"Shame is the feeling of being unworthy, inadequate, or defective, expressed in the belief that: 'There's something wrong with me.’  It is a feeling of remorse about one's worth as a person.  The self, more than one's behavior, becomes the target of attack."

Shame is a crippling emotion that leaves people feeling that they are inherently defective.  Common responses to shame are paralysis, escapism, withdrawal, perfectionism, criticism, and rage.  Yet generations of people have been conditioned to believe parts of their bodies are shameful rather than respecting and accepting them as good. 

In the United States depiction's of hate and violence fill our media and minds, while parts of the human body – even in the most non-sexual of situations – are censored; and when they are shown it is usually done in a titillating, exploitive manner.  These parts of ourselves are legally and socially considered obscene, indecent, and offensive.  Children, in this society, are taught from infancy that they must be clothed even when it is unbearably hot and uncomfortable or for activities such as swimming where nudity makes as much common sense as it does for bathing. 

All are forced by law to wear clothing that hinders swimming, relaxation, sports, and other activities because of those who believe complete nudity is indecent and shameful.  Is it really surprising that our media is filled with images of hate when we, as a society, are ashamed, uncomfortable, and even hate, parts of our most fundamental existence?

There is nothing redeeming or respectful about body shame.  Shame and respect are contradictory.  You cannot respect what you are ashamed of, that which you believe is dirty, obscene, and/or indecent.  Where did this body shame come from?  Much of it comes from religion, particularly in our western culture. 

However the body is proclaimed by Christian scripture to be "very good."  Shame is the results of sinful actions.  Even when attached to the body shame is also attached to sinful actions, the human body in itself is not shameful or sinful. Unfortunately this has been twisted so that the naked human body is often maligned as shameful and indecent itself.  The body, rather than sin, is commonly sighted as the cause of impure thoughts; and body shame is regarded as right while all other results of sin, e.g., separation from God, death, sickness, hardship, hate, etc., are clearly viewed as wrong.  These consequences of  "The Fall" are things we strive to undue, escape, overcome, or correct, with a singular exception it seems: body shame.  (For more in depth perspectives on this subject see the Christian Section of this site.) 

Rather then being rejected, this fallacy grew in the early Christian church, largely due to the influence of Gnostic heresy, i.e. that all physical matter is evil, and only the spirit is good.  Later, as Christianity grew from a persecuted faith into a powerful religion it attracted those of power who saw in it an opportunity to gain greater power and control over others.  The Gnostic idea of the body being evil served those seeking power extremely well, as shame is a great way to control others.  Power hungry people in society, politics, and especially religion, have always known this and continue to use it! Break away from this control of power hungry, manipulative people, break away from body shame!

In 43 BC Publis Syrus said: "To feel shame is a sort of slavery"  Body shame contributes to a lowered sense of self-esteem and actually promotes sexual temptation, anxiety, and compulsion, as opposed to preventing it.  This is as a result of making parts of the body more alluring, by their concealment, rather than being simply accepted and seen everyday.  When the whole body is accepted - healthy sexual attraction is more the result of a positive relationship than pure physical attraction.  When parts of the body are taboo sexual attraction can easily get out of balance causing damage to individuals and society as a whole.
 
Socio-psychological research, in addition to simple common sense, prove that acceptance and respect for the whole body is beneficial.  Cultures with greater acceptance of the whole body show lower incidence's of sexual deviance and crime, such as rape and child molestation, as well as people with a greater degree of emotional health.