CHURCH ALLOWS NUDE WORSHIP

By: Lilufa Uddin

Source: http://r2imedia.tv

Modesty is something many of us appreciate and aspire to, regardless of our religious and/or social backgrounds. It is often thought highly as a human attribute as well as activity. Those who show modesty are praised and looked up to. Unfortunately for some people, modesty is not inclusive in their vocabulary or lifestyle.

Earlier this year, in February, there was an article in The Daily Mail Online about a pastor named Allen Parker, based in the US state of Virginia, who caught the media’s attention for quite a weird reason. This pastor was encouraging his congregation to strip naked, during their hours of worship at the church. He justifies this bizarre request by claiming that many of the major events described in the Bible, happened while the protagonists were nude. How on earth does that mean worshippers should be naked whilst in Church? Is he not aware that even in the Bible, there are passages about modesty?

In Timothy 2:9, it is stated : ‘.. that women adorn themselves in modest apparel..’.

However, this verse seems to be totally ignored by the pastor and those who enter his church services. Pastor Parker further goes on to say that the beneficiaries of his congregation being semi or full-naked, serves the purpose of emphasizing that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. What absurdity? What kind of world are we living in?

How can one concentrate or devote all their attention to God, whilst they are naked amongst the opposite sex? This is what Muslims would regard as fitnah. And fitnah (trials and tribulations) in the place of worship? How useful is that? Not useful at all, we want to be asking God to protect us from fitnah, not be around it while praising or praying to him!

I just don’t understand the simplistic logic this pastor holds. If he is that concerned about raising everyone as equals in his church, why he does he not opt in for a strict uniform for those who pray at his church?

May Allah guide those astray to the truth, to Islam and forgive them for their sins. Ameen.