New Article on BEARDS and Attire of Jehovah's Witnesses

by jwfacts 105 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jwfacts

  I have had requests to add an article about Beards and Jehovah's Witnesses. It is interesting that there is virtually no statement that says a Witness cannot have a beard, yet universally they do not have beards. I have scoured quotes from all the threads on JWN, all references to beard on the CD Watchtower library, and copies of elders letters that I have. If anyone here has any quotes that I may have missed please feel free to suggest them. I would be particularly interested to know if there is some old elders letter that directly speaks against beards.

  The article is long and full of pictures, so rather than copy it here, please go to Beards and Attire of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  The information in the article is from my experience, and the English Watchtower, which is very Western focused. I would love to hear from any foreign speaking people regarding whether beards are acceptable in their culture for publishers and for elders.
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  blondie

  Nothing official except that if the BOE allowed it in their congregation brothers could have beards but that the brother could not go to other congregations as a speaker unless the BOE there approved. Never at a circuit assembly or convention although I have seen some posters say that in Europe they saw speakers with beards at conventions/assemblies.

  I saw similar approaoches with mustaches in the 70's (US). Some BOE allowed it, others did not. There was a migration of brothers to congregations where the BOE allowed mustaches and it created a long-standing grudge between those 2 congregations (or others).

  This concept arose where sisters had double pierced earrings and other sisters saw them at a circuit assembly. It seems that the BOE in that congregation allowed double pierced and the other did not but had told the sisters it was a universal rule. It ended when the BOE called the "service desk" who told that BOE that it was up to the BOE decision.

  So the local BOE makes the rules for their congregation still lives. (nothing in writing)
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  new hope and happiness

  Me " whats wrong with a beard" .

  Elder " could you trust someone who wears a beard?

  me...i kept silent, how do you answer that?
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  jeremiah18:5-10

  Just an FYI, I served my final year as an elder with another elder that did sport a beard. He too said he had a rare skin condition that didn't permit him to shave. Mind you this is in Arkansas, a traditionally conservative area. He was accepted without question even though a year previous, the same elder body had told a baptized young man he couldn't give talks on the school with a beard, a decision overturned by the branch. The only repercussion was before I assigned him out for public talks, I was required to inform congregations of his beard and whether that would stumble any, if not then he could go. Eventually he was used on circuit and district parts.
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  new hope and happiness

  jeremiah...that is PATHETIC.
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  Daniel1555

  In Switzerland there are several brothers and even elders with full beards. I feel that in Switzerland those manmade rules are not overemphacised whereas in Germany english speaking countries the brothers are so strict in minor things.

  In many congregations there are sisters wearing trousers for meeting and especially field service. That makes sense especially in winter whereas my friends told me that in Canada sisters have to wear a skirt when temperatures are even below 30.

  These are manmade rules similar to the rules of the pharisees.
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  zeb

  I recall a 'sm' where beards were hammered. I was the one they were after. With no notice or contact. The elder who did the rant had his daughter in a backless string strap skimpy attire. Sisters were there similar dressed and with their footwear ..off. There was ever this scrambling after meetings to get the footwear back on.

  But beards copped a pasting. I didnt remove it and had it for years.
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  jwfacts

  I will make a change to say this applies to Englsh speaking countries, and that in some cultures some Jehovah's Witnesses are known to have beards.
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  konceptual99

  There are a couple of examples of implicit anti-beard messages in recent magazines. The current study WT has a couple where they both have tats and the man has a beard. There are images of the couple in their "new" state and the beard has gone. The tats are there still in the baptism picture but their arms are covered in other pictures.

  There is also the pirate beard where the pirate gets resurrected. He gets to wear his old clothes but his beard is trimmed to a moustache.
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  new hope and happiness

  Jwfacts...this subject is pathetic.

  But would you employ someone with a tatoo....yes? in your shop, a salesman with a tatoo on the forehead?

  ITS all image and superficiality...and CONTROL.