Ken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:19 amSure, some people wore mustaches. But by far most troops were clean shaven by WW1 and still are. Those today who are not tend to be special forces types who wear full beards. The point I am making is that the conservative Anabaptist prohibition on mustaches because they are "military" or a "soldier's fashion" is really a reaction to the 19th Century when mustaches actually were military fashion and some forces like the British actually mandated them. But that notion is really 150 years out of date. In other words, they are reacting to Civil War and Franco-Prussian war fashions, not anything in the living memory of even our grandparents.
In fact, much of the traditional Anabaptist aversion to mustaches (where it has existed) seems to perhaps even a century or two farther back to the various European militaries and mercenaries, if we're talking about cultural memory. I have a couple books at home that offer some interesting historical documentation on these.
Just a couple thoughts while I'm here. I realize you (Ken) rather clearly expressed your opinion regarding the irrelevance of the beard/mustache question earlier, and certainly everybody is entitled to their opinion. Having said that, referring to the practice / treatment of said subject by groups such as MCUSA and CMC seems somewhat irrelevant as well considering their multi-decade shift away from much of traditional (and yes, cultural) Anabaptism which continues to place value on a large variety of practical applications, including questions like beards and mustaches which relate specifically to appearance.
I'm certainly not suggesting you should leave the discussion or anything; it just seems worthwhile to recognize that such a dismissal or downplaying of value on the subject seems awfully irrelevant coming from the former... But I might be all wet on that, and I'd be interested in hearing why you feel that complete disconnect (by anabaptist groups moving in a more progressive direction) is justified, and (by logical continuance) why you would encourage others to share that same position of dismissal on the subject of whether there is value in encouraging Christian men to wear beards and consider aspects like the mustache and its potential connection with or against less desirable aspects in the broader culture... Admittedly I ask that as one who, while having little patience for the political wranglings and legalism that have often accompanied the beard question, still finds tremendous value in the practice of Christian men accepting and wearing the beard, both from a Scriptural and a /cultural/historical standpoint.
Or do you perhaps see a "secondary" value in issue like the beard as "performance" issues rather than "moral" ones? (now THERE'S a can of worms. 
)