further that the child turns to you and asks “Why doesn’t that woman/man have any clothes on?” How do you adequately explain to them the acceptability of nudity in anime while maintaining the unacceptability of nudity in real life?

The Lord’s standard is simple; no nudity outside the home of a married couple by themselves. Period.

Gramps

 

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