Beards, can someone explain?

by Satans little helper 43 Replies latest jw friends

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  seattleniceguy

  In my experience, the explanation has always been tied to the ministry - we want to present as clean an image as possible. I always pointed out when reasoning on this issue (in favor of the WT stand, of course) that American politicians almost never have beards. Why? Because they want to make sure they get the votes of everyone, even the people with a reaction against beards.

  However, in the minds of Witnesses, whatever reasonableness is here seems to become hardened into a superstitious fear. My friend told me that when he began to grow a beard lately, a person at the hall took him by the arm and implored, "Brother, stay in the Truth." Similarly, my old roommate came by my house last week to finish some work he started a while back, and although he didn't make conversation with me, he was visibly shocked by my goatee.

  JWs: it's facial hair. Grow up.

  SNG
• 

  Elsewhere

  It's a test to see if you will be loyal to the organization.

  The bOrg has created a very simple test to see if men will subject themselves to the organization. The "No Beard" rule is totally meaningless and arbitrary and based on nothing... but you can be disciplined for not following it.

  Same thing with women wearing pants at the KH. Utterly meaningless and based on nothing... but women will be punished for not following the rule.
• 

  shotgun

  Hi satan's little helper

  I looked into this a while back and it's seems to be an unwritten rule, at least in publications after 1950.They call that Oral traditions of men in the bible.

  The reason which was presented to me was the society publications always depict the proper attire and grooming in the publications and clean shaven is what's expected. It does seem to be upto a local elder body to a degree as well because some congregations allow publishers with tidy beards to give talks, maybe they are not MS or elders though.

  I never thought of it being another way for Rutherford to make the masses forget Russell as others pointed out but that sounds logical for a nut like him.
• 

  onintwo

  Yeah, the beard thing is a funny issue. Maybe God made a mistake and created them, forgetting that it would be thousands of years before the Bic was invented.

  I'm old enough to remember a similar type of arbitrary rule, at least in my old congregation. But I think it was pretty unanimous in the borg in the '60s. That of the pastel colored dress shirt. You had to wear white if you wanted priveliges. Tan, light blue, grey and (horrors) pink shirts, even when worn with the appropriate tie and suit jacket just wouldn't cut it. I remember a brother telling me that if I wanted to 'reach out', I'd have to wear white. And you thought it was just for virginal brides! ....lol

  onintwo
• 

  mineralogist

  What i found in literature was this (very old one)

  *** w68 5/1 p. 288 Questions from Readers ***Today Christian ministers, like the early Christians, are concerned with neatness and cleanness, but they strive to dress inconspicuously, so that their appearance does not in any way detract from the dignity or the effectiveness of the message they bear. (2 Cor. 6:3, 4) In recent years in many lands a beard or long hair on a man attracts immediate notice and may, in the minds of the majority, classify such a person undesirably with extremists or as rebels against society. God?s ministers want to avoid making any impression that would take attention away from their ministry or hinder anyone from listening to the truth. They know that people are watching true Christians very critically and that to a great extent they judge the entire congregation and the good news by the minister?s appearance as a representative of the congregation.

  Lately in a discussion an elder told it is not good to have a beard if you are a minister. I replied with an example of an elder in the neighbor-congregation and - you would'nt believe - he said: "but at least at time of appointment it should not be"
• 

  Elsewhere

  It's amazing how big'a loop-hole they can dig out of their a$$ at the drop of a hat.
• 

  Leolaia

  It is funny to see what the Bible and the early Christian Church said about beards and shaving:

  Leviticus 19:27 "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

  2 Samuel 10:4-5 "So Hanun seized David's men, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away. When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, 'Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.' "

  Clement of Alexandria, Paedagogus (A.D. 195) "How womanly it is for a man to comb himself and shave himself for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at a mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them and to smooth them! For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone, growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But he has adorned man like the loins, with a beard, a sign of strength and rule. For it is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man's natural and noble ornament. A youth with his first beard is youth at its most graceful. Thus is he annointed, delighting in the beard on which descended the prophetic ointment which with Aaron was honored.
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  Leolaia

  I knew a really nice brother who was pretty much thrown out because he had a beard. The only reason why he had a beard was for medical reasons (he had a bad ingrown hair problem).
• 

  starfish422

  I think whomever said it was an issue of seeing whether you are willing to just "follow the rules", no matter how pointless they seem, had it just about right. According to my dad, the PO of his congregation, it was just a rule the society had, and if you couldn't submit to that rule, you'd never be an elder. I remember him specifically saying it about a particular brother who had been in our congregation and then moved to a neighbouring congregation; he had a beard for as long as I could remember, and had been appointed a ministerial servant but never an elder. Dad said that no one with a beard would ever become an elder.
• 

  Gordy

  There isn't any actual ban on beards, they are just discouraged.

  I remember a Circuit Overseer coming to the Kingdom Hall about 25 years ago. He was discussing a picture in the Watchtower and asked what was wrong with the picture. A sister said that the men had beards. Quick as a flash the CO said "There is nothing wrong scripturally with a man having a beard." You could hear the sharp gasp of breath from the Elders all over the hall

  But years later I watched and heard an Elder say to a brother who was growing a beard, "As long as you have that neard you will never work with me on the feild service."

  Also to add to the confusion I have attended Elders and Ministerial Servant schools, were I have seen Elders and servanys WITH beards!!

  Heres is a link to an article about JW's and beards.

  http://www.spotlightministries.org.uk/jwsandbeards.htm