Beards are evil, but do you know why?

by free2beme 62 Replies latest jw friends

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  james_woods

  As I recall, in the 1960-1980 time frame, the explanation was the "hippie" reference. No word at all about the Judge vs Charles Taze, of course. An interesting sidelight was that black brothers were allowed to have a moustache (but I think not a full beard) because of "cultural" reasons. This really meant that nobody wanted to start anything with racial overtones.

  There was also the critical issue of the width of the tie. It was grossly anti-theocratic to have a tie less than about 1-1/4" or greater than about 2" in width. But, black brothers again were exempted and allowed to wear those white shirts with really tiny collars and really skinny ties about 3/4" in width. (Think Malcolm X to get the picture) Us guys in the white congregations were of course insanely jealous on both counts, even if we were too young to grow any kind of facial hair at the time.

  Full beard for me now, but neatly trimmed -

  James
• 

  Spectrum

  Maybe next they'll reason, that homosexuals are clean shaven all over so JWs should start looking like gorillas.
• 

  james_woods

  Someone asked about Rutherford & Beards - and I remembered this old thread from way back when I first joined JWN...

  Interesting story about how Rutherford cowed the German branch guy into shaving off his beard so that he could have a printing press.
• 

  Doubting Bro

  I never realized the original reason. Great thread
• 

  designs

  The GB wanted us guys to look like Mormons.
• 

  00DAD

  Q: Beards are evil, but do you know why?

  A: Control
• 

  King Solomon

  Q: Beards are evil, but do you know why?

  A: Control

  Yup. At least in the military, members with a skin condition (pseudofolliculitis barbae) can get a medical waiver so not shaving doesn't harm their military career: their chain of command knows why they don't shave, and since they write the performance reports, there's no adverse effect.

  Not so with JWs, since you can't exactly wear a sign over your beard that says, "I can't shave because I have a legitimate, diagnosed medical condition". You'd have to do that to avoid discrimination from other R&F members who may not know you, and you'd still no doubt be denied "privileges", since it wouldn't look good to visiting Worldlies to see a brother wearing a beard (or wearing a sign over his beard, LOL!).

  So JWs enjoy military-style control over their personal grooming, without any of the common-sense protections (like med waivers) afforded in the military.

  Not so shocking really: if JWs feel they can tell you not to insert blood in your own body to save your life, then demanding you cut off a little facial hair doesn't seem so controlling, right?
• 

  Splash

  Hi,

  I posted this in another 'beard' thread, so for good measure ...

  Seen elsewhere:

  http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/showthread.php?5998-Beards-are-the-new-Circumcision-(long-post !)

  Splash
• 

  sseveninches

  An elder at my congregation just used this explanation: "it's not for us". Not a scripture to support it. If I ever get approached for my facial hair, I'll demand one.
• 

  Bugbear

  This with a beard and or a moustache…

  I remember an elderly meeting after an assembly where the Co, s and the area overseers where participating. I think we were over 50 elders, and the report from the income and comments of the success from the assembly were discussed when the area oversees suddenly took up a BIG problem. One of the elders, a person I did know personally, over 70 years of age, grey haired and very gentlemanly dressed, had grown a moustache?!! A little grey very sober, even sometimes very difficult to observe moustache that looked very nicely upon him. The Co,s and the area overseer, raged upon him, and the atmosphere in the meeting was totally a disaster. Nobody dared to take the old man’s part. But after the meeting several of us other elderly contacted him and some of us even gave him a hug, encourage him to even grow the moustache greater. This was in the midst of the 80,ths. I still feel ashamed, that I didn´t stood up and defended the man that I in fact admired a lot, and oftened, invited to my own congs.s to held speeches.

  Bugbear