Ok, ok, so the actual title of the article released today on jw-org is "YOUNG PEOPLE ASKShould I Get a Tattoo?", but I thought I'd replace some words and phrases from the actual article, as follows:
"Regardless of the motive, you should think long and hard before deciding to have anything
growing out of
y
our skin! What questions should you consider if you are thinking about growing a beard?
And what Bible principles can help you make the best decision?
What are the health risks? Beards
breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible,â says the website of the Mayo Clinic. âSometimes bumps called ingrown hairs
form around follicles."
Furthermore, the website notes: âIf the equipment used to
groom your beard
is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases.â
How would it affect your reputation? Like it or not, your appearance sends a message. It identifies you as either adultlike or immature, as either trustworthy or irresponsible. âWhenever I see someone with a beard
I automatically put him in the drinking-and-partying category,â says a teenager named Samantha.
Melanie, 18, sees another aspect to it. âTo me,â she says, â
beards
hide your natural beauty. Itâs as if those who wear them donât want you to see who they really are, so they hide themselves underneath
beards.â
Will you always like it? Over time, weight gain or even simple aging can stretch and distort a
beard.
âIâve seen what
beards
look like on a person decades later, and itâs not pretty,â says a young man named Joseph. âFacial hair styles
often become outdated,â says 21-year-old Allen. âWhat was once significant to the wearer might not be important just a few years later.â
Allen makes a good point. The fact is, as people age, their views change, their tastes change, and their affections change.
âHaving got a
beard
that only reminds me of foolish feelings is something I wouldnât want to add to the list of things I regret years later,â says a young woman named Teresa.
A mature person takes time to weigh all factors before making a decision. (Proverbs 21:5; Hebrews 5:14) So consider the following Bible principles that have a bearing on the subject of
beards.
Colossians 3:20: âYou children, be obedient to your parents in everything, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.â
What consequences might you experience if you live at home with your parents but fail to respect their direction?
1 Peter 3:3, 4: âDo not let your adornment be externalâthe braiding of hair and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothingâbut let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of the quiet and mild spirit.â
Why, do you think, does the Bible put such emphasis on âthe secret person of the heartâ?
1 Timothy 2:9: âadorn themselves . . . with modesty and soundness of mind.â
What is the meaning of the word âmodestyâ? In the long term, why is modesty more attractive than
a beard?
Romans 12:1: âPresent your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason.â
Why does the way you treat your body matter to God?
In view of these factors, many people have decided against
growing a beard.
In fact, they have found something better than
beards.
