by JH 31 Replies latest jw friends
The JW's will say that in Jesus time, it was OK to have a beard because it was their custom back then, and today JW's should not have a beard because it's not our custom to have one today.
Since the world is ever changing, it will continue changing, and beards might come back and be popular once more.
It's only a cheap excuse on their part, because they will never accept beards, even if every man wore one today.
I will never shave mine's. Its an absolute part of who I am. I've worn one it for about 8 years. They should just get over it, already.
You mean a full beard? Yeah, that wouldn't change a damn thing. The brothers will always go back to "what mother says." In fact, I think they'd come down harder on sideburns and moustaches if full beards came back, because the dub-salespeople need to look different so as to attract attention to the product.
Since the world is ever changing, it will continue changing, and beards might come back and be popular once more.
I tend to disagree. The Watchtower organization uses the "stand out as different" mantra as a badge of merit. By the very nature of the religion; everyone is expected to be different from everyone else on one hand; and in uniform conformity with their brothers on the other. (i.e. don't say the word "heck", be sure to have a good "field service car", etc. etc.)
It doesn't matter one iota what is customary in society at large. The deciding factor is whatever the Governing Body thinks. If the GB decided that one day; true Christians should all wear powdered wigs; the Kingdom Halls would quickly look like like a circa 1776 congressional session. Anybody who complained would be labeled a "Korah".
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no way
A few years back, a brother in my congregation had his privileges revoked because he grew a well trimmed goatee. It looked nice and was fitting for him. Several in the congregation complemented him on it. I did. He looked distinguished, like Shaun Connery. However, the elders were uncomfortable with it. This brother shaved it off after about 6 months after the constant hounding and guilt trip the elders gave him.
Not long ago the circuit overseer had one elder shave off his mustache. This elder was the only male in the congregation to have one. I assumed that the circuit overseer said that it made this elder stand out and that it wasn't necessary to have one.
The New York Yankees have a policy about beards in their organization. If you had one, you wouldn't get hired. If you grew one, then you would get fired. Mind you, this is corporate policy that their employees must adhere to. The WTS has the same mindset. A company can stipulate such, but aren't the JWs a brotherhood/family instead?
Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
To answer the question of the post, for the most part NO. But if you are in a congregation with a liberal tendency in a small rural area far away from the general populace in a developing country that are accustomed to beards, then perhaps.
In a legalistic system like the Republic of Watchtower; there is a bizarre obsession with inconsequential trivialities. I have know Witnesses who just about soil their pants if someone even used the word "heck" in front of them.
The whole beard issue is really just a symptom of the larger picture. The big picture is that the Watchtower religion is a Talmudic religion. It is Judaistic to it's very core. You can see this in the kind of Circuit Assembly talks that are given. What other group would devote entire assembly parts to counseling people about what kind of T-shirts not to wear, about not getting up too much during the meeting to use the restroom, or to use only one paper towel?
I grew a beard back in the 70's and was publicly reproved for it, as I refused to shave it off.
By the way, our po at the time sported a full beard to "hide a scar".
Utter bs if you ask me.
JWs are sheep, they all have to follow the dress code. I remember one poor woman who took endless criticism because she wore pants. She had badly burned legs and was very self conscious but no one gave her any slack. It was considered "proof" that she was spiritually weak. As if the early Christian women wore flowered dressed, pantyhose and medium heels.
I don't know about the beard thing and even the women in business suits with pants. I think it may be a generational thing. I think if the GB gets some younger brothers in there things might change a bit. Personally I grew up away from the whole "hippie" thing, so if some guy has a beard I do think sometimes he looks distinguished or whatever. If a woman is wearing a pants-suit I think she is knowlegable and dressed up. If a guy in a suit with a beard came to my door with a woman who was wearing a pants suit I'd probably be inclined to listen to them more than if a woman in some flowered dress (obviously cheap looking) and some guy with the mandatory I'm middle-aged but can't expiriment and thus I potted my hair on the side and it's very short in a cheap suit that is bland along with some flowered print tie. The former couple I would think are trying to sell me like insurance or something important, the latter I would just shut the door. Whatever they're trying to sell me obviously hasn't made them look very successful.
