books published around 1960 STILL were showing Jesus and Adam WITHOUT beard.
So true. I'm 19 so I was born in the "bearded Jesus" era , but I'm a 4th generationer so we've got a whole lot of old society books. Just last night I saw a Paradise Lost book, and there were pictures of Adam & Jesus clean shaven (Adam actually also had well groomed sideburns!). Beards are definitely an unoffical no-no. I can't think of any ("responsible") brother in any of the halls I've been to who had beards.
But what about goutees? (sp?) I think it would be o.k. After all, they aren't full beards and they have a little more hair than mustaches. When I went to last year's memorial there was this poor "brother" who was wearing one and everyone was giving him the cold shoulder because he had one. I felt so bad for him.
I currently have a goatee and no brothers in my congregation have ever objected (including my dad, who's an elder). However, my uncle, who's also an elder, has repeatedly told me that my goatee "looks worldly" and that it's a sign of "an independent attitude" since no one else in my congreagation really has one. Of course, I ask him what scriptural counsel is there against them, the best he could do was say that "the society advises against them" (obviously, a real "society man"). The fact that Jesus more than likely wore one should tell them nothing is wrong with it
scripturally, and socially a man with a well groomed beard is well respected (my uncle tried to tell me people with beards "aren't respectable", but I easily showed him otherwise).
Besides arguing about whether beards are right or not, we also argued about whether a goatee was a beard or not. In my opinion it's not, in his it is but who really gives a crap, anyway? Experiences like that make me happy that I'm mentally free of the societies dogmas.
Go therefore and baptize the people in the name of the father and of the son... what the hell, we just need to bring up the yearbook numbers!
