2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[Cushi]

11 hours ago, jwhess said:

We have no idea what the previous Watchtower (August issue) looks like yet.  I believe the September issue you are referring to is the first depiction that we have received.

Thanks. I didn’t realize we still have to get the August issue, although I noticed we didn’t get a public edition Watchtower last month.

[Cushi]

On 4/13/2024 at 6:05 PM, Andrey said:

I wonder if people would have the same reaction if we started shaving off beards en masse?

The baby at the end with her hand on her face 😆 She even looked again to make sure she wasn’t seeing things lol

[Dages]

This one really breaks my heart, she is so cute

[Sheep]

9 hours ago, Cushi said:

Thanks. I didn’t realize we still have to get the August issue, although I noticed we didn’t get a public edition Watchtower last month.

Public edition? We're only supposed to get just one public edition of the Watchtower per year now. We already got this year's.

Edited June 20 by Sheep

[Cushi]

1 hour ago, Sheep said:

Public edition? We're only supposed to get just one public edition of the Watchtower per year now. We already got this year's.

I know that. I meant to say study edition specifically instead of the public edition.

Edited June 20 by Cushi

[1MKnight]

On 4/12/2024 at 7:01 AM, Pjdriver said:

Getting back to our recent relaxing of the dress code.....does anyone get the feeling we may be preparing to blend in more as the GT approaches , especially in the ministry?    

 

I’ve heard this a lot. I really don’t think this is a theocratic warfare tactic.

 

I genuinely think the reason is just about showing reasonableness with regards to cultural viewpoints and stylings. 

[Alikay]

1 hour ago, 1MKnight said:

 

I’ve heard this a lot. I really don’t think this is a theocratic warfare tactic.

 

I genuinely think the reason is just about showing reasonableness with regards to cultural viewpoints and stylings. 

There will be no need to blend in. How will they be able differentiate between God, people, and those of the world? Changes or no changes, God’s will must take place not matter what. May things will happen far beyond the things we now thinks may and may not happen. Take this point into consideration. Why should/must we have so much expectation as regards to what will happen/wont happen/might happen how it will and will not happen when the Bible mentions very little about it? 

The key is live your life of strong faith, trust and confidence in Jehovah and the directions from our king Jesus through all the means he uses. The will show that we are more than ready for what is to come in the next minute, hours, days, weeks, or years ahead. 

[Tortuga]

On 4/12/2024 at 7:01 AM, Pjdriver said:

Getting back to our recent relaxing of the dress code.....does anyone get the feeling we may be preparing to blend in more as the GT approaches , especially in the ministry?    

It will be interesting to see if the revised dress code becomes more of a challenge for some. Our dress and grooming showed that we are different from the world, now some are able to look more like the world. I wonder if that inclines them to blend in with the world in other ways too.

 

If it talks like a duck and dresses like a duck, can anyone tell that it isn't a duck?

[Alikay]

31 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

It will be interesting to see if the revised dress code becomes more of a challenge for some. Our dress and grooming showed that we are different from the world, now some are able to look more like the world. I wonder if that inclines them to blend in with the world in other ways too.

 

If it talks like a duck and dresses like a duck, can anyone tell that it isn't a duck?

Here’s something to think about? How did Jesus and his followers dress in their day? All women wore a head covering of some kind. Did that make them a part of the none Jews or those with other beliefs at the time. One thing is important says the Holy Scriptures ‘ cloth yourself with love’. With that type of adornment will put all other things in place that identify one from the other 

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, Alikay said:

Here’s something to think about? How did Jesus and his followers dress in their day? All women wore a head covering of some kind. Did that make them a part of the none Jews or those with other beliefs at the time. One thing is important says the Holy Scriptures ‘ cloth yourself with love’. With that type of adornment will put all other things in place that identify one from the other 

They dressed differently from the nations, they didn't shave and they wore a blue thread above the fringe of their garment. Can you imagine a young person that is embarrassed to be identified as a Jew in a Roman town and then they are told they don't have to wear a beard of a blue thread? They may joyfully blend in with the Romans. I wonder if we see the same challenge to some today.

[Alikay]

14 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

They dressed differently from the nations, they didn't shave and they wore a blue thread above the fringe of their garment. Can you imagine a young person that is embarrassed to be identified as a Jew in a Roman town and then they are told they don't have to wear a beard of a blue thread? They may joyfully blend in with the Romans. I wonder if we see the same challenge to some today.

No. 

[Dark King]

If I remember correctly, Jesus and the disciples dressed so normal that nobody knew who Jesus was when they came to arrest him.

[Tortuga]

25 minutes ago, Dark King said:

If I remember correctly, Jesus and the disciples dressed so normal that nobody knew who Jesus was when they came to arrest him.

They didn't dress like Romans or Greeks.

[Qapla]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

They didn't dress like Romans or Geeks.

 

[LeolaRootStew]

5 hours ago, Tortuga said:

They dressed differently from the nations, they didn't shave and they wore a blue thread above the fringe of their garment. Can you imagine a young person that is embarrassed to be identified as a Jew in a Roman town and then they are told they don't have to wear a beard of a blue thread? They may joyfully blend in with the Romans. I wonder if we see the same challenge to some today.

 

We don't have a dress code that identifies us as Witnesses. We stand out as different because of what we don't wear. 

 

1. don't dress immodestly

2. don't promote false worship

3. don't follow fads that associate you with worldly groups.

 

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

They didn't dress like Romans or Greeks.

 

Jesus was associating with and preaching to Jews, so it wouldn't make sense for him to dress like another culture to "blend in". He dressed like every other Jew - that's the point. There was nothing special about his or the apostle's clothes that made them, true worshippers, stand out from the crowd. He dressed in a way that was appropriate for a true worshipper and it just so happened to blend in with everyone else in that culture. Was he chastised for not standing out? No. he stood out primarily for his conduct and beliefs, just like we do.

 

Blending in is not a sign of spiritual weakness in and of itself. 

[Qapla]

We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew and preached to Jews ... there would be no reason he would have dressed other than as a Jew.

 

On the other hand, after the preaching was opened to the Gentiles, some in the congregation would have dressed like Romans or Greeks since that is what they were. Just look at the picture in “Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom

 

 

Many of them are dressed like Greeks and, after getting baptized would have continued to dress that way.

 

Edited June 24 by Qapla

[Amygdala]

We saw a couple of mormon young men fully dressed in a suit walking down the street in one town we were driving in yesterday. It was warm out and they looked like they were feeling it, too. One had their BoM in the hand, and they were walking briskly. They looked well-dressed but they stood out like a sore thumb. I thought how much better it is to start informal conversations with people when we don‘t look so formal, and have everything we need on our phone. Some perhaps even letting their guard down when not knowing who we are. Also, when dressing modestly in day-to-day garb, how this doesn‘t prevent a brother or a sister from speaking up and giving a witness because they felt they were “not dressed appropriately.“ Some of my best experiences in informal witnessing was on vacation.

[Dustparticle]

1 hour ago, Qapla said:

We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew and preached to Jews ... there would be no reason he would have dressed other than as a Jew.

 

On the other hand, after the preaching was opened to the Gentiles, some in the congregation would have dressed like Romans or Greeks since that is what they were. Just look at the picture in “Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom

 

 

Many of them are dressed like Greeks and, after getting baptized would have continued to dress that way.

 

I always wonder what was the dog thinking of at the bottom of the stairs while Peter and others was walking up? The dog looks away from them like he is innocent of doing something bad. 

 

I wonder can the crime fighters solve this? 

[Pjdriver]

15 hours ago, Tortuga said:

It will be interesting to see if the revised dress code becomes more of a challenge for some. Our dress and grooming showed that we are different from the world, now some are able to look more like the world. I wonder if that inclines them to blend in with the world in other ways too.

 

If it talks like a duck and dresses like a duck, can anyone tell that it isn't a duck?

 

I think that’s probably true of weaker ones....but I believe that is true. When we first started doing zoom, everyone was raving about how great it was to have zoom during the pandemic....(and it was), however I raised the question of a potential problem that may result from getting too comfortable on zoom and start to neglect the in person meetings. Of course the Truly sick and immobile need it,  I understand that, but there are many now who are capable of attending the meeting but now after the intro to zoom, they don’t see the importance of in person meetings.  

 

I think adjustments like is a way for Jehovah to refine his people. How will we act without a lot of rules? 

 

Edited June 24 by Pjdriver

[truce]

21 hours ago, LeolaRootStew said:

 

We don't have a dress code that identifies us as Witnesses. We stand out as different because of what we don't wear. 

 

1. don't dress immodestly

2. don't promote false worship

3. don't follow fads that associate you with worldly groups.

 

 

Jesus was associating with and preaching to Jews, so it wouldn't make sense for him to dress like another culture to "blend in". He dressed like every other Jew - that's the point. There was nothing special about his or the apostle's clothes that made them, true worshippers, stand out from the crowd. He dressed in a way that was appropriate for a true worshipper and it just so happened to blend in with everyone else in that culture. Was he chastised for not standing out? No. he stood out primarily for his conduct and beliefs, just like we do.

 

Blending in is not a sign of spiritual weakness in and of itself. 

Again, you expressed clearly what I've been meaning to say, only better.