Did you ever experience caution or fear at being introduced to a brother with a beard?

cattails

Did you ever experience caution or an uneasy fear when being introduced to a brother with a beard?

For years everytime I met someone introduced to me as Bro So-and-so who might have a beard (and there weren't that many times), my Here-comes-trouble radar turned on.

I would be very cautious in talking to this brother. But at school or at work, seeing and meeting someone with a beard was no big deal.

It's really strange how the WT Society could implant this feeling? Was it just me or did someone else feel this?

No, but when I first started going to the KH my beard got some strange looks. It got even more when I grew it back fifteen years later, although that was when I ran into dubs someplace, as I was no longer going to the hall.

compound complex

Hello, cattails:

Yes, I did.

I have had a beard for 1 1/2 years and no one among the Witnesses even comments on it or acts weirded out. Only a couple JWs know I'm inactive and no longer attend the KH in our huge JW community.

CoCo

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/150648/1/Growing-a-Beard-Reaction-from-JWs

OUTLAW

Rutherford wanted to erase anything that resembled Russel..That included beards......During the late 60`s- early 70`s the WBT$ relaxed the rules on beards.............................OUTLAW

mindmelda

My husband has worn a beard (a short neatly trimmed goatee) for years and no one really said much except one brother who nitpicked about everything anyway.

My husband never had a congregation position when he was attending meetings, though. *G* But, more than one sister told me privately they wished their husbands had one, which used to amuse me to no end. They thought it was pretty hot!

But the grooming standards of the WTS never grafted onto my husband who has always been a rebel who does what he damn well pleases. And no one says much to him, he's nearly 7 ft tall, over 300 lbs and dark skinned, so naturally somewhat..intimidating. (He's part Italian and part Creole/Native American, and gets asked a lot if he's Arab or mulatto...which he is, I guess.) Last time the elders asked to come over for a "sheparding' call, he just said, "No thanks" and hung up on them without explaining further. LOL No more calls!

No, men with beards don't scare me. I grew up in the end of the hippy era, lots of guys had beards and long hair and I always liked it.

What looks scary to me is uniformly clean shaven faces...makes me think I'm looking at Stepford people when everyone is groomed similarly.

BluesBrother

No , not at all....Methinks that you may have been a little "righteous overmuch" on this matter Sister Cattails. The only issues arose when a public speaker from another congo had a beard.. and then the rest of the "brothers" could not see why there should be a problem over it

MissingLink

Not me, my last 8 years as a dub I had a beard myself. But before that I ran into an old jw friend in town. Hadn't seen him for years. He was a bit embarrased to see me because he had the start of a beard. I didn't mention it, didn't even notice really. But he was quick to apologize and reassure me that he's still "active in the twoof", and that he was just away camping for a week or something and hadn't had a chance to shave yet. I was a bit freaked out by his squirming, but not the beard.

wobble

I wore a beard from 1975 to1988,in 1988 they would not use me on the CA programme,merely for a FS "experience", if I did not shave off the beard, the same beard that the person I was preaching to in the experience had no problem with!

I asked the Bro. taking the Assy. part to show me in print why he took the attitude he did,and he showed me the semi-secret instuctions for those with parts on the programme and there it was, no beards,of course the WT never put out such rules in a public way.

As my wearing one or not was no big deal to me, I shaved. Other Bros, were upset on my behalf,but we all accepted the Rule of the Pharisees,at the time. Funny business though,and I know many Bros were uneasy with me when I first met them,when I had the beard,cult thinking runs deep.

They are now uneasy with me because of the rumours of my Apostate thinking,but I just laugh inside.

Love

Wobble

PrimateDave

In all my years in the Truth (TM), beards were a no-no, unless, of course, one was an older sister in the congregation.

Since leaving I did grow a beard, but it's not really my style. I do have a mustache, though, and mid back length hair. I think I'm going to start braiding it.

Dave

ninja

hey primate...you got there first........I experienced fear being introduced to sisters with more facial hair than chewbacca.....