2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[LeolaRootStew]

2 hours ago, Jwanon said:

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, if I'm being judgmental and have to correct my point of view, but...I don't feel like someone who doesn't attend the meetings anymore simply because they wanted to grow a beard was in the truth in the first place...

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think she said he was spiritually weak because he wanted a beard. Just generally weak with a beard.

Edited December 19, 2023 by LeolaRootStew

[Jwanon]

2 minutes ago, LeolaRootStew said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think she said he was spiritually weak because he wanted a beard. Just generally weak with a beard.

 

I was speaking in general

[Hope]

2 hours ago, Gimestr said:

So I found something.  

 

Leviticus 19:27 
“‘You must not shave* the hair on the side of your head* or disfigure the edges of your beard.

 

The note for "the hair on the side of your head*" says *Or “cut your ­sidelocks.”

 

Does this mean no for goatees?

 

We are not under the Mosaic law...

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, Gimestr said:

So I found something.  

Leviticus 19:27 
“‘You must not shave* the hair on the side of your head* or disfigure the edges of your beard.

The note for "the hair on the side of your head*" says *Or “cut your ­sidelocks.”

Did you find out why?

[LeolaRootStew]

2 hours ago, Gimestr said:

So I found something.  

 

Leviticus 19:27 
“‘You must not shave* the hair on the side of your head* or disfigure the edges of your beard.

 

The note for "the hair on the side of your head*" says *Or “cut your ­sidelocks.”

 

Does this mean no for goatees?

I hope so. For all our sakes.

Edited December 19, 2023 by LeolaRootStew

[Hope]

17 hours ago, ReadYourBible said:

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

 

 

 

Y'know - I'd actually have to go and buy a pantsuit; I don't own one.  I don't have to dress like that for work; we're super casual here at Nike. 😉  Personally, I believe that sisters in such apparel would look less dignified than in dresses/skirts... pantsuits have to really be on point to be "businesslike"... and then they're expensive.  It's easier to look nice in a dress, imo.

[Floyd]

1 hour ago, Sepie93 said:

True, but this is also a local thing.

Ofcourse wearing denim for the tour itself might be weird,
But this same brochure also "forbids" denim pants when visiting friends who serve at Bethel.

I'm close to the branch and many, many bethelites in the Netherlands wear denim pants in free time. Also when visiting friends at Bethel, casual denim clothes are not a problem.

One time, when I came from work, I visited my friend at Bethel, and asked him: but can I come? I'm wearing a denim pants.
He started laughing and told me in a sarcastic way: if your conscious bothers you.... I will not prevent you from changing..... But I will not change!

Here, denim pants are not considered weird or too casual. Depending on the color or style, it's actually considered quite formal.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ELE-L29 met Tapatalk
 

 

You missed the point. Richard said he hadn't heard anything about denim in a long time. I was just pointing out how recent denim was mentioned officially. I wear denim every single day.

[Hope]

11 hours ago, jayrtom said:

 

That's great and look really natural. Please share the app you're using

 

Try this app:  faceapp.com  It works very well.

 

@Ishaya - I like the beard; it adds good years to your face.. you look more mature.

[Daxsector]

I wonder if bible character length is acceptable? I would love to have a Hezekiah or Nehemiah from the dramas.

[bobby]

[Ahuvah]

7 hours ago, jwhess said:

I was meditating yesterday (on no particular subject), and I thought about past happenings.  How often have we heard a comment about being out shopping or doing some kind of "normal" activity and you glance up and see 2 or 3 people who are modestly dressed up and well groomed.  The feeling that we get is that these might be witnesses taking a break from cart work or some such activity.

 

We feel this way because of the way they dress and are groomed compared to the others at the coffee shop.  If we begin to modify our grooming and dress to be more like the world around us, we may not be able to instinctively tell.

 

I thought that was a loss (from my past perspective).

My suspicion is we are transitioning to life in the NW ... we don't need to stand out. Even without that reasoning ... similar to not reporting hours ... it comes down to our relationship between Jehovah... how we present ourselves to the world in looks and in works. 

[Ahuvah]

4 hours ago, Jwanon said:

 

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, if I'm being judgmental and have to correct my point of view, but...I don't feel like someone who doesn't attend the meetings anymore simply because they wanted to grow a beard was in the truth in the first place...

 

All that tells me is that they loved their beard more than Jehovah. I don't think it's normal for someone to grow weak in the faith just because they were discouraged by their congregation to not have a beard.

 

That's how I personnally feel, please feel free to disagree with me if you believe I don't have the right approach to this

 

That's it.

I remember the talk by Dan Sydlik ... he talked about a young man at Bethel who had let his hair grow longer... he suggested he get a haircut ... young brother balked at the suggestion. Then he ended up leaving bethel (Longish hair would have been an indicator only). He ended up getting a job at Disney. They asked him to cut his hair and he did!

Brother Sydlik said he wouldn't cut his hair for God's kingdom but he would for the magic kingdom.

I think this illustrates ... where the heart is or was prior to this change.  

Obedience even if we don't understand or agree at the time shows our priorities of our hearts.

[careful]

5 hours ago, Jwanon said:

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, if I'm being judgmental and have to correct my point of view, but...I don't feel like someone who doesn't attend the meetings anymore simply because they wanted to grow a beard was in the truth in the first place...

 

All that tells me is that they loved their beard more than Jehovah. I don't think it's normal for someone to grow weak in the faith just because they were discouraged by their congregation to not have a beard.

wow...thats all i can say

[Esined]

On 12/18/2023 at 6:37 PM, Stormswift said:

Non issue here too ... some do but most don't. Neither is makeup a must. 

 Where do you live that most don’t?!

 

ETA: I have Covid right now and have brain fog so I forgot I could just look at your profile. Here in the US, where I live a sister with “unaddressed” body hair would be considered odd, unhygienic or identified with a worldly subculture. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Esined

[bobby]

i forgot to say that a friend sent that 

[Tortuga]

The perception of tattoos has changed a lot in the last few years, it's common to see people get inked.

I wonder if that will be discussed in a future update...

 

Who wants to be the first one to get a JW.org tattoo? 

🤣

Edited December 20, 2023 by Tortuga

[Ms. Piffle]

On 12/17/2023 at 2:28 PM, Tortuga said:

The announcement in the letter is to be read at the next meeting, however the elders have been reminded to check their email once a week, so its possible that some elders haven't seen the letter yet.

We had our midweek meeting this evening but still no letter read.  Oh well.... we do have the Gov body update.  

[Lee49]

19 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Who wants to be the first one to get a JW.org tattoo?

That would be copyright and trademark infringement! Of course you could put it on a body part that is not visible or could you ? 

 

[EX-RedRob]

7 hours ago, Jwanon said:

 

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, if I'm being judgmental and have to correct my point of view, but...I don't feel like someone who doesn't attend the meetings anymore simply because they wanted to grow a beard was in the truth in the first place...

 

All that tells me is that they loved their beard more than Jehovah. I don't think it's normal for someone to grow weak in the faith just because they were discouraged by their congregation to not have a beard.

 

That's how I personnally feel, please feel free to disagree with me if you believe I don't have the right approach to this

 

I doubt that many people who have left did so because of their facial hair.  I suspect there were greater concerns on their mind than something so trivial, and frankly, people could have a beard, just not have privileges.  Likely they disagreed with something, or they had been doing something that was going to get them disfellowshipped in the background.

[EX-RedRob]

5 hours ago, Ishaya said:

 

Bro Hess,I'm just thinking,maybe this disguise (or cover) with beard might be what we need to survive the attack of Gog of Magog during GT.

 

If the coalition forces will find it difficult to easily tell us apart from the nonbelievers because of similar appearances with beard,then it will certainly be a good disguise.

 

Obviously the coalition forces will be particularly interested about arresting the men(brothers),because the men take the lead in worship.

So brothers must be able to evade arrest by all means so that Jehovah's worship can continue even during GT.

 

We are not yet sure how much difficulties we will experience in the Great Tribulation but I am sure that prior to that time,Jehovah will use his organization to help us prepare adequately to survive the hardship and harassments that will come,this approval of beard for Christian men might be one such preparation.

Governments can gain full access to any information that has been put up on the cloud, with a simple court order.  Most congregations are now using NW Publisher, and they would be able to access the databases storing information on all of us through that.  Also, most witnesses have indicated their religion on their census surveys.  Many witnesses also have instagram accounts full of witness related posts and links.  I fear, no matter how much we could hope, every one of us in the majority of the world could be identified instantly as witnesses.  Our only hope for protection from governments in times of persecution will be Jehovah, and that's the best protection. 

[EX-RedRob]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

The perception of tattoos has changed a lot in the last few years, it's common to see people get inked.

I wonder if that will be discussed in a future update...

 

Who wants to be the first one to get a JW.org tattoo? 

🤣

That is an intriguing question.  During elders meetings where we have discussed the acceptability of beards for those with privileges, I have brought up the fact that Leviticus 19:27 forbids shaving, followed by verse 28 which indicates that tattoos are forbidden.  Therefore, if we have, due to the fulfillment of the Mosaic law, not followed verse 27, would we also not follow verse 28?  Now, that being said, I personally think tattoos are a very bad idea- they're permanent and styles, interests and aesthetics change.  But, if we indeed are not bound by the Mosaic law, and we are not, it would be logical then to consider this prohibition on tattoos to not be something we are bound by either.  

[coolbrz731]

I just came from our midweek meeting, and one of our elders came back from vacation sporting a beard.  

[Prism]

17 hours ago, RedRob said:

I absolutely agree with this.  When someone has an option open up to them, the natural response is to avail oneself of that option.

Yeah, like how when new highlighter colors were added to JW Library, I started using them all the time. 

[Broseph]

21 hours ago, Ishaya said:

So with the new update on beard approval,I was wondering if a brother can wear artificial beards of different designs and fashions or must it be your own beard?

Quite literally wearing a beard 

[Broseph]

4 hours ago, Tortuga said:

Who wants to be the first one to get a JW.org tattoo? 

🤣

The prophetic fulfillment of being marked in the forehead. Added benefit of walking anywhere in public to get pioneer hours.