The topic of beards uncovers an unadulterated truth about the organization: The Watch Tower organization does not build strong Christians; they weaken Christians (JWs) to the point that a man's facial hair becomes a stumbling block.
P.S. - By the way, I have grown a beard and I love it. It is short and kempt. I have received many compliments on it. I have also discussed the Bible with people while wearing my beard, and I have found that it does not add or detract from the discussion. It is a non-issue, unless, of course, you're a Witness.
So true.. This has been my own experience as an MS. No one could ever give me a satisfying explanation for the ban on facial hair. One elder told me it was because food gets stuck in your beard and you end up looking undignified... which led me to think whether Charlie Russell, (or better yet, Jesus) walked around with yesterday's leftovers stuck to their chins. Doesn't make any sense! It just came down to "it is, because it is".
Now I, too, have since grown a beard- first as a seasonal thing, but now it's grown on me and I rather like it. As for it being kempt, my barber compliments me on how trimmed it always is, so I must be doing something right. Otherwise it's a complete non-issue and only comes up when dealing with current/active JWs.