What does the Bible say about nudity? I know of people who live in nudists camps, and I think it is wrong. To me, nudity should be private, between a husband and wife, not something you share with everyone. Please e-mail me and tell me what the Bible says, am I right or wrong?

I must admit that I was originally taken back that anyone would need to ask this question. However, I suppose one of the signs of the times is that people just do not know many of the principles of right and wrong any more. I will give some thoughts on the subject.

You are certainly correct that living in a nudist camp is absolutely wrong. But in order to stay close to the biblical terms, instead of nudity, I will use the Bible word nakedness. It is true that Adam and Eve went without clothes when they were created. However, they were at this time in a state of innocence. Though they were intelligent creatures, they had no more sense of right and wrong than a baby does today. However, as soon as sin entered the world, they were ashamed of their nakedness and sought to cover themselves. From that time until now, God has treated nakedness outside of marriage as a shameful thing.

Several actions concerning nakedness (outside marriage where the bed is undefiled - Hebrews 13:4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
See All...) are condemned in the Bible:

1. It is a shame and wrong to uncover your nakedness to others. The priests were warned to wear undergarments so that their nakedness would not be discovered when they went up the steps to the altar in their robes. Their undergarments (linen breeches) were to cover from their loins (waist) to their thighs (Exodus 28:42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
   See All...). When the children of Israel made and worshipped the golden calf, Aaron "made them naked unto their shame" (Exodus 32:25And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
   See All...). Isaiah 47:3Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.
   See All... speaks of the shame of having your nakedness uncovered.
2. It is a sin to uncover the nakedness of another. This is seen as leading to other sins (see Leviticus 18:6-18 [6] None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. [7] The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. [8] The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. [9] The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. [10] The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. [11] The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. [12] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. [13] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. [14] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. [15] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. [16] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. [17] Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. [18] Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
   See All...).
3. It is wrong to look on the nakedness of others. Ham's son was cursed because Ham saw the nakedness of his father and went and talked about it (Genesis 9:22-23 [22] And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. [23] And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
   See All...). Habakkuk 2:15Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
   See All... speaks of the wickedness of those who get someone drunk in order to "look on their nakedness."

One important point I need to make concerns the biblical definition of nakedness. We sometimes get the idea that nakedness refers only to having no clothing at all. However, this is neither true in the Bible nor in the English dictionary. One of the definitions for "naked" in my English dictionary is "without conventional or usual clothing." Many people do not know that the Bible often calls improper covering of the body nakedness. Most often it refers to the wearing of undergarments in public. This explains the nakedness of Saul (1 Samuel 19:24And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
See All...), of David (2 Samuel 6:14And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
See All..., 20; 1 Chronicles 15:27And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
See All...), of Isaiah (Isaiah 20:2-4 [2] At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. [3] And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; [4] So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
See All...), and of Peter (John 21:7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
See All...). It is interesting that Peter did not want Jesus to see him naked.

We understand this definition in practice as well. If a person had no clothing except for a 6-inch square piece of cloth taped to the middle of their back, we would still consider them to be naked. The Bible teaches that improperly covered bodies are still naked. This is interesting in an age when many outer garments do not cover as much as undergarments did a short time ago.

We do not and cannot have the innocence of children. Therefore, we are not to run around in our nakedness. To do so is shameful and to look on the nakedness of others is sinful. Certainly, in working with young children and in working with the sick and elderly, there are times when caretakers will see their nakedness and there is nothing wicked in this (though proper respect should be given and the eyes should be averted when possible). God also makes an exception for a husband and wife. In fact, this is part of the significance of them being made one flesh. However, to purposely uncover our bodies for others to see or to gaze upon the nakedness of others to satisfy our own prurient interest are both sins in the Bible. This rules out any sort of nudist camp and many other things that are practiced today.