Was Anyone Ever Disfellowshipped For Having a Beard?

by NotFormer 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  NotFormer

  I read a comment somewhere that having a beard ( before such was allowed) was never a disfellowshippable offence. But does that mean that no-one who grew a beard was ever eventually disfellowshipped?

  Growing a beard when such was frowned upon would surely attract the attention of those with nothing better to do, and possibly lead to sniffing around to try and find things that the "disobedient" one was up to. And I imagine that such "weak ones" were subject to "soft shunning" ; not officially shunned, but avoided anyway.

  And it wouldn't be just be beards. It'd be all those areas that aren't rules, but you know for damned sure that they are rules. For example, LongHairGal suggests that her refusal to quit her job and further refusal to pioneer lowered her "worth" in the congregation. There'd be more examples. Women who refused to wear skirts in field service in Winter and so on.

  So when is not disfellowshippable actually shunnable?
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  Jeffro

  Having a beard was regarded as ‘following the styles of the world’ and would result in ‘loss of privileges’ but not shunning.
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  BluesBrother

  It didn’t always mean even a loss of privileges. In the late 70’s when the beard thing broke we wanted to appoint to be a MS a bro who was bearded. The C/O at the time didn’t like it , he said it was just because he was smart & educated and we wanted to park the account’s position on him ( truth is he was right about that)

  Anyway it went up to Bethel for ratification and they agreed it , with knowledge of his beard. He held the accounts servant position for years.
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  Rivergang

  Not a disfellowshipping matter, but would count against a brother being considered for “privileges”.

  (This did very , though, from congregation to congregation . Anyone here from Australia remember Newmarket congregation in Brisbane?)
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  Mickey mouse

  Having a beard was sometimes used as evidence of having a "poor/rebellious attitude" which can lead to disfellowshiping. So although it wouldn't be cited as a reason it most certainly could be a contributing factor.
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  Diogenesister

  BB It didn’t always mean even a loss of privileges. In the late 70’s when the beard thing broke we wanted to appoint to be a MS a bro who was bearded.

  Blues his name wasn't Gordon was it?

  This chap was bearded when baptised and refused to ever shave for that reason alone. He did the accounts to my certain knowledge, too. Very brainy type.😀
  
  
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  road to nowhere

  Brazen conduct or disrespect for elders. Remember committees are all over the board. I was removed (unilatterally by the scheduler)from the school for keeping my autumn beard. Hollow threat to lose counseling on reading (I am above average) by a man who says liberry and unconsience. Not reenrolled after the new light. I'm keeping quiet.

  The real question is how will a kangaroo court act.
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  St George of England

  I had a beard back in the 1970's. Nobody ever made any comment on it, I was still used in the congregation and gave talks. Probably a regional thing as well.

  George
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  slimboyfat

  You can never say it has never happened, because there are over 100,000 congregations, and some wacky elders out there, but it was never policy to disfellowship someone for a beard, I’ve never heard of a case, and it seems unlikely. If ever there was such a case the elders involved might explain the situation with reference to other factors in the case such as attitude and other behaviours rather than saying they disfellowshipped because of a beard alone.

  I wonder if anyone has ever been disfellowshipped for a tattoo. Not for a discreet one but for a visible one with a dubious depiction, or all over face or head, I can imagine it happening, though I don’t know any examples of that either.