2023 the borg is in damage repair mode.
2023-12-15--Beards-BOE!
by Atlantis 36 Replies latest jw friends
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Beth Sarim
I watched the Mike and Kim video last nite.
She was relating how the Borg has no choice but to become a gentler and kinder religion.
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Teddnzo
Gentler and kinder = JWLITE
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Ron.W.
👍👍
It's about time!
Around 2013 a brother I really liked who had been an elder, his father a co, was going through an awful time.
His life was really difficult, he had lost his wife, brother amongst other loved ones and had so many other hurdles thrown at him none of which were his fault.
The coordinator of his kh, an older man ex co and bethelite had said he was to lose all his 'privileges' unless he shaved off his very small, discrete goatee beard.
He was just about done with it all as his little jobs in the hall were all he now had.
I begged him to just be patient and serve without a goatee for just 12 months to see if if things settled down as I didn't want to lose a good brother and friend over his small beard.
He agreed to give it 12 months.
He rang me within a week to the old elder had rung him up and apologised profusely, saying he was wrong, he could serve with his beard.. this was around 2013 so this issue must have been bubbling up for years..
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NotFormer
"I begged him to just be patient and serve without a goatee for just 12 months to see if if things settled down as I didn't want to lose a good brother and friend over his small beard.
"He agreed to give it 12 months.
"He rang me within a week to the old elder had rung him up and apologised profusely, saying he was wrong, he could serve with his beard.. this was around 2013 so this issue must have been bubbling up for years."
The level of micromanagement is ridiculous. I didn't realise until reading through these "beard new light" threads that the beard thing was mainly an "unwritten rule". It was so pervasive in exJW conversations that I thought that there must be a pretty comprehensive paper trail in the literature about it. The imagery certainly gave the impression; Jesus had the barest of neatly trimmed beards and a very short, conservative haircut. Heck, there's even one old image of Jesus in a WT, without a beard at all!
I suppose one less club to beat the sheep about the head with is a mercy, albeit a small one.
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NotFormer
BTW, goatees are not all that obtrusive, unlike a full on Russell beard. Why weren't they allowed? Is it because Satan is often depicted as having a goatee in popular imagery? 🤔😸
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blondie
1997 WT quote: the matter was submitted for decision to “the apostles and older men who were in Jerusalem.” (Acts 15:2,6,20,22,23 16:4)) Why were “older men” now evidently on the governing body? The Bible does not say, but there was an obvious benefit.
(Is the phrase "governing body" in the scriptures above, no. But "elders and apostles". That is why the WTS uses the words "evidently" and "obvious," to distract from that fact. Always watch for the weasel words and phrases)