what do you think about.................................

by defd 80 Replies latest jw friends

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  John Doe

  The ones who left Jehovah's Witnesses in my area almost invariably grew beards. I don't know what their reasons were, but it did seem to be a visible act of defiance for many.

  I grew a beard, but not for defiance. I've always hated shaving. I hate the rough, itchy feel of shaven skin, the slimy, cold steel blade slathered across my face every morning, nipping and ripping and slicing anthing in the way. I mean really folks, will a true servant of god put his life and holy relationship with the sovreign of the universe needlessly in danger every day by wielding such sharp, death-dealing, disease purveying instruments of satan across his visible members every day? And this is only the beginning for folks who use such ungodly instruments on their face. It invariably leads to shaving unmentionable parts, and god forbid homosexuality and chess-playing!!

  Back to reality now, I have no qualms about trimming my beard, and I do every other day--I just hate cold steel on my face. And don't even get me started on those over priced vibrator-wannabe-hair-jerking Nordics. groans in disgust
• 

  Dan-O

  I never HATED shaving, really. I just didn't care much for it. If I could shave once every week or two, I was OK.
  
  Now, Mrs. O hates being assaulted by stubble, and she presnted me with a choice: shave every day (which I DO hate because it's a pain in the ass to spend that extra 5 minutes getting ready in the morning) or let it grow long enough to be soft. Otherwise I could forget about any fun in close quarters, KWIM?
  
  Well, DUH! It didn't take me long to narrow down that list of options.
• 

  Evanescence

  Hey I liked beards maybe not the ned kelly or santa clause sort, but a bit of facial hair is cool

  Evanescence
• 

  Cygnus

  Several years ago a 'brother' developed a skin condition where he could not shave for several months and the first thing he'd feel obliged to tell people was "I'm not falling out of The Truth!"

  My first month of inactivity, I grew a goatee and got a few kidding comments that my face had "dirt" on it.

  I remember it was always a kick when a JW from Australia or Britain would be visiting Niagara Falls and made a tour of local congos and sported trendy spectacles and a cool goatee. Sisters would be overheard to say, "I wish the 'brothers' here could get away with that, they look so good!"

  Then there's this classic from the litteracher:

  ***

  w54 8/15 p. 511 Questions from Readers ***

  Watch Tower publications show Jesus as beardless and with short hair because he is shown that way in representations of him that are older than the traditional effeminate-looking picture.
• 

  misspeaches

  I remember it was always a kick when a JW from Australia or Britain would be visiting Niagara Falls and made a tour of local congos and sported trendy spectacles and a cool goatee

  Trust me beards in Australian JW congregations are DEFINATELY frowned upon. Brothers grow 'vacation' beards but shave them off before attending meetings at their local congregation again....
• 

  forsharry

  What do I think about beards, and why the organization in general doesn't allow them?

  Because beards are cool, and are linked to long hair for having strength and virility. Look at Samson from MBoBS. He's wrestling a lion for fun (which goes into "Are Cats for True Christians?") why? Because the lion is bad because it doesn't spill the blood upon the ground before eating it's supper. ;) I digress. Samson also had his act cleaned up by a woman (Delilah) cause she could stand the whisker burns she would get from kissing the overly cool, if hairy, Samson. So she cleans him up, in accordance with the spiritual food from the FDS and suddenly he has no strength and he's not a hit with the girls anymore. (Oh, and it's her fault too.)

  Tune in next time folks when we discuss the Parable of water into wine, and why god wants us to drink.
• 

  AlmostAtheist

  There was a brother in a small congregation I attended that worked outside for a living. He grew a beard every winter to keep warm. He was "new in the truth", but we were a small congregation and he had "progressed" quickly, so he was reading at the bookstudy by the time he started to grow his annual facemask. It quickly became a point of discussion among the congregation. Should he be allowed to read? Should he be allowed to give talks?

  The presiding overseer and I were talking about it out in service. I didn't understand why anyone cared. He said to me, "If anyone can show me a scripture that says he can't have a beard, we'll meet with him and ask him to shave. Until then, it's up to him."

  I always like that elder. :-) He's the same one that said "asinine" from the platform and was nearly made to step down over it!

  Dave
• 

  defd

  I did shave. It took 3 different blades. MAN i feel so much better. I mean my face does. It was ITCHY.

  D.
• 

  ozziepost

  Should i say Welcome Home! to JWD, Derrick?

  What nice chat we're having.

  Beards?

  Don't get me started!

  OK then, here's an anecdote:

  Around Australia Bethel the elders took to measuring the length of moustaches! I kid you not! Longer than the perceived standard meant you were not a good example and we even had one elder who was out of favor as a public speaker because of it - until he had a trim of course!
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  enigmatic

  there was the nicest brother in my hall when i was young that had a beard, but no privledges...
  
  personally i like a little 2 day growth and this week im sporting a little johhny depp looking facial hair thing, though i shave everyday to keep it nice looking...
  
  J
  
  the whole stumbling thing, what a crock...they used that for everything..."no the bible does not say thats wrong but if it may stumble your brother you shouldn't do that" pretty much an all encompassing thing to ban anything they feel like.....