Going beyond what is written...beards!

[Eyes & Ears]

 

[PJ54]

But these days it’s all we can do to try and stay sane in an insane world! I think that’s how @PJ54 says it. And it’s true.
You are right, this forum helps to keep us from going out of our minds.

Yup! Keeping it together is all we can do these days.

 

[Nomex]

Some of the brothers took droning-on in their talks to an art-form;

I grew up in the south, and not only did we have boring brothers, but we had some that had such bad accents, you could hardly understand what they were saying. There was one brother who wore reading glasses, and one day one of my brothers noticed that when he looked over those glasses, he looked exactly like he was crying. After that you could not look at him without bursting out in laughter. And we would whisper to each other, "look he's doing it." Man we got in so much trouble with my parents for that one, and we would do it to each other over and over again, and it got to wear you could not look at him without laughing audibly! Which meant all the more fun for us brothers trying to get one another in trouble with our parents.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

I grew up in the south, and not only did we have boring brothers, but we had some that had such bad accents, you could hardly understand what they were saying. There was one brother who wore reading glasses, and one day one of my brothers noticed that when he looked over those glasses, he looked exactly like he was crying. After that you could not look at him without bursting out in laughter. And we would whisper to each other, "look he's doing it." Man we got in so much trouble with my parents for that one, and we would do it to each other over and over again, and it got to wear you could not look at him without laughing audibly! Which meant all the more fun for us brothers trying to get one another in trouble with our parents.

Typical boys...and brothers on top of that!

 

[Nomex]

Typical boys...and brothers on top of that!

I was laughing while typing that! It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

 

[Seeker]

@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.

I studied while in high school in the 90s but never got baptized. Was a big Michael Jordan fan so decided to shave my head (circa ‘92). I remember a dear brother complimenting me at the Hall, saying “the shaved head really suits you, you look like Jordan!”
At my next home study with my annoying, overzealous bible teacher, I was lectured about my head shaving choice, and how it would “negatively take away from my ministry”.
One of the many things that turned me off to “the Society”.
Always have and always will love Jehovah though.

 

[Jennifer]

The founder of the WT wouldn't even qualify to be a mic runner today. Besides the beard, he has hair down over his ears.

View attachment 3363

Looks like he has eye-liner on too!

 

[Eyes & Ears]

CTR always reminded me of an ole Amish man. But his hair and beard in this image is very neat. Some of Amish men look scruffy I guess because of their man made rules on trimming/shaving them.

 

[Medi-tator]

I had a quite wonderful moustache in my youth in the watchtower, and wore leather, stack-healed boots and a full length leather trench-coat. I always left a slight scent of free-range cow behind me wherever I went. So they picked on me for “slouching” in my chair at the hall. We had those nasty plastic school chairs to sit on that always seemed too fragile to support anyone who weighed more than a stone. I couldn’t get to sleep sitting up straight in them so they picked on me for that. Some of the brothers took droning-on in their talks to an art-form; it was as though I was jabbed in the arm with an instant narcolepsy potion - sometimes I slept through most of the watchtower study too. (I had heard it all before). I remember one elder giving a talk who began by dramatically holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers. He said, “Where would you expect to find the muscles that move your fingers?” So naturally, thinking that he was about to make an embarrassing mistake I put my hand up and said “In your forearm” and went back to sleep. Apparently , I had stolen his thunder. He was all set to reveal the same ‘amazing’ fact. So you see, there was precious little to stay awake for.

Over the years I perfected sleeping at the meetings to my own personal amazement. I went from head bobbing to being able to keep my head perfectly stable. Having a Bible opened in front of me as if I were reading it (and likely when not asleep I was reading it to remain interested in being at the Hall) I would nod off quite readily just like what you said BTB, like having been jabbed with a narcolepsy potion. Occasionally however I would be busted for napping by dropping my Bible onto the floor which made a bit of a ruckus. @SusanB would just sit there amused but every once in a while would do me a favor and wake me up. I absolutely could not get through any meetings without falling asleep. Tough duty those meetings! I always felt bad because Jehovah was being talked about and every so often so was Jesus, but I could not help it.

 

[BillyRay]

Over the years I perfected sleeping at the meetings to my own personal amazement. I went from head bobbing to being able to keep my head perfectly stable. Having a Bible opened in front of me as if I were reading it (and likely when not asleep I was reading it to remain interested in being at the Hall) I would nod off quite readily just like what you said BTB, like having been jabbed with a narcolepsy potion. Occasionally however I would be busted for napping by dropping my Bible onto the floor which made a bit of a ruckus. @SusanB would just sit there amused but every once in a while would do me a favor and wake me up. I absolutely could not get through any meetings without falling asleep. Tough duty those meetings! I always felt bad because Jehovah was being talked about and every so often so was Jesus, but I could not help it.

Meh…. I have a neatly trimmed goatee, mustache, soul patch combo. Did some research and found that I can attend meetings, comment, go in service, etc…. I just can’t be a MS or Elder - which I’m fine with. Nobody has said a thing to me about it outside of a couple close friends - and their comments were just fine.

 

[Medi-tator]

Meh…. I have a neatly trimmed goatee, mustache, soul patch combo. Did some research and found that I can attend meetings, comment, go in service, etc…. I just can’t be a MS or Elder - which I’m fine with. Nobody has said a thing to me about it outside of a couple close friends - and their comments were just fine.

Very cool! I am glad to hear that BR!

 

[Seadog]

Yes i do remember that -ha ha ha so crazy ! - That was around the same time i was taken off the school for having a short neat beard , and my future son in law -a black brother got taken to the back room and they measured his pants with a measuring tape ( he liked his pants a bit baggy not below his butt or anything like that ) it was some new style he liked. He didn't last long after that experience .
As i have said before , It just goes to show, the leadership is not Restorationist Christianity' but Restorationist Pharisaism. Without a doubt very high control and also why the Watchtower ranks number two just below Mormonism on the top ten list of Cults in the US.

Hilarious ------- all he had to say was he needed the space his trousers to conceal his fulsome luggage

 

[Soul Sage]

I found out that the reason they want us to have no beards is because a clean shaven look is a visual cue of being an active Jehovah Witness. At least for men. If you are seen with a beard and you haven't been seen at the kingdom hall, that visual cue would make you seem inactive or an apostate. That's their unsaid reasoning, as to separate the sheep from the goats. Just like jews and gentiles had identifying marks about them. And other people in the bible like the Nazarites, who were never to cut their long braided hair. It was to show they were Nazarites, if they cut their hair it would be a shame upon them and there is that similar shame to any active brother to attend the kingdom hall in a full beard or even less than a beard.

 

[Eyes & Ears]

No wonder so many jw's are dealing with issues. So much attention from higher ups on nonsense.

So outta touch.

From the are you doing enough talks to even the poor must give, don't wear this don't say that
"What you all" doing in the bedroom, health, you betta listen to us or die you diseased human you.

Keep up with THEIR crooked chariot that is crumbling to pieces and will fall apart any minute.

The list just goes on. No wonder the food is so old, they spend so much time on stupid. Probably have half of headquarters broken into teams/committees breaking down online ex jw forum activity by subject so they can address it in wt, broadcasts and talks

Frankly they are some scary looking dudes. They remind me of those old men who are into weirdo stuff. Let the reader use ............talking about pillows and stuff. Ilk ugh and yuck.

Oh well such as it is. Enjoy weekend stay safe. Watch out for .

 

[MickHewitt]

No wonder so many jw's are dealing with issues. So much attention from higher ups on nonsense.

So outta touch.

From the are you doing enough talks to even the poor must give, don't wear this don't say that
"What you all" doing in the bedroom, health, you betta listen to us or die you diseased human you.

Keep up with THEIR crooked chariot that is crumbling to pieces and will fall apart any minute.

The list just goes on. No wonder the food is so old, they spend so much time on stupid. Probably have half of headquarters broken into teams/committees breaking down online ex jw forum activity by subject so they can address it in wt, broadcasts and talks

Frankly they are some scary looking dudes. They remind me of those old men who are into weirdo stuff. Let the reader use ............talking about pillows and stuff. Ilk ugh and yuck.

Oh well such as it is. Enjoy weekend stay safe. Watch out for .

In the many joining here, myself included I have noticed posts give resemblance to the reply at Zech 13:6 He will answer 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.'

 

[Eyes & Ears]

 

[PJ54]

I found out that the reason they want us to have no beards is because a clean shaven look is a visual cue of being an active Jehovah Witness. At least for men. If you are seen with a beard and you haven't been seen at the kingdom hall, that visual cue would make you seem inactive or an apostate. That's their unsaid reasoning, as to separate the sheep from the goats. Just like jews and gentiles had identifying marks about them. And other people in the bible like the Nazarites, who were never to cut their long braided hair. It was to show they were Nazarites, if they cut their hair it would be a shame upon them and there is that similar shame to any active brother to attend the kingdom hall in a full beard or even less than a beard.

Yeah but some folk are just burnt out with life.

 

[Jonah]

Frankly, it's another man-made rule with no biblical basis and pharisaical. In the first century congregation, Jewish converts kept their beards and Gentile converts didn't grow them.

 

[LuisMerino9412]

The most strange about this is that many brothers can use a moustache, as I have seen several times, but they cannot use a beard... What in the world?! That does not make any sense. I use a beard and I would not take it off. Lol. Hahaha it's not a sin!! Lol. Why would Jehovah put it there in the first place if we weren't able to use it or would need to cut it completely? That does not make any sense either.

 

[MickHewitt]

The most strange about this is that many brothers can use a moustache, as I have seen several times, but they cannot use a beard... What in the world?! That does not make any sense. I use a beard and I would not take it off. Lol. Hahaha it's not a sin!! Lol. Why would Jehovah put it there in the first place if we weren't able to use it or would need to cut it completely? That does not make any sense either.

I know: what are they like? Isa 28:10 sums them up..."Command after command.....line after line...a little here and a little there"!