Despite the fact that most religions do not have anything against nudity itself in their core beliefs, there are a lot of organized religious groups who see mere nudity as something sinful and are determined to shut down any nude beach or club they can, in any way they can, including attempting to pass anti-nudity legislation, picketing, making formal complaints, or publicly labelling all naturists as sexual deviants, perverts, and paedophiles. These people apparently wish everyone to be ashamed of God's creation, and instead, worship Him wearing polyester. These groups exist everywhere, but are particularly prevalent in the USA.

On the other hand, there are religious groups who use naturism as part of their form of worship, under the notion that being closer to nature is one way of being closer to God. They point out that. The Bible has no prohibition against nudity per se. Not only was public nudity common in biblical times for practical reasons (or poverty); but, in some cases (baptisms, prophets, etc), it was required. They also note that the use of the word 'naked' in various translations of the Bible often means something else. For instance, references such as: 'And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin.', King James Version. are actually using 'nakedness' as a euphemism for 'having sexual relations with' or 'lusting after'.

Sexual modesty cannot then in any simple way be identified with the use of clothing, nor shamelessness with the absence of clothing and total or partial nakedness. There are circumstances in which total nakedness is not immodest... nakedness as such is not to be equated with physical shamelessness. Immodesty is only present when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person... The human body is not in itself shameful, nor for the same reasons are sensual reactions, and human sensuality in general. Shamelessness (just like shame and modesty) is a function of the interior of the individual.

- Pope John Paul II