Enlighten me If you can

by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara 30 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  CONFUSING STANDARDS OR HODGE PODGE?

  What is this about beards I never got the hang of from day one? Are beards ok or not?

  I have spoken to quite a few bro's and all of them have said different things. Some Elder said it depends on the opinions of the local area about it too, some said depens on how the local cong feels. So I ask where is Jehovah's bible based principle on this.Tat is all.

  Listen to thsi which contradicts itself within one cong itself.Three bro's in my cong.Two sporting frenchcuts, and one a normal beard and moustache.

  After a year or so, the normal bearded one gets baptised and moves on to be appointed as a MS.

  After sometime one bro with the frenchie is counseld to go clean shaven.

  Last bro with the frenchie , not a peep.

  So any elders or co's about can you explain what principle is being applied to all three?

  I personally do not give two hoots but willing to see reason based on Bible based guidelines.

  Anybody?????????

  Peace
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  oppostate

  Facial hair on JW men is suspect, and has been looked down on since Joe Rutherford held the WTS presidency.

  Much depends on who you are and where you live, and whether you can come up with some medical excuse for not shaving. As a JW, you would always be a bit guarded and distrustful of anyone with facial hair who goes to the KH.

  Facial hair breaks the spell that keeps JWs as subserviently immature drones suppressed through hierarchical domination.

  Amended to add that this was a very Roman Catholic clerical custom.
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  But 3 different stands in one local cong, and no one had any medical conditions. I asked individually. yeah cheeky!

  Any scriptural backing anyone?
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  Giordano

  The Bible and other artifacts of Christian history show us the long history of the beard in Christianity. The most clear biblical passage to condone beards comes from Leviticus (19:27): “You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard.” To cut off another man’s beard, according to Samuel (10:4) is an outrage.

  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-considine/reclaiming-the-beard-on-behalf-of-christianity_b_3420863.html

  Their are three reasons for the Societies position........ all of which are questionable.
  

  Here is an image of Russell......

  

  The first is that Rutherford, who was clean shaven, hated to see a beard as it confirmed to him that beards were a sign that a person was still loyal to Russell.

  Secondly being 'clean shaven' became the new standard especially among Hollywood and TV male actors. Hollywood often set standards on grooming and how we look and how we dress in the 1920's to this day. In the 1950's the T.V. clean shaven look was the norm.
  

  The Society was not inclined to have bearded persons representing the organization in the congregation and in the door to door work because of the social norm.

  A beard was thought to stumble people.

  The 1960's enforced their obsession............ as beards and long hair belonged to hippies, rock and roll, sex and drugs the Grateful Dead and Charlie Mansion. Certainly nothing the JW's wanted to be associated with. Even Jesus was clean shaven in the publications.
  

  The clean shaven look is far more a corporation dictate then a scriptural one. Consider it a cultural corporation look.
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  fastJehu

  Like Giordano said:

  Yearbook 74:

  *** yb74 pp. 97-98 Part 1—Germany ***
  But more equipment was needed. For that reason Brother Balzereit asked Brother Rutherford for permission to buy a rotary press. Brother Rutherford saw the necessity and agreed, but on one condition. He had noticed that over the years Brother Balzereit had grown a beard very similar to the one that had been worn by Brother Russell. His example soon caught on, for there were others who also wanted to look like Brother Russell. This could give rise to a tendency toward creature worship, and Brother Rutherford wanted to prevent this. So during his next visit, within hearing of all the Bible House family, he told Brother Balzereit that he could buy the rotary press but only on the condition that he shave off his beard. Brother Balzereit sadly agreed and afterward went to the barber. During the next few days there were several cases of mistaken identity and some funny situations because of the “stranger” who was sometimes not recognized by his fellow workers.

  
  
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  Secondly being 'clean shaven' became the new standard especially among Hollywood and TV male actors. Hollywood often set standards on grooming and how we look and how we dress in the 1920's to this day. In the 1950's the T.V. clean shaven look was the norm.

  Yet we are still asking our women ie sisters to wear knee length skirts , outfits which are 1960's style perhaps which looks gaudy. No one is encouraged to follow hollywood hairstyles (not extremes but evn a little give) is nowhere to be seen. eg tony tightpants.

  Similarly the view to color hair some colors are acceptable but blue green pink etc is worldly???????? Funny , confusing .Either follow bible standards or follow hollywoods.Pick one !

  Peace.
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  One should not have three or four different standards being followed in one cong.Stumbles the flock anyways.

  Peace
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  blondie

  If the differences are between one congregation and another, I was told that BOEs can set standards for their own congregations that differ from others, e.g., sisters in the circuit I live in allows for BOEs to allow sisters to have double pierced ears in one congregation and not in another. If this is in the same congregation then it is a two-faced policy allowing one individual in the congregation and not another.
  
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  Yeah ours has it one newly baptised sister had a nose piercing while studying still has it but when another brothers wife got a nose piercing (she comes from a background where it is just jewelllery), also she has been trying to get it done for years but each time she gets an infection or something goes wrong .then she leaves it for a few years then tries again. when this time she got it pierced the elders were not happy but kudos to her husband who stood by her and supported her with the BOE'S.THEY NEED TO STOP NITPICKING adn not be overly judgy about every little thing. Spirituallity should be the focus and devotion.

  Again two differnt standards for two people in the same cong. Flock will stumble.
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  I have been told a few times that a visiting speaker was asked not to deliver his public talk coz he had beard. So he just had to sit through the meeting.

  Its is very confusing and bible says he is a god of order.Where is the order there?

  Peace.