A 'battle' is won

Anony-Mouse

Mom has commented twice recently that she is attracted to men with gotees.

I don't know why she does, nor will I ever.

Anyways, I read here that beards are not at all banned in the bible (every picture of the bible folks they draw has bearded men), and that it was banned by some power hungery dude in the olden days of the JWs (can't remember all those names, erased them from my memory).

Well, I ask her if I can have one, despite never wanting that on my face. She of course, says no.

I ask why, and she says its not 'culturaly acceptable'. That's the thinest explaination I've ever seen her give, and she didn't defend it.

Both times she stopped talking to me entirely. It's obvious she know's its a stupid rule. Beards never seemed to 'stumble' people when Jesus was around.

Anyways, next on the list is blood. I've been reading a lot about it around here, and it sounds like something good enough to make her think. Maybe a "Can I donate blood?"

I have no diseases, and it might actually help someone...and I've always been curious about my blood type :P .

SirNose586

Well, something selfless like donating blood is very wrong. But if your conscience allows, you can make free use of someone else's donated blood--so long as it's been fractionated.

Abandoned

First of all, CONGRATS! It sounds like your mom's starting to think for herself. :-)

Yeah, the blood thing has got to be the biggest thorn for the gb. That's one of the few issues they couldn't do a complete about face on without sending out waves and waves of red flags.

Pioneer Spit...oh, i mean Spirit

Donate only fractions.

Catfish

bigmouth

Hi Anony-mouse, I can only tell you about the beard and moustache thing from my olden days.('80's)
Beards gave the impression to others that you were narcissistic and trying to draw attention to yourself somehow. During the sixties and seventies the norm was long hair, beards and beads maan. So to have anything resembling this appearance would blur the separation between the 'world' and the 'truth'.
When the punk movement came along, short hair was demonized as it might look like you were making a political statement!

No wonder I was terrified of ever making a decision by myself.

JWdaughter

You might want to point out that cultural acceptability is not really a main feature of the JW religion. When one uses traditional and culturally acceptable in reference to Christmas or god forbid Halloween or Easter-those are EVIL man made traditions-and just because something is culturally accepted, even EXpected, doesn't mean a 'true worshipper' should follow after those things. It is a thin and lame excuse. And further example of a man made tradition that has no basis in Biblical teachings. Beards are God made, not man made. And slaving after a human fashion WAS explicitly forbidden in the Bible, when it was instructing women to not get caught up in 'braiding of hair' (I am assuming elaborate). Also, men are told in the OT NOT to dress as women, aren't they? (not sure, guessing as some Xians are obsessive about womens/mens dress) Would not shaving ones beard be a 'feminization' of a man and absolutely unacceptable biblically?