Church allows nude worship

A church in the US state of Virginia has taken the bizarre decision to allow its congregation to attend services in the nude.
Pastor Allen Parker, the leader of White Tail Chapel in the town of Southampton, said he came to the decision to allow naked worship after concluding the clothing requirements of other churches were overly 'pretentious', and decided his own flock should be free to forgo such materialism if they desire.
He believes he is in good company too, claiming many of the most important moments in the Bible happened while the protagonists were nude, including Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Pastor Allen Parker said he came to the decision to allow naked worship after concluding his flock should be free to forgo materialism and the 'pretense' of clothing if they desire

The idea is that nudity is 'the great equaliser', reminding all those gathered in the church that they are simple human beings beneath their clothing

The pastor leads the church by example, standing in his pulpit without a scrap of clothing as he reads stories from the Bible to the faithful gathered in his small rural church in Southampton, Virginia (pictured)

'If God made us that way, how can that be wrong?' the pastor said.

The idea is that nudity is 'the great equaliser', reminding all those gathered in the church that they are simple human beings and that, beneath any personal wealth or glamorous outward appearance, they are all more of less the same beneath the clothing.
'There’s not a feeling that you have to be better than one another, physically. We’re humans, we have scars, we have what we have. It’s learning to love and accept that,' Mr Parker says.