On Wednesday 18 October  Channel 4 television will be broadcasting a documentary about Bill Martin and his attempt to establish "a family-based nudist resort run by Christians for Christians" in Florida, USA.

(The previous progamme in the strand features an ex-stripperwho leads  a group of women who go to lap dancing clubs, pay for "private time" with the dancers, and use that time to talk to them about Christianity!)

'God's Nudists' - made for Channel 4 by Glasshead Television - follows Bill Martin and his Natura Foundation as it attempts to set up a "modern-day Garden of Eden" on a 240 acre site in Pasco County, near Tampa, Florida.

Martin is a highly controversial figure in American naturist circles and his project has met with as much opposition from his fellow nudists as from local right-wing Christians - much of it generated by his alleged behaviour towards existing residents on the Pasco County site.

On the 'rec.nude' newsgroup martin has been described as "a total embarrassment to nudists and Christians".

According to a Times article from 2005, Martin:

"has fought with his neighbours over property rights, fallen out with other nudists over his promotional material and sparked a vigorous internet debate over whether the true path to godliness really involves getting naked"

and

"has alienated local residents with proposed property improvements that have spawned half a dozen lawsuits"

In a final twist, since the programme has been made  Martin has announced that he and his wife,  Alice, are "retiring around the end of the year and "leaving their 'operations' to  be assumed by others. They will, however,"remain as emeritus members of the board [of Natura Christian Fellowship, Inc.] for life and will participate as God so wills".

His opponents are proclaiming victory,  loudly.

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