Will the WTBS ever relax the current clothing/dress/grooming standards?

by Utopian Reformist 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  blondie

  Have you ever noticed that most of the specific grooming/dress rules are defined and enforced by local elder bodies? The WTS leaves it to the elders in each congregation to make most of the "rules." For example, in one circuit, if you attended one congregation, sisters could have 2 piercings in the lower earlobe, in another the elder body would make the sister stop using one piercing. In one congregation, no brothers with privileges could have a mustache, if they switched to a congregation 8 miles away, they could have a mustache.

  I think it is no accident that the WTS does this.

  Blondie
• 

  crankytoe

  I'm not cutting my dreadlocks!

  Till I see a scripture that says I have too,

  Hey google! I like your avatar, Savatage rocks!
• 

  TheListener

  Finally-Free, you must realize I was kidding, sarcasm you know.

  I modified statements the society has made about incorrect time prophecies.
• 

  Utopian Reformist

  I remember a very determined and ambitious single black female in one particualr congregation who would wear business suits to the meetings, seldom participate in the ministry and was always unavailable, busy and difficult to reach.
  
  The elders were so afraid of her coporate personality (the sister was educated post-graduate) and also her progressive black femaleness that they never approached her about the business suits. She never commented and never volunteered for anything.
  
  When we gave her talk slips she would automatically say she would not be available. It was funny and I was secretly proud of her and jealous of her super huge cajones at the same time.
• 

  Lilycurly

  That's a very cool story, about that sister! You go girl!

  Now...I would really love to see the society come up with a fashion line, like someone mentioned. That would be pretty darn hilarious!lol
• 

  undercover

  I remember questioning beards and asking what biblical principle is used to enforce the no beard rule. I never got a biblical answer. I was told that many large corporations have rules on grooming because they don't want employees bringing reproach upon the comany's good name. In like manner grooming rules are set in place for publishers since they represent the WTS when going door to door.

  Without realizing it, they pushed me further out the door. Instead of representing Jehovah or speaking about the good news of Jesus, I was an employee of a large corporation that was peddling religous books. They were making corporate policy to protect their image, not because God had anything to do with it.

  Back to the original question: I saw some dubs this weekend from a fairly conservative KH. I was surprised to see one male dub with a goatee. He wasn't new either. He's baptized and he was going in service that afternoon. The others were dress in typical dub style but with dark shirts. That was a no-no in this congregation at one time. So apparently this one hall has relaxed its rules somewhat.
• 

  itsallgoodnow

  They always need to hold something back from people. They need people to prove to them just how faithful are willing to be. And they need to take away as much personal control people have over themselves and their lives. Is there any area where an individual JW has total control? Nope.
• 

  Finally-Free

  Finally-Free, you must realize I was kidding, sarcasm you know.

  oops.

  See what happens when I start the day with only one coffee?

  W
• 

  dedpoet

  I haven't been to a kh for some time, but the elders in the one I used to attend had strict rules on grooming etc. I have known brothers be couselled if they dared to turn up for a meeting with a beard, and one brother received a phone call ordering him to shave his beard as he had a talk that evening. Its the same bunch still in charge, so I imagine the rules haven't changed much either
• 

  alreadygone

  Never, they like the control.