Going beyond what is written...beards!

Nomex

Nomex

Well-known member
Growing up one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I don't think there are some things we have given a lot of thought to. We knew you couldn't have a beard, we knew it was "worldly", but of course we never knew why. It certainly wasn't based on the Bible. Imagine trying to say the requirement's for beards was part of the Mosaic Law Covenant", that Jehovah God required his people to wear beards, but now in our modern age, Jehovah now hates beards! Yet "Jehovah never changes."

To remain within actual Bible context and consistency, at best you would have to say beards are a conscience matter. However, you could argue with way more Biblical authority, that a beard, which clearly distinguishes men from woman, would continue to be something not only approved of by God, but preferred. Now with the transgender movement gaining more and more support, it becomes even more evident, the prohibition on beards is neither Biblical, which we all know, but the lack of a beard would have been and was historically considered by Jehovah to be worldly. Not the other way around.

So the real question that anyone should ask, is why the prohibition on beards? Ask any JW, and they will tell you "because it is worldly." But why is it worldly, and why in every single drama, do they wear FAKE BEARDS, when they dress up like the men who were actually inspired by God's Holy Spirit to write the Bible?

What's the reason for the prohibition? Well all you have to do to find out, is look it up in the Bible....oh wait, I mean in the WT publications. And if you ever ask that question, elders will line up down the block, with printed materiel from WT publications, mostly if not all published in the 1970's about how beards are worldly. Worldly according to who? WT!


While we're on the subject, why no prohibition on woman shaving their legs and arm pits?
Also ask any JW why beards are worldly? And when they stumble around for an answer ask why the brothers who portray Jesus Christ in Dramas for example have to wear a fake beard.

The blatant ludicrous hypocrisy is so inconsistent it's hard to believe anyone has gone along with this!

So how do we know beards are worldly? Because the F&D,S say so. And how do we know they are the F& D. S. Same reason, because they say so! And we have proof, just ask them!
 
Nomex said:
Growing up one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I don't think there are some things we have given a lot of thought to. We knew you couldn't have a beard, we knew it was "worldly", but of course we never knew why. It certainly wasn't based on the Bible. Imagine trying to say the requirement's for beards was part of the Mosaic Law Covenant", that Jehovah God required his people to wear beards, but now in our modern age, Jehovah now hates beards! Yet "Jehovah never changes."

To remain within actual Bible context and consistency, at best you would have to say beards are a conscience matter. However, you could argue with way more Biblical authority, that a beard, which clearly distinguishes men from woman, would continue to be something not only approved of by God, but preferred. Now with the transgender movement gaining more and more support, it becomes even more evident, the prohibition on beards is neither Biblical, which we all know, but the lack of a beard would have been and was historically considered by Jehovah to be worldly. Not the other way around.

So the real question that anyone should ask, is why the prohibition on beards? Ask any JW, and they will tell you "because it is worldly." But why is it worldly, and why in every single drama, do they wear FAKE BEARDS, when they dress up like the men who were actually inspired by God's Holy Spirit to write the Bible?

What's the reason for the prohibition? Well all you have to do to find out, is look it up in the Bible....oh wait, I mean in the WT publications. And if you ever ask that question, elders will line up down the block, with printed materiel from WT publications, mostly if not all published in the 1970's about how beards are worldly. Worldly according to who? WT!


While we're on the subject, why no prohibition on woman shaving their legs and arm pits?
Also ask any JW why beards are worldly? And when they stumble around for an answer ask why the brothers who portray Jesus Christ in Dramas for example have to wear a fake beard.

The blatant ludicrous hypocrisy is so inconsistent it's hard to believe anyone has gone along with this!

So how do we know beards are worldly? Because the F&D,S say so. And how do we know they are the F& D. S. Same reason, because they say so! And we have proof, just ask them!
Click to expand...
TBH nothing is wrong with beards. But like you said, it’s only because WT says it’s wrong. I’ve said this before….about the brothers in our congregation actually taking my husband in the back room, during the meeting, to question him about his “facial hair“ referring to the type of mustache he grew! Unbelievable!
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
TBH nothing is wrong with beards. But like you said, it’s only because WT says it’s wrong. I’ve said this before….about the brothers in our congregation actually taking my husband in the back room, during the meeting, to question him about his “facial hair“ referring to the type of mustache he grew! Unbelievable!
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IMO, it is the biggest evidence that they have devolved into a cult of all!
 
I've always had a beard even when I was "in". One of the reasons I was never made a MS even after 35 years of "faithful service" to the the slave, lol. You know what they say if your father hasn't got a beard? You have 2 mothers. I think it's more important for a man to have a beard than ever before in all of history, to clearly discern your not apart of the "woke" agenda and not trying to blur the lines between the genders (personal opinion).

The Bible states it's a disgrace for an adult man not to have a beard: "As a result, HanNon grabbed David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their uniforms to their hips, and then he sent them away. Well, when this was reported to David, he sent men to meet those servants, because they’d been so extremely dishonored! And the king told them to stay in JeriCho until their beards grew back." - 2 Samuel 10: 4-5

The reason why HanNon shaved their beards was to make them look like women rather than men, a way of humilating them, how times have changed.

The best article I have read on the JW stand against beards can be found HERE
 
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Nomex said:
Growing up one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I don't think there are some things we have given a lot of thought to. We knew you couldn't have a beard, we knew it was "worldly", but of course we never knew why. It certainly wasn't based on the Bible. Imagine trying to say the requirement's for beards was part of the Mosaic Law Covenant", that Jehovah God required his people to wear beards, but now in our modern age, Jehovah now hates beards! Yet "Jehovah never changes."

To remain within actual Bible context and consistency, at best you would have to say beards are a conscience matter. However, you could argue with way more Biblical authority, that a beard, which clearly distinguishes men from woman, would continue to be something not only approved of by God, but preferred. Now with the transgender movement gaining more and more support, it becomes even more evident, the prohibition on beards is neither Biblical, which we all know, but the lack of a beard would have been and was historically considered by Jehovah to be worldly. Not the other way around.

So the real question that anyone should ask, is why the prohibition on beards? Ask any JW, and they will tell you "because it is worldly." But why is it worldly, and why in every single drama, do they wear FAKE BEARDS, when they dress up like the men who were actually inspired by God's Holy Spirit to write the Bible?

What's the reason for the prohibition? Well all you have to do to find out, is look it up in the Bible....oh wait, I mean in the WT publications. And if you ever ask that question, elders will line up down the block, with printed materiel from WT publications, mostly if not all published in the 1970's about how beards are worldly. Worldly according to who? WT!


While we're on the subject, why no prohibition on woman shaving their legs and arm pits?
Also ask any JW why beards are worldly? And when they stumble around for an answer ask why the brothers who portray Jesus Christ in Dramas for example have to wear a fake beard.

The blatant ludicrous hypocrisy is so inconsistent it's hard to believe anyone has gone along with this!

So how do we know beards are worldly? Because the F&D,S say so. And how do we know they are the F& D. S. Same reason, because they say so! And we have proof, just ask them!
Click to expand...
I have always had a beard, even at the height of panic in watchtower that beards were bringing reproach upon Jehovah. I even served as a ministerial servant with a beard. My trick was to shave it off daily and I got away with it for all the years I was in watchtower. Not one single person noticed. “Cautious as a serpent, innocent as a dove.”
 
BARNABY THE DOG. said:
I have always had a beard, even at the height of panic in watchtower that beards were bringing reproach upon Jehovah. I even served as a ministerial servant with a beard. My trick was to shave it off daily and I got away with it for all the years I was in watchtower. Not one single person noticed. “Cautious as a serpent, innocent as a dove.”
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Must of been a close slave.
 
The acceptance of beards seem to be very local. I grew up in Belgium and since the mid-nineties I've seen brothers with beards, even elders.
I do know this was not the case earlier on. My father was an elder in the 70-80's and he said at one time there was a Bible student who was ready for baptism, but was having a beard and apparently there was a big discussion within the body of elders if he could be baptized. My father asked them if they could find 1 text in the Bible that would prohibit him from being baptized with a beard and since they couldn't, the person got baptized.
When I was in Ontario, Canada (about 3 years ago) it looked like beards were still more of a problem. Now I'm in BC in the West and we have several brothers with beards, from very short to very long as well.
But for sure it's very clear that just having a discussion about beards is strange since there is no Biblical indication at all...as mentioned just the opposite. The only guidance would be to keep it clean.
 
Having Men shave off their Beard is a very pagan practice that the Watchtower really likes.
The reason is as Paul brought out- in Galatians 6 : 12 ,13
" Those who are trying to force you to circumcise your face, want themselves to look good to others......They only want you to circumcise your face so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples". (NLT edited by DP )
It's really that simple, The Watchtower doesn't like to be called a Cult, but they make everyone in the Organization look like a Cult .
The Leadership is a fraternity of Pharisees , that's why. 🧔‍♂️
 
Jonah said:
They softened their beard stance somewhat in the 2016 watchtower: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2016684#h=27:0-27:752
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Don't let the Watchtower fool you, they showed two men shave off their Beards before becoming Jehovah's Witnesses during the summer Convention (2022) in two different video dramas . One guy was even over his sink with shaving cream all over his face shaving it all off . 😂😆
 
@David Peter that was a very interesting and informative video about how WT rules the roost!

Btw does anyone remember when back in the 90’s or early 2000’s when quite a few brothers ( maybe WT or several opinionated witnesses) were talking against brothers with bald heads or shaving their heads bald?
Well, I’m not sure if it was only being talked about in the circuit but this went on for a while then just died down.
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
@David Peter that was a very interesting and informative video about how WT rules the roost!

Btw does anyone remember when back in the 90’s or early 2000’s when quite a few brothers ( maybe WT or several opinionated witnesses) were talking against brothers with bald heads or shaving their heads bald?
Well, I’m not sure if it was only being talked about in the circuit but this went on for a while then just died down.
Click to expand...
That's hilarious. There is a commonality in high-control religious groups. They always dictate how one should dress. The Taliban will punish men of they don't grow a beard. And, of course, women have to wear burkas. The Amish have to wear beards if they are married, except they shave the mustache like Charlie Russell. Weird. I stopped shaving the day after I was DFed and have not shaven since.
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
@David Peter that was a very interesting and informative video about how WT rules the roost!

Btw does anyone remember when back in the 90’s or early 2000’s when quite a few brothers ( maybe WT or several opinionated witnesses) were talking against brothers with bald heads or shaving their heads bald?
Well, I’m not sure if it was only being talked about in the circuit but this went on for a while then just died down.
Click to expand...
I remember. In my hall you could not carry mic or give talks etc. So silly. So preoccupied with dumb stuff.

Blind guides, hypocrites
 
Watchman said:
That's hilarious. There is a commonality in high-control religious groups. They always dictate how one should dress. The Taliban will punish men of they don't grow a beard. And, of course, women have to wear burkas. The Amish have to wear beards if they are married, except they shave the mustache like Charlie Russell. Weird. I stopped shaving the day after I was DFed and have not shaven since.
Click to expand...
Yes, definitely controlling but back then it never occurred to me that these rules about dressing and grooming were unscriptural. But because they said so by giving us this wordy explanation usually using the scripture about being “modest” and not identifying ourselves with the world. Growing a beard is not being worldly nor is it being immodest.
No doubt, I was under the influence of WT. Ha! imagine that! Even when my husband was thinking of growing a beard again (he did have one before becoming a witness) I was thinking 💭 he was being rebellious but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to tell him not to grow one. The mustache or “facial hair“ he grew that the brothers made a fuss about didn’t bother me either.

They should not get in our personal business. Our worship to Jehovah is what’s important and that’s between us and Jehovah.
And I can’t see how having a beard detracts from our message no more than having a mustache or some women going to the door with hair braids all over their head…and many other “distracting” styles I’ve seen among witnesses over the years.

Not being able to grow a beard I believe was just somebody’s personal opinion and a way to control and manipulate…
 
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