To beard or not to beard

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
mike

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by mike »

As a rule, facial hair is a natural feature of masculinity. If some men choose to appear effeminate, I suppose that's their choice. :)

As a child, I was in churches that required beards of church members (Amish and conservative Mennonite). I kind of see their point, although I would prefer to let people choose not to wear beards if they so choose. I also kind of see the point of regulating facial hair to a certain extent. At least, I understand their point of view better than the groups that don't allow beards.

The main thing that gets my goat(ee) on this topic is groups that actually forbid facial hair for men, or that require some high bar of personal conviction before they'll let you grow a beard. It's something that is so clearly a feature of the natural order for humans that I think you can argue they are seriously out of line in forbidding it. The groups that allow or require beards while forbidding mustaches are halfway there. I view it as something in the same category as 1 Tim. 4:3: "They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth."

However, the topic of "to beard or not to beard" doesn't rank very high in important in my opinion. I might one day find myself a member of a church that allows beards but not mustaches, so that means the hair on my upper lip would have to go. I find that highly irritating, but not a hill worth dying on.
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ABC 123

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by ABC 123 »

steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:05 am
nett wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:43 am
gracefortoday wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:34 am

Do you know what the mentality is that's being used?
The mustache alone is (or was) associated with military and police, so not befitting of a Christian.
That^^^
Isn't it something that God caused hair to grow on that strip above the lip so Christians could remove it every day to show they aren't in the military (and by virtue signaling that they aren't godly Christians)?!
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Ken
Posts: 21863
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:02 am
Location: Washington State
Affiliation: former MCUSA

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by Ken »

Josh wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:59 am No beard was significantly more worldly a century ago. Nowadays I’d say it’s 50/50.

Regardless of worldly fashions, God’s people should be consistent.
Seriously? I think it was Emmerson who said: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"

Do you demand consistency in say...professions, house colors, brand of vehicles, Sunday dinner menus? I expect there are more important issues for Christians to obsess about than facial hair styles.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
steve-in-kville

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by steve-in-kville »

mike wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:11 am
The main thing that gets my goat(ee) on this topic is groups that actually forbid facial hair for men, or that require some high bar of personal conviction before they'll let you grow a beard.
Back when I was exposed to those circles, it seemed like if a man wanted to grow a beard he had to jump through all manner of hoops to do it, up to getting permission from the ministry. At least Pilgrim seemed that way back in the day.

I've had all manner of facial hair configurations, mostly dependent on church setting and/or my wife's preference. I've clean shaved once in the past 25 years, and that was a result of loosing a silly bet with my wife :D

I consistently shave my upper lip, though. Mustaches bother me.
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mike

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by mike »

steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:19 am
mike wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:11 am
The main thing that gets my goat(ee) on this topic is groups that actually forbid facial hair for men, or that require some high bar of personal conviction before they'll let you grow a beard.
Back when I was exposed to those circles, it seemed like if a man wanted to grow a beard he had to jump through all manner of hoops to do it, up to getting permission from the ministry. At least Pilgrim seemed that way back in the day.
Pilgrim has only recently allowed mustaches, although I hear this varies by church district.
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Ken
Posts: 21863
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:02 am
Location: Washington State
Affiliation: former MCUSA

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by Ken »

I grew a full beard when I worked on fishing boats in Alaska decades ago. It didn't look particularly good and I've been clean shaven ever since. It has never once been an issue or topic at any church I have ever attended, Menno or non-Menno.

Mustaches as military fashion was largely a 19th Century thing and was largely out of style by WW1.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
gracefortoday
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:33 pm
Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by gracefortoday »

Ken wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:32 am It has never once been an issue or topic at any church I have ever attended, Menno or non-Menno.
Interesting! I've been in 2 different Menno churches in my lifetime and it's been an issue in both!
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steve-in-kville

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by steve-in-kville »

mike wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:29 am
steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:19 am
mike wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:11 am
The main thing that gets my goat(ee) on this topic is groups that actually forbid facial hair for men, or that require some high bar of personal conviction before they'll let you grow a beard.
Back when I was exposed to those circles, it seemed like if a man wanted to grow a beard he had to jump through all manner of hoops to do it, up to getting permission from the ministry. At least Pilgrim seemed that way back in the day.
Pilgrim has only recently allowed mustaches, although I hear this varies by church district.
Obviously with a full beard, right? :mrgreen:
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steve-in-kville

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by steve-in-kville »

The only men's beard style that I ever heard was "sexy" was what I often hear as the "5 o'clock shadow" look. Basically some short scruff, I guess.
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mike

Re: To beard or not to beard

Post by mike »

steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:36 am
mike wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:29 am
steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:19 am

Back when I was exposed to those circles, it seemed like if a man wanted to grow a beard he had to jump through all manner of hoops to do it, up to getting permission from the ministry. At least Pilgrim seemed that way back in the day.
Pilgrim has only recently allowed mustaches, although I hear this varies by church district.
Obviously with a full beard, right? :mrgreen:
Yeah, duh!
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