2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[EX-RedRob]

Why is this expressed as "wear a beard?"  I don't wear my eyebrows, arm hair or leg hair.  Does anyone find that expression odd?  Any idea why it seems to always be expressed like that?  My kids found it funny when we watched it during family worship tonight.

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by RedRob

[Ludwika]

4 minutes ago, LeolaRootStew said:

 

#2 is my favorite. it doesn't overwhelm you face, but gives it a nice, dignified structure.

 

be suspicious of anyone who recommends #4

Definitely like 2. Looks very nice. 🥰

[jwhess]

2 minutes ago, RedRob said:

Why is this expressed as "wear a beard?"  I don't wear my eyebrows, arm hair or leg hair.  Does anyone find that expression odd?  Any idea why it seems to always be expressed like that?  My kids found it funny when we watched it during family worship tonight.

 

 

Perhaps in some cultures or versions of English we use expressions like..."You should always wear a smile."

[truce]

19 minutes ago, Hope said:

 

Robert Luccioni 😉 

Ah!

[EX-RedRob]

I'm hoping to try out the Don Johnson 4 or 5 days growth look.  Do you folks think that this will be acceptable and not cause issues?

[Eejay]

2 hours ago, Old said:

not generally acceptable for meetings or service in the US.

So narrow minded! As if such a conservative and local tradition should be the norm in a global context. How enlightened we are becoming. I recently was on a team negotiating an arrangement connected with a theocratic construction project. 2 sisters, 2 brothers, one worldly landowner. Both sisters wore trousers. Also I was discussing experiences with a sister whose highly developed design skills were valuable on a project. A female business suit was quite acceptable for her to wear in her capacity as representing the organisation in a planning meeting with local officials. Then of course the beautiful salwar...

 

Really, it is difficult to argue that a blouse and skirt on a female is a more modest form of dress than a properly fitting, well-cut suit with trousers for either ministry or meetings. However, it is a matter of opinion and personal taste of course. Ill-fitting clothes of any style, for whatever reason, never look good.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Eejay

[Tortuga]

6 minutes ago, RedRob said:

Why is this expressed as "wear a beard?"  I don't wear my eyebrows, arm hair or leg hair.  Does anyone find that expression odd?  Any idea why it seems to always be expressed like that?  My kids found it funny when we watched it during family worship tonight.

 

 

Because its optional. You can wear one or not. After you grow it, you wear it, just like wearing a hat or coat. The word is also used to describe wearing a hairstyle.

[LeolaRootStew]

3 hours ago, Hope said:

 

TBH - I wasn't aware it really *was* an issue.  Where I grew up, many sisters didn't shave their legs and it was considered attractive by men.  I can't speak to the pits.. but shaving does help reduce odor...

 

I doubt any sister has been restricted from any privilege because she didn't shave, so that's the real issue settled by the Update, I think.  If it's truly a problem regarding pain, money, etc... I don't see why she can't stop doing it if she wants to.  

I would be relentlessly mocked and I can't live like that. 😭

I want it to truly be an option in the New System (no peer pressure). It's the way Jehovah distinguished children from adults, but people act like body hair makes you less feminine (it's literally how God made us). Women are mocked all the time and viewed as less hygienic for having the same leg and underarm hair that men aren't disgusted by on themselves. I'm so tired of it.

 

In addition, a lot of places in the US will label you a feminist/hippy if you don't shave, so there may be places where sisters are encouraged to take that into consideration.

[Brother_Bliss]

I've been sick since the end of November so I got a head start. I'm in Qapla's Zoom meeting right now showing off my facial hair

 

 

[EX-RedRob]

On 12/16/2023 at 1:53 PM, Paul s said:

It's good to remember that being well groomed applys to beards as well. We have a brother in our congregation who has a neat and clean beard and it's never seen as a distraction because he keeps it well groomed the same as with his hair, but I have seen others who have grown breads and they look so scruffy as if they've just not bothered to shave. I suspect we'll get some kind of reminder in the future that we need to keep our beards as well groomed as our hair

I agree.  This won't be a free for all.  Don't expect to see ZZ Top delivering a talk on the convention!  haha! 

[undeserved]

7 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Because its optional. You can wear one or not. After you grow it, you wear it, just like wearing a hat or coat. The word is also used to describe wearing a hairstyle.

I tend to agree that it is a peculiar way to express it. You grow a mustache. After you grow it it’s grown. You can decide to wear sunglasses or not. You can wear a wig or not. 
Wearing a beard makes it sound like you have an assortment hanging in the closet and you pick the one to wear that matches your ensemble. 

[Ahuvah]

When we wear something ... it's a choice. Growing a beard is natural process to most men, but many choose not to allow it to reach its full potential. If you choose to wear a beard .... then that's your choice of adornment like women choose to wear their hair long, short or otherwise. Absolutely correct to use 'wear'

Edited December 19, 2023 by Stormswift

[Ahuvah]

19 minutes ago, undeserved said:

I tend to agree that it is a peculiar way to express it. You grow a mustache. After you grow it it’s grown. You can decide to wear sunglasses or not. You can wear a wig or not. 
Wearing a beard makes it sound like you have an assortment hanging in the closet and you pick the one to wear that matches your ensemble. 

Just realized your name is Richard!

 

I collect Richards ... ohhh wait I'm a little confused sorry ... I collect 🐢 TURTLES ... some days they all just blur into one.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Stormswift

[EX-RedRob]

23 minutes ago, undeserved said:

I tend to agree that it is a peculiar way to express it. You grow a mustache. After you grow it it’s grown. You can decide to wear sunglasses or not. You can wear a wig or not. 
Wearing a beard makes it sound like you have an assortment hanging in the closet and you pick the one to wear that matches your ensemble. 

Yes, that was the way I felt about it too.  I tend to think of wearing a hair STYLE, but not wearing my hair.  I have hair, and I wear it this way or that.  It's semantics, I know, but it's just one of those things that stands out to me.  I like to write creatively sometimes for fun, and I am always kind of more cognizant than normal about how things are phrased.

[Ahuvah]

Do we wear our skin?

(Quite a few Robert's here too!!! - Just sayin')

Edited December 19, 2023 by Stormswift

[EX-RedRob]

1 minute ago, Stormswift said:

Do we wear our skin?

Exactly.  We have skin.  Same thing for beard hair on a male of the species.  We have it, but up until now, we chose to shave it.  So, in light of this, I would usually phrase it- I have a beard, and I wear it cut short like Don Johnson, rather than wearing it really long like ZZ Top!  LOL

[Violin]

On 12/15/2023 at 3:46 PM, BLEmom said:

Have a little mercy for those that may be wearing them. I know my husband has a terrible time finding shoes that don’t pain him. He has bunions and most shoes hurt him. There are a lot more foot and leg pain issues happening among the friends. 
Like was said years ago, young brothers may wear colorful socks that don’t appeal to you but there’s nothing wrong with them. 
So far this is the latest style my husband has been able to find that he can wear. 
 

 

My daughter (she is only 12) and I have bunions and we all have very wide feet.  This makes buying shoes extremely difficult, nearly every shoe gives us pain.  I love summer when I can wear open sandels but in winter we have to suffer with wide ballerina flats or wide hiking type boots, and my boys wear laced shoes.  We just can't wear anything else.

[Violin]

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

I remember many years ago a CO asking the PO to talk to a sister that wore a denim top out in service. I haven't heard anything about denim for a long time.

I remember in my late teens a talk was given in our hall about not wearing demin skirts to the meeting.  My friend had a long demin skirt she frequently wore, I don't think her parents could afford a lot of clothes for her.  I felt kind of bad for her.  I had a pretty embroidered dark demin skirt that I had made and had to stop wearing.

 

I've never seen a sister wear pants for theocratic activities,  even in the cold, although I know of little girls who would wear snowpants in the ministry.  Personally, my daughters and I love dressing going pretty dresses or skirts (I can barely get my oldest to wear jeans even for sports!)

 

And my husband has always wanted a beard, so he is happy about the news.  Although right now his work requires him to wear a tight fitting safety mask, so he probably can't grow one anyway 😬

[Hotteok]

Who only has mustache instead of beard?

[Tsheppar]

3 hours ago, RedRob said:

I'm hoping to try out the Don Johnson 4 or 5 days growth look.  Do you folks think that this will be acceptable and not cause issues?

I personally don't think it would cause an issue. But if I were you...Id make sure and wear a completely white suit and a hot pink or purple tie -Just to be on the safe side. 

[Tsheppar]

3 hours ago, LeolaRootStew said:

but people act like body hair makes you less feminine

I know ! Its so dumb! Literally woman have only shaved their armpits and legs since the 1920s. Yet somehow we think that the epitome of what women should be is shaven smooth . Paaaahleezze Thera has been  6 thousand + years of women that will be resurrected ,  then all the " modern" women will be in the minority. Jehovah  put it there. Did he make a mistake ? Hairy armpits and legs dont bother me on women. My wife aint gonna do it. But it doesn't bother me. I gravitate towards more natural Everything. And whats funny, in our modern world Natural equals stupidity somehow. Ohh this world! 

 What's beautiful  has changed all thorough history. In the early 90s i went on a tour of Europe for 2 months . On a train I saw a beautiful girl with hairy armpits. At first it scared me..then i thought hmmm that ain't so bad. Hahahhahhahhaha. The style of 2023 wont carry on thru eternity. Thats my 2 cents.Lol

Edited December 19, 2023 by Tsheppar

[Jerry]

I shaved 51 years ago to come in the truth. My wife started wearing dresses. I remember the "rules" that were "non-rules", such as 3 piece suits, no denim, even winter boots on sisters were given a second take. But we all made it through, and we all love Jehovah all the more for it because he showed us how he cares for us. He gave us the strenght to endure all of the "non-rules".

[Broseph]

6 hours ago, truce said:

Side point: I have a very strong feeling that if Brother Anthony Morris were still on the GB, he would gleefully have done this update no 8.

Who knows, with his military background he may have been against it. Looking back to that 2016 WT paragraph it sounded like two simultaneous opinions, saying beards may be just fine but also may not be just fine... and now things are clear to move forward. 

[ReadYourBible]

On 12/15/2023 at 8:23 PM, Stee said:

Now if we could just get rid of the sisters having to wear skirts.. 😆 Sorry I hate wearing skirts..I look like a dag.. 

My first whispered thoughts... there's still hope for my pantsuit!!!

 

 

[Broseph]

53 minutes ago, Tsheppar said:

Id make sure and wear a completely white suit and a hot pink or purple tie -Just to be on the safe side.