Jehovah's Witnesses only pls. Do any brothers in your hall wear a beard? What are your feelings on this?

Question

Is it a scriptual teaching or an opinion by the elders in each hall?
I ask because my husband wears a very short, clean beard. He was baptized with it 6 years ago. He has had a beard for over 25 years and truly I think he looks better with one.
In the last few years this has come up several times from other bro's and sis's as to why he wears one?
Our family is strong & healthy in the truth. We rarely miss meetings. He is a very strong reader, they are hesitant to use him as a reader or handle the mics due to his beard.
He is given mowing and other duties though.
We are very confused.
Is this scriptual or not? One brother said to go by the pictures in the WT. Hubby's comment is that all the men of old wore beards, including Jesus.
It is also our understanding that depending on where you attend meetings (such as Alaska) this is approached differently.
If Jehovah wants it, he will do it immediately.
He doesn't want to resent doing it to pls "men".
Serious question, Help.

Thank you so much for all your comforting responses. I shared them with him and we are going to try and talk with our CO, he is visiting our hall this week.
It is hard to pick a best answer on this one. I want my sweetie to do it :)
to Paul S, He's a good looking guy, with or without it. :) lol
Maybe I should mention how much "younger" he might look with out the little gray sprinkles on his face:}

Answer 1

I didnt have a beard but my side burns were neat & kinda long, almost to my chin. but neat-- i liked it. one book study night im the reader of the Isaiah book. after the meeting was over , mind you i had this cut like 3 weeks straight i also worked behind the literature counter. my bookstudy conductor called me to the side & said that it was up to me, my choice, but would i consider looking at how my brothers & sis look at the assemblies. did i remind any of them having long side burns & come to think about it No i didnt. And to remember as witnesses we must look different from other people, even in our groom & dress which was a good point. i remember of a guy whom i didnt know from another town who asked a person whom i did know from also another town did he know me? they guy i do know asked him to describe this person to me. the guy i dont know said. he's tall light skinned and VERY Cleaned cut individual, immediately the guy i do know said yes thats Ray. So even though i never met the guy BOTH (worldly) individuals noticed me by my groom & dress. now these are worldly individuals, even at the job they say im different & dress different from the others. When i remembered this incident when my book study conductor asked would i considered it that tues. i went home immediately and shaved it, no question asked or resentment what so ever. i could've got an attitude but my attitude is not like that. im willing to do what ever within my means to please Jehovah but also my brothers and sisters. Now this is just for me, so dont be offesive sis,The way i look at it we have to remember the days are wicked, when Jesus comes to destroy the wicked, I want to make sure that i dont get caught up in that by looking or resembling anything like the world, I have much more other serious matters to worry about than any side burn could ever touch If the brothers suggest it, Im all for it, I love obedience even though it may be hard sometimes but i dont think any one likes discipline which im also ready to accept.

I also have a couple of bible studies, if they think it looks alright to their standards when they come into the truth they have to realize Jehovah's standards are alot higher than our own and like you even said should not be stumbled to think otherwise. beards may be ok in alaska, africa or where ever, men in some cultures also use to wear dresses in Africa, and back in Jesus times, so we have to also look at.. location , location, location. ;) just tryin to be funny here.

Answer 2

There was a brother in a Louisiana Hall that wore a beard to make a point. He was never used either. I asked why. He told me it was explained that we are supposed to not draw attention to ourselves . Since the hippie movement when everyone was wearing beards we didn't want to be associated with them. Usually men will have a clean shaved face because most of the men now a days shave...as with Jesus most of the men did not shave...They wore sandals and robes and so did Jesus..But today men wear suits and our brothers do also. It is the accepted garb of the day.
But in the frozen wilderness it is essential to wear beards and pants for women as a life saving precaution.
But it is not forbidden to wear a beard anywhere . It is a matter of conscience.

PS once when I was much younger I decided to go from mousy brown to blond..I spent all day in the beauty parlor getting it done. The next day I conducted a bible study. The husband of the study said I looked like a harlot. I went straight to the store and bought mousy brown and went back to the way I was....
I could not let the color of my hair stand in the way of that woman learning the truth. She got baptized and her two children also and her son became an elder and her daughter the wife of an elder. I think I made the right decision.

Answer 3

Yes - we have had several young men wear beards. Recent circuit assembly there were dozens of brothers with beards and goatees. The Sept WT has encouraged JWs to consider their area they live, and if beards are common and viewed as acceptable and respectable in the community, then brothers may decide to have a neatly trimmed beard. The first to do this will likely cause many people in the congregation to freak out at first. However as time goes by I expect that in most parts of the US brothers will somewhat mirror the culture in general when it comes to beards. For thousands of years men have had beards as a symbol of masculinity. in this world where men are being feminized, I really respect brothers who are willing to endure a little "hard time" from elders to exercise their freedom and have a manly modest beard.

Answer 4

Personally I see no harm in clean short beards, but at the same time, I don't see why people get fretful and make a big issue out of it. If it’s causing murmuring and seems to be against someone else’s conscience then, yeah, it may be THEIR problem, but that doesn’t mean to say that we carry on causing “offence”.

I’m sure he doesn’t look that ugly without the beard? Lol!

It’s like the issue of clothing. I don’t think that it’s really necessary for brothers to always have to wear suits; they even won’t let brothers do the microphones if they don’t wear a suit jacket at our hall…but do I care? No, I don’t want to make an issue out of nothing…just go along and do it, it’s not hard.



That's a great idea (if you think it would be best without the beard), complement him on how he looks "better" without the beard...then it'll be easier for him to decide. It may surprise some wives to know that their (female) opinion does have a big impact on their husbands lol!

Anyway, I can't talk much longer...got to have a shave before the group (hehe). ;)

Answer 5

The seeming position against beards among Jehovah's Witnesses is neither globally universal nor based on religion, per se.

Instead, local congregations must weigh community sensibilities in determining whether a man with a beard would tend to cause apprehension in the area. Like the apostle Paul, Jehovah's Witnesses certainly have a tradition of yielding their personal preferences "for the sake of the good news".

(1 Corinthians 9:19-23) For, though I am free from all persons, I have made myself the slave to all, that I may gain the most persons. And so to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; ...I have become all things to people of all sorts, that I might by all means save some. But I do all things for the sake of the good news, that I may become a sharer of it with others.


Today, a Jehovah's Witness Christian might prefer to keep his beard and well-understand that there is nothing in the bible to tell him it displeases God or Christ. Yet that modern Christian might reflect on the first-century Christian men who might have preferred to keep their foreskins (with similar justifications), yet yielded to circumcision once they understood that uncircumcision might be an obstacle to those who would hear "the good news".

(Acts 16:1-3) And, look! a certain disciple was there by the name of Timothy...and he was well reported on by the brothers... Paul expressed the desire for this man to go out with him [in the ministry], and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places


As the questioner mentions, in areas such as Ireland and Alaska, even some congregation elders wear well-groomed beards. However, it is true that beards are rare among active Jehovah's Witnesses across most of Europe and the United States.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_15.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Answer 6

sometimes if a brother has a skin condition or scars from a car accident or whatever,he can have a beard if the congregation doesn't mind. I know this from a brother in California with such a problem and is well respected

Answer 7

The bible tells us to be clean. In some cultures, it is not seen as a clean thing to have a beard, so yes, whether or not you are allowed to have a beard depends on your culture and where you live.
Oh and by the way, nobody in my halls has a beard, just in case you were wondering.

Answer 8

Thank you for the question, I do think the this question would be better answered with the Elders in your congregation. If you feel that they have not satisfied you please to you CO. There are no brothers in my congregation that has beards, but I do know of some that had beards because of medical issue. what they medical issue were I have no idea. What is important is not the beauty of your husband outer appearance but the beauty of his service to Jehovah.

Answer 9

There ae several brothers in our congregation that have well trimmed beards. I think some brothers can be too worried about things that are not vitally important. Why not sit down with a couple of the elders and express your concerns. Perhaps do some research and just put it forward to them.

Answer 10

I don't know of any at my hall who have beards....there are some around who have moustaches. It is common in some countries.

I think in many places in the USA it is viewed as somewhat hippy-ish even outside JWs. The brothers as well as the business people in your area are good to look at for examples.

The point is to not be a stumbling to others.

If it is taken care of, I don't see the point of not having it.

People do have a lot of personal opinions though. I've been not criticised, but had mention of my wearing "round" earrings by one brother (as he thinks they are moon shaped)....he is the only one whose ever said anything though.

Look around at conventions too. Good place to view a wide area of the brotherhood.

Debbie