Elder and i discussed beards, and got into rules and regulations

by Jon Preston 26 Replies latest jw friends

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  Jon Preston

  During a study the elder brought out that eating blood and omens are from the devil, and brought me to Leviticus 19:26 (i think).

  in verse 27 i says this:

  “‘You must not shave the hair on the side of your head or disfigure the edges of your beard.

  I said: "So why are we not allowed to have beards?"

  elder: "Thats a good question, Cleric. I feel the same as u sometimes. In fact when something controversial comes up in the elders meeting i usually say 'im gonnna grow a beard then!' Lol. But think about this: If we allow beards whats the next thing we must do?"

  Me: (knowing how legalistic they are)"You would come up with a list of rules and regukations about how it should be trimmed."

  elder: correct.

  me: but the bible doesnt say that...

  elder: Well there are better hygiene techniques now than in the Bible and its really based on culture for what the brothers allow. But brother isnt it easier to say "if you have a beard u cant have priviledgs"? Or is it better to make a bunch more rules and regukations after allowing it? And think about this: Political people rarely have beards or mustaches...they want to appear clean. How much more so that Jehovahs peoe should.

  Me: But Elder, whis world is this?

  elder: satans.

  Me: So why are we not allowing brithers to have beards based on Satans system and what he accepts with ones culture? And if we want to appear clean and pure why have Mustaches? To me mustaches are much more creepy and unclean looking than Beards. Not to mention our culture doesnt look at mistaches as attractive or "clean" it makes the individual appear more untrustworthy in many peoples opinions.

  Elder: well we just dont want to further burden brothers by putting more rules and regulations on them.

  after this he twisted and turned words to help me appreciate this loving areangement by Jehovah. I agreed to disagree but said i understand what he was saying.

  But good Lord!!!! Really? Lol
• 

  quellycatface

  The TMS Overseer in my ex Kh had a beard, had done for years.he did look like a sex offender with it though!!!
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  TD

  The last time I cared enough to check, 50% + of American males had facial hair other than a moustache and American politicians were not popularly associated with honesty or for that matter, any other moral virtue.

  The objection of additional rules and regulations being required comes across to me as a slippery slope fallacy. The simple term, "Well groomed" works just fine for the hair on top of a man's head. Why couldn't it work for the hair on his face too?
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  Frazzled UBM

  Additional rules and regs as the reason for not allowing beards? Really????? They coudl ahve come up with something better than that surely? It does paint of a picture of a bunch of total control freaks - oh wait - that's exactly what the WBTS GB is. I am keeping my beard for exactly that reason over my Witness wife's strenuous objections - I am not going to be dictated to by the WBTS GB through my wife. Maybe if she da's I will shave it off.
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  redvip2000

  "Well groomed" works just fine for the hair on top of a man's head. Why couldn't it work for the hair on his face too?

  Yes clearly! This is a great point - they also don't have any specific rules on how hair should look for men. They will just make a general determination if it's proper or not, so this same concept could be applied to beards.

  THis is simply about control, just like tattoos and sisters wearing pants. It's about this outward over-the-top showing of how disciplined JWs are.
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  DATA-DOG

  So the solution to the ban on beards caused by "going beyond the things written" and remaining "under law" is to continue to ban beards so that additional man-made regulations will not have to be enforced concerning beards, thereby burdening the brothers with needless man-made rules. Am I missing something??

  DD [ edited and corrected]
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  Jon Preston

  Precisely DD...it contradicts itself....not to mention is not logical at all. He even disagreed with the rule not to have beards, yet had to really twist things to obey the shepards....
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  The Searcher

  Ask the elder why angels depicted in the literature have beards!! If beards are OK in heaven, why not in a KH?
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  noontide

  "political people rarely have beards or mustaches...they want to appear clean." What about successful people?

  Here are a few successful people with beards:

  Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Luciano Pavarotti, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Taze Russell.

  And please, I've worked in enough profesional locations to know that some quick, but carefully worded guilines can let men keep beards while looking professional as well. It's not rocket science.

  I'd rather emulate the successful people rather than the politicians.
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  RunAsFastAsYouCan

  It's funny because some muslim and indian cultures somewhat disrespect men without facial hair, or something. Just another way to categorize nonsense.