Beards are horrible anyway. They're concealing.
Beards - September 2016 Watchtower
by Listener 98 Replies latest watchtower bible
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FedUpJW
I grew a close trimmed beard and was also told, "We can't stop you, but to make it "easier" on you we will be suspending all your "privileges" until you shave." This was after one of the eldurrs had come over and asked me what was on my face, and then sat and had a couple cold ones.
Two weeks later I was informed that I was on the KH cleaning schedule for the week. On Sunday I was asked why I had not cleaned anything. I said, "If my facial hair somehow makes me unfit for any so-called privileges then I am also not good enough to scrub your toilets!"
The beard will stay. Hair on my face is great as a thorn in their side.
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FedUpJW
i will not attend the WT on that day.
I will. And I will for a change sit in the middle of the very front row and lock eyes with the a--hole conductor who is the main idiot who runs the show in this area.
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Arthur Others
I went to assembly to see a friend of mine get baptized. It wasn't my circuit so I didn't see any familiar faces other than the group of friends that all went for the baptism. I've been growing out my beard, and I could easily see more sisters staring my way, but not in a negative way, but a good way! Needless to say, I have a feeling brothers are going to start growing out their beards, even if it's a little scruff.
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Stealth
When I grew a beard while still active, I noticed the following...
1) Many publishers said it looked good and didn't understand why it wasn't allowed.
2) All of my school assignments seemed to be in the 3rd school (basement)
3) Every time I tried to make arrangements to go out in the ministry with an elder they would pawn me off on a MS so as not to take the heat or give off the impression that they approved of the facial hair.
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Cold Steel
Has it never occurred to these guys that was was "in" in the first century might not be acceptable now and vice versa? Also, is it possible that Paul was starting an opinion and not doctrine? I can understand why he may not want the boys and girls appearing the same, things like beards might be cross-cultural? Would anyone really get in trouble wearing a neatly trimmed beard?
I can see a guy with a beard standing before St. Peter and being damned for wearing a beard. That would be rich! A guy with a beard condemning a guy with a beard for wearing a beard! "Oh, my," says Peter. "This is gonna be a problem."
"Why?" says Michael. "Just throw him into the outer...ummm...."
"Darkness," Peter says.
"Yeah, whatever."
"Okay, but that's gonna change the tally."
"So?" says Michael.
"Alrighty," Peter says. "That'll be 143,999 anointed and...."
"Wait!" says Michael.
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Black Sheep
LOL at Cold Steel.
I got a compliment on the state of my facial hair from my father recently. It's more Russell than Rutherford :D
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TD
Beards are horrible anyway. They're concealing.
I conceal a scar on my face with a beard. --Didn't realize that was horrible.
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punkofnice
Hey, Snuggles, how the Dickens are you? Here's one for you...
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AlexMoran
A Balanced elder body will view it something like this:
The article was written for world wide distribution.
It was written to encourage local congregations to consider the matter again based on what is reasonable in various communities.
There are some cultures where Beards are not the custom (Many Asian lands, Native American etc...)
There may also be localities where they have negative stigma as did beards 30-40 years ago in the US.
So if they are not common (the custom) and/or people in the world do not view them as acceptable, and respectable (i.e. professionals, business men, doctors, teachers, don't have them...) then a brother would want to consider that wearing one could be viewed negatively by the public and the congregation. Of course he could still choose to wear one, it is up to the individual.
On the other hand, if they are common, acceptable, respectable in the community, and you see local political leaders with beards, news casters with beards, business leaders, etc.. (examples: Paul Ryan speaker of the house, Wolf Blitzer, Chuck Todd, Michael Strahan, almost every commercial (and advertisers research this stuff because they don't want to offend potential buyers), then you may conclude there is a green light. Almost...
One final consideration - the conscience of others in the congregation. Some may freak if they have not seen brothers with beards before. If there is a lot of this, and a brother has a beard, until people in the congregation get used to the idea, and really understand bible principles, he may not have exemplary privileges.
So, in that case, all it will take is a few brothers who are willing to wear a beard, go out in service, comment, give student parts to persist for a while, then you would likely see a change in attitude.
In our circuit there were dozens of brothers with various forms of facial hair, from beards, goatees, chin only. So it appears that early adopters are already making the choice to have facial hair in our area. I am guessing that if culturally it does not swing back to having negative connotations, then within a couple of years JWs will mirror the population on the topic. In our area it seems 30-40% have beards, Among young men teens and 20s it seems that it is more like 75%.
True some Body of Elders will try to bully young men into submission, but in the end, it appears that here in the US, the wave has started, and there are many brothers who are principle based who are blazing the trail to acceptance across the US. They deserve commendation and support.
