2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[dove]

24 minutes ago, dove said:

I don’t remember how we used to always sing sitting down. And then it was said that we should stand up when we sing, because singing was a form of praise, prayer to Jehovah.

Should have been, “I remember when we did sit down while singing “

[Hope]

7 hours ago, dove said:

Should have been, “I remember when we did sit down while singing “

I remember that time, too.

[AH173]

On 1/18/2024 at 5:02 PM, 80snewwave said:

Bearded Brother Luccioni

Photo sent to me

Thanks for the Pic.

 

I'm glad it looks better than mine. 🧔

[Sofia]

On 1/20/2024 at 2:07 PM, LeolaRootStew said:

 

Yes, but acting like the outcome is at all important is a little odd.

 

If the picture were of the same brother holding a Disney-themed object or a Christmas ornament, then I could see the need to state multiple times that we don't know if this is real or not, and not to jump to conclusions.

 

But a brother deciding to grow his beard? That's not a moral issue - but some are acting like it would be slander to say it's real without "solid proof" and they have to "defend his honor".

 

It's not a crime. It's not a sin. This feels overblown.

 

Anyhoo, anyone remember this?

 

 

 

On 1/20/2024 at 2:07 PM, LeolaRootStew said:

Anyhoo, anyone remember this?

Quote

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-dress-became-an-illusion-unlike-any-other/

Expand  

I do 💖 it’s blue and black 😁

[Pjdriver]

8 hours ago, Pjdriver said:

That’s funny because Brother Rutherford also is the one that put the kibosh on beards. 

Brother Rutherford was what was needed in those early years. Babylon the great was pushing the beast hard to wipe out the organization. Rutherford with others almost spent their lives in prison. When they got out they were not deterred and went forward courageously and forcefully, in spite of the persecutions and court case etc...Jehovah obviously blessed his efforts  

 

Imagine carrying sandwich signs outside of churches."Religion is a snare and a racket”

The good ole Days  

[truce]

1 hour ago, Pjdriver said:

Brother Rutherford was what was needed in those early years. Babylon the great was pushing the beast hard to wipe out the organization. Rutherford with others almost spent their lives in prison. When they got out they were not deterred and went forward courageously and forcefully, in spite of the persecutions and court case etc...Jehovah obviously blessed his efforts  

 

Imagine carrying sandwich signs outside of churches."Religion is a snare and a racket”

The good ole Days  

He indeed served his purpose at the time

[MM9106]

At that time we needed someone who was unafraid of the church and governments. In the Let the Light Shine video, there’s a part where local Catholics and Nazi sympathizers started yelling at him when he was giving a talk at a convention. There’s audio of him saying “Note the Catholics and Nazis who are trying to disrupt our meeting but by God’s grace cannot do it!”. Talk about boldness. It goes to show that Jehovah knows what we need when we need it and decides on who will provide it. 

[Dages]

1 hour ago, MM9106 said:

At that time we needed someone who was unafraid of the church and governments. In the Let the Light Shine video, there’s a part where local Catholics and Nazi sympathizers started yelling at him when he was giving a talk at a convention. There’s audio of him saying “Note the Catholics and Nazis who are trying to disrupt our meeting but by God’s grace cannot do it!”. Talk about boldness. It goes to show that Jehovah knows what we need when we need it and decides on who will provide it. 

I love that moment. 

[Andrey]

OTHER CHANGES IN VIEWPOINT

Advancement in understanding God’s Word brought about some other adjustments in Christian thinking. According to Grant Suiter, the late 1920’s were noteworthy along these lines. He says: “Modification of viewpoints respecting scriptures and matters of procedure seemed to be constant during these years. For example, it was in 1927 that The Watch Tower pointed out that the sleeping faithful members of the body of Christ were not resurrected in 1878 [as once thought], that life is in the blood and that the matter of somber dress would properly be modified.” (See The Watch Tower for 1927, pages 150-152, 166-169, 254, 255, 371, 372.) For that matter, the year before, during the London, England, convention of May 25-31, 1926, Brother Rutherford spoke from the platform while attired in a business suit, instead of the formal black frock coat that had long been worn by public speakers among Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/301975003

 

 

 

Can anyone tell me on which pages the brothers mention the "of somber dress". If you can select information to read.

 

 

 

 

150. 151. 152. Страницы. 15 мая. w1927_E.pdf 166. 167. 168. 169. Страницы. 1 июня. w1927_E.pdf 254. 255. Страницы. 15 августа. w1927_E.pdf 371. 372. 373. Страницы. 15 декабря. w1927_E.pdf

Edited January 23 by Andrey

[jwhess]

8 hours ago, MM9106 said:

At that time we needed someone who was unafraid of the church and governments. In the Let the Light Shine video, there’s a part where local Catholics and Nazi sympathizers started yelling at him when he was giving a talk at a convention. There’s audio of him saying “Note the Catholics and Nazis who are trying to disrupt our meeting but by God’s grace cannot do it!”. Talk about boldness. It goes to show that Jehovah knows what we need when we need it and decides on who will provide it. 

For those trying to do more research on this event, it was the convention of 1939 at Madison Square Garden in New York.  Further details were in the 1975 Yearbook (yb) on pages 180-182.

 

*** w82 8/15 p. 12 Endurance by Faith in Jehovah ***
There were times when angry mobs tried to break up our peaceful conventions. For example, I was present at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, June 25, 1939, when Catholic Action groups tried to prevent the public lecture “Government and Peace” by J. F. Rutherford. But we were ready.
 

[Dustparticle]

A lot of brothers jump on the band wagon when they made the announcement its ok to grow beards. Does anyone think that a lot of them does not look good with them?

[Mike047]

1 minute ago, Dustparticle said:

A lot of brothers jump on the band wagon when they made the announcement its ok to grow beards. Does anyone think that a lot of them does not look good with them?

 

Glenn, a number of them look ridiculous, certainly some of the appointed men who seem to be showing a degree of immaturity as a result of this talk.

 

Hopefully it will be a five minute wonder for some of them, then we can get rid of this thread!

[jwhess]

1 minute ago, Dustparticle said:

A lot of brothers jump on the band wagon when they made the announcement its ok to grow beards. Does anyone think that a lot of them does not look good with them?

Our Watchtower Study Conductor looks OK. He has an all-white beard.  But when I look at him I can't figure out if he reminds me more of Ernest Hemingway or Santa Claus...😀

[Parale]

6 minutes ago, Mike047 said:

certainly some of the appointed men who seem to be showing a degree of immaturity as a result of this talk

 

What example may that provide for the congregation? 😕 🤔

 

As I said last week

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/56696-2023-governing-body-update-8-beards/page/40/#comment-967654

 

[Parale]

4 hours ago, Andrey said:

Can anyone tell me on which pages the brothers mention the "of somber dress". If you can select information to read.

254. 255. Страницы. 15 августа. w1927_E.pdf 180.75 kB · 0 downloads

 

Not 'sombre dress' per se, but I believe the reference will be to the principle that is highlighted on pages 254 and 255 regarding the Memorial.

 

See in particular Question One, as well as Question 3 regarding London.

 

 

Edited January 23 by Parale

[Parale]

2 hours ago, jwhess said:

Our Watchtower Study Conductor looks OK. He has an all-white beard.  But when I look at him I can't figure out if he reminds me more of Ernest Hemingway or Santa Claus...😀

 

Well he has until 15 July 2024 to register for the 43rd Annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest 😏

 

https://sloppyjoes.com/hemingway-look-alike-contest/entry-form/

Edited January 23 by Parale

[Parale]

5 hours ago, Andrey said:

Can anyone tell me on which pages the brothers mention the "of somber dress". If you can select information to read.

 

An example of the 'instructions' for wearing black is in the Watchtower 15 December 1913, in the article "1913 - Annual Report" -

 

 

The 1974 Yearbook has an example regarding what Brother Rutherford wore on the platform at the 1926 Europe Conventions:

 

Yearbook 1974, page 106

Brother Rutherford, who took advantage of every opportunity to get rid of worldly religious customs among the brothers, had already provoked a minor revolution at an earlier convention by his clothing. He had noticed that the brothers in Europe—and this included Germany—were especially fond of wearing black at the assemblies. The men not only wore black suits—at funerals even top hats—but also wore black ties, just as was the custom in false religious organizations. This observation led Brother Rutherford to buy an extremely light-colored suit and a dark-red tie to wear along with it. After he had come to Germany dressed this way, many began to get rid of their black clothes.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/301974004#h=212

 

[Hope]

3 hours ago, Dustparticle said:

A lot of brothers jump on the band wagon when they made the announcement its ok to grow beards. Does anyone think that a lot of them does not look good with them?

 

Our brothers look great.  It's a real lift to those who are bald... they look handsome and confident.  It's a "bandwagon" that Jehovah initiated when He designed men to be able to grow hair out of their faces.

 

There is only one brother so far who started his beard - for just a week - and decided to shave it.  His wife did like it so maybe he'll give it another go.  It also looked very handsome on him.

 

What I *do* see happening is that after awhile, the brothers will discover it's a bit more work to have a beard well-groomed and looking good than to completely shave. They still need to shave their neck, part of their cheeks (depending on the look they want) and brush/condition, probably even more than their hair.  But... if they don't have hair, it may be fun for them.  Beard oils, etc. smell very nice ❤️ 

3 hours ago, Mike047 said:

 

Glenn, a number of them look ridiculous, certainly some of the appointed men who seem to be showing a degree of immaturity as a result of this talk.

 

Hopefully it will be a five minute wonder for some of them, then we can get rid of this thread!

 

That sounds very unkind, but okay... 😕 

[lord-360]

Eh, bandwagon is a little silly. Are some doing it just cause others are? Sure. How many would have beards if there was never a rule? I probably would have so I wouldn't be following any trend and I think there are many like that.

[Andrey]

It's a real lift to those who are bald 

 

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE BALD ONES!!! 

[Dustparticle]

2 hours ago, Hope said:

 

Our brothers look great.  It's a real lift to those who are bald... they look handsome and confident.  It's a "bandwagon" that Jehovah initiated when He designed men to be able to grow hair out of their faces.

 

There is only one brother so far who started his beard - for just a week - and decided to shave it.  His wife did like it so maybe he'll give it another go.  It also looked very handsome on him.

 

What I *do* see happening is that after awhile, the brothers will discover it's a bit more work to have a beard well-groomed and looking good than to completely shave. They still need to shave their neck, part of their cheeks (depending on the look they want) and brush/condition, probably even more than their hair.  But... if they don't have hair, it may be fun for them.  Beard oils, etc. smell very nice ❤️ 

 

That sounds very unkind, but okay... 😕 

You points are respected. But if I grow a beard, then it would be a mess because it would be cover with chocolate. So, what will I choose? Chocolate? Beard? Or chocolate  cover beard? Take a guess my sis. 

Edited January 23 by Dustparticle

[computerwiz]

7 hours ago, Dustparticle said:

A lot of brothers jump on the band wagon when they made the announcement its ok to grow beards. Does anyone think that a lot of them does not look good with them?

 

7 hours ago, Mike047 said:

Glenn, a number of them look ridiculous, certainly some of the appointed men who seem to be showing a degree of immaturity as a result of this talk.

 

Many of us have to figure out how to wear a beard.  I'm 36 years old and never had one before, ever...

 

There's gonna be some "ugly" before we all figure it out.  Might need a regional convention on patience....  

[Pabo]

1 hour ago, Dustparticle said:

You points are respected. But if I grow a beard, then it would be a mess because it would be cover with chocolate. So, what will I choose? Chocolate? Beard? Or chocolate  cover beard? Take a guess my sis. 

 

What about chocolate bearded cup cakes?

 

[carlos]

4 hours ago, Parale said:

This observation led Brother Rutherford to buy an extremely light-colored suit and a dark-red tie to wear along with it. After he had come to Germany dressed this way, many began to get rid of their black clothes.

 

Surely some of the oldtimers then did not like the change and were complaining of how undignified and shallow many speakers looked with those light-colored suits... Change is always hard for some.

[LeolaRootStew]

4 minutes ago, carlos said:

 

Surely some of the oldtimers then did not like the change and were complaining of how undignified and shallow many speakers looked with those light-colored suits... Change is always hard for some.

 

Just as I'm sure that when they saw how brothers started to throw away their black clothes they complained about them following a fad and looking ugly.