Beards and dress clothes...

B_Deserter

I often wonder about the unwritten rule in Kingdom Halls that a witness should be in dress clothes and brothers cannot have beards (the beard rule I think is pretty much US-only though). Sure, they won't stop you from coming to a meeting in your work clothes and they might even treat you fine. But, if you want to go anywhere in the congregation (i.e. have "privileges"), you best be sporting the suit and tie, especially if you start going regularly.

This rule reminds me of a Circuit Overseer back in the 70's my dad was telling me about. This CO made it a rule that brothers in his circuit were not to wear colored shirts when on stage. He even had the congregations keep a stock of white shirts in the back room just in case a brother due to give a talk arrived without one. Eventually this made it to the DO, who promptly rebuked the CO, thereafter the ban on colored shirts was lifted. Apparently the CO was raised a strict Methodist, and his rigid white shirt rule came from that.

That got me thinking about the dress clothes situation here in the US and elsewhere. Where in the Bible does it say "and the Lord Jesus donned his finest Jones of New York suit, Van Huesen color-coordinated shirt/tie combo, and Florschiem dress shoes, setting out to preach to the people in his designated territory?" There is nowhere in the Bible that indicates Jesus or his Apostles wore anything but common, every-day clothes. In some countries, the brothers do wear common clothes.

Now, a JW might tell you it's a regional thing, and that they don't want to stumble anyone, but that's ridiculous. Who is going to refuse to read their literature because they weren't dressed in cheap JC Penney dress clothes when delivering it? What qualifies the elders to determine who is stumbled by what? Everyone can be "stumbled" by just about anything. Isn't the whole "dressing up for church" thing a borrowed tradition from Christendom? A throwback to the days in U.S. cultureJesus never told us how to dress and whether or not we could grow beards. Not even Paul, the tyrannical J.F. Rutherford of the first-century made such a determination. Did he tell gentile christians they all had to grow beards so they wouldn't "stumble" the Jewish christians and other Jews they might preach to? Oh, I forgot, there's no record of anyone other than the Jesus, the Apostles and those invited by the Apostles doing any kind of public ministry at all. Preaching was a real full-time thing for those guys. They didn't just go out on the weekends and then commence with their normal lives, and they didn't keep track of how many hours they spent or how many scrolls they placed. The brand of "field service" that JWs practice simply did not exist in the 1st century, no matter how much they want you to believe otherwise. Christians did not distribute literature, and again, there is no evidence that EVERYONE in the congregations engaged in public preaching. Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

For those of you who still talk to witnesses once in a while, pose them these questions. Don't let them worm their way out of it with the standard "well you don't have to wear dress clothes, everyone just chooses to do so" or "we don't want to stumble anyone." Point out that JWs won't let you teach others in their religion without wearing dress clothes, even though there's no evidence that Jesus, Paul, Peter, and whoever else wore anything special when doing so.

Wordly Andre

so if Jesus came back down to earth, entered a Kingdumb hall, they wouldn't let him up on the stage to address the congergation because he had a beard and was not wearing an ill fitted suit?

momzcrazy

One of the things that "stumbled" hubby. Where is your rule at in the Bible? People in different areas are nit picky about different things. In Utah an elder had an allergy to the sun and had a full beard. It was always announced the week before why he had a beard, so people would listen to the talk without mumbling about the beard.

The Society just keeps everyone busy with useless rules and endless publications so you have no time to think for yourself.

momz

B_Deserter

"so if Jesus came back down to earth, entered a Kingdumb hall, they wouldn't let him up on the stage to address the congergation because he had a beard and was not wearing an ill fitted suit?"

I suspect in every congregation the brothers keep a "backup" ill-fitting JC Penney suit that Jesus could probably use. Undoubtedly, they keep a Bic razor in the front pocket as well. They would at least ask him to throw the suit jacket on over top his robes.

God, that would be such a great comic. Why can't I draw?

llbh

We were asked in our cong whether we would object if a brother who had a beard gave a talk would offend us, I turned the argument on it's head and said that I would be offended if a brother who had beard was not invited, solely because he had a beard. That freaked them

I used to arrange for outside speakers to give talks, and deliberately invited a bother with a beard to give talk (he was good speaker as well). Guess what? I was soon relieved of my post.

Never did become an elder

llbh

kifoy

brothers cannot have beards (the beard rule I think is pretty much US-only though)

Nope. The beards were (an still is, I guess) an issue here in Norway as well. If you had a beard, or something other hairy stuff in your face, you were not to have any privileges. One new brother in my hall (really nice guy with adorable family, also new), had a moustache for a long time. One day he shaved it off. Two weeks later (or so it seemed) he was an MS.

I can't remember any dress rules, though.

kifoy

wha happened?

It's that old 1950's mentality. If u have a beard u are a reefer smoking beatnik. A suit is proper for all outdoor occasions and business. How so very archaic.

MissingLink

I'm in Ireland and have a beard. I was allowed on the school, but told that the only restriction on me was that I couldn't be on the platform at assemblies. Although the new school book does now state that beards are not allowed.

It's been said at a couple conventions that brothers are not to make up these personal rules, and that it's only important that we are neat and respectable. However, the last time I was on the school the man talked to me afterward. It wasn't about my beard, but the fact that my jacket didn't exactly match my trousers (not a suit, but a sport coat). I said that I don't have a suit. He said "buy one". I said "I'm not going to do that, there's no rule that we have to wear a suit". I haven't had another assignment since.

freedomfighter

"Worldly Andre" nailed it in one sentence. Good onya mate!

I think if Jesus came back right now and examined the organisation using his Father's name, He would be disgusted as he was with the Scribes and Pharasees. All those thousands of rules that burden the people - rules that come from man not God.

In Australia beards and Goatees are frowned upon and it is very rare to have privileges in the Cong. if you have one.

Afew years ago my brother who is still a JW cut above his lip in an encounter with his surfboard. He could'nt shave because of his injury for a while. During this time he was strongly recommended to shave off his mowe. As a MS he was'nt allowed to give a talk until he was cleanly shaven! In Australia if a young man decides to grow facial hair it is seen as a sign of rebellion. Simple as that.

FF

avishai

Ironic. My Uncle had the same problem at one cong. Until he showed them a pic from the "Live forever" book with a bro wearing a mustache.

Beards and dress clothes...

Share this