"Full Gospel Beard"

[MrJim]

Check out this article and tell me what you think:

http://www.elcristianismoprimitivo.com/fullgospelbeard.htm

[Bruisedreed]

In a few words, Individual soul liberty mixed graciously with deference. I personally feel it is not a biblical issue but cultural. However I would have no problem with growing a full beard in deference if I knew a number of people in my church believed it to be important. It certainly is not sin. If a man has any doubt about it why not err on the safe side? Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

[ZiSunka]

I think any time someone tries to make an external feature or object of clothing the outward sign of who is and who isn't with Jesus, they miss the point of what Jesus came to do.

Sounds just like things I've heard Ron Border say, by the way, although the article says the author is unknown. I would guess it's either Ron's writings or the writings of one of his disciples.

[Danfrey]

Whoever wrote that sixteen year olds don't have beards has never met my son. He wears a full beard minus a little bit connecting the moustache. I wear a beard because it is part of being a man. Kind of like not having one is part of being a woman. It is easy to figure out if God meant for you to grow a beard, just quit shaving for a week. I don't think I would go as far as claiming it is sinful not to have one, but I would never shave mine off. If we were all priests and under the Jewish law, it would be a different story, but we are not, so I hesitate to call it sin.

[Jehane]

A couple of points struck me. Firstly the beard is not a God given sign as the author claims. Some Asiatic people struggle to grown any facial hair wether or not they are male! Many males in these countries have very little facial hair & even when they do manage to grow it it is thin & scraggley. Secondly beards/no beards have changed with different cultures, as has the whole hair thing. Roman males were clean shaven with short hair. Many Chinese used to shave except for the long que. The Celts had long mustaches & long hair which they limed into extreme shapes before engaging in battle. I do not think anyone could rightly claim the men in these cultures were unmanly. Thirdly under Jewish law, as I understand it, the age of accountability for a male is 13 & this is the age at which he can no longer hide behind his parents but must accept accountability for his own actions & while I have known a few 13 yr olds who can manage to grow some sort of a beard it isn't all that common. Fourthly when I go to my bible it says men lead in holiness, love their wives as Christ loved the church, protect, guide & govern their families. In other words all internals, not externals.

[ZiSunka]

Native Americans have no facial hair at all, either.

My nephew, who is 22, can't grow much of a beard because his hair is fine and blond. He shaves about once every two weeks or so. He's still a man, but his beard isn't showing it.

My brother-in-law had to start shaving when he was 14; not really the age we would call a man and his level of maturity at that time would indicate that he was still a child, too.

I think that beards are a sign that a person is probably a male, but I'm not going to say that makes them a man.

Joe has a full beard and mustache and has since he was in high school.

[tulc]

I've known a couple of ladies with full gospel mustaches. :sorry:
tulc(bad tulc! no doughnut!) :cool:

[Jehane]

I've known a couple of ladies with full gospel mustaches. :sorry:
tulc(bad tulc! no doughnut!) :cool:

Yeah, me too, & one with what can only be described as a beard. She used to shave it sometimes then get a'5 o'clock shadow'.

[ZiSunka]

Not everyone who has a beard is saved. Not everyone who doesn't have a beard isn't saved.

Beard are nice on some men, I like Joe's, but I think most men are capable of being masculine without a beard. :D

[Danfrey]

I would never connect the beard to salvation, but I will still say that wearing one is part of my faith. Just as you can't tell someone is saved because of the cloths they wear, but my daughter wears jumpers most of the time because of our faith.

[Jehane]

Danfrey, would you define 'jumper' for me. Out here it is a long woollen garment that is pulled over the head & only worn in winter or cool weather; much too hot for summer weather. Is this what you mean?

Otherwise I think I understand what you're saying. We have lots of trouble buying clothes off the rack as they don't generally meet our modesty requirements & dressing modestly is an outward expression of our inner faith.

[ZiSunka]

It is very difficult to buy clothes off the rack. For a long time, it seemed like modesty was gone forever. Now I have noticed clothing that covers a lot more, dresses with hems at the proper place, necklines that don't expose the entire chest. It's refreshing!

[tulc]

It is very difficult to buy clothes off the rack. For a long time, it seemed like modesty was gone forever. Now I have noticed clothing that covers a lot more, dresses with hems at the proper place, necklines that don't expose the entire chest. It's refreshing!

Been here?
http://www.mennonitemaidens.com/
or here?
http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/modestclothing.htm
tulc(who seems to have some pretty odd links) :sorry:

[tulc]

...or here:
http://www.commonsensepatterns.com/
tulc(sorry) :)

[ZiSunka]

Hmm...those clothes aren't exactly what I had in mind. Plus, I don't sew.

[Danfrey]

Danfrey, would you define 'jumper' for me. Out here it is a long woollen garment that is pulled over the head & only worn in winter or cool weather; much too hot for summer weather. Is this what you mean?

Otherwise I think I understand what you're saying. We have lots of trouble buying clothes off the rack as they don't generally meet our modesty requirements & dressing modestly is an outward expression of our inner faith.
We call a dress that has a bodice similar to a large tank top a jumper. It is meant to be worn with a shirt underneath. It is a single fathers solution to modest apparel for my 12 year old daughter. They tend to hold up better than most dresses and she hates skirts because the fall to easy when playing. Our second hand shops have tons of them in denim which makes them a good solution for my tomboy daughter.

[Jehane]

Oookay! Now I get it! I too have a tomboy daughter but in some ways it has been better that she is not so much into girlie clothing. Mostly she wears long baggy shorts (boardies) with big long T-shirts & they are REALLY modest if not exactly feminine. This lets her do most of the sport she loves without compromising her. My younger daughter is very fashion concious & it has taken a lot of work to get her to a place where she rejects the immodest apparrel that is the in thing at present for something I can live with. She is getting better though & it is really hard to be teased constantly because your clothes aren't the fashionable sort but she now understands we are striving to please God not man & that has made it easier for her.

[Danfrey]

Oookay! Now I get it! I too have a tomboy daughter but in some ways it has been better that she is not so much into girlie clothing. Mostly she wears long baggy shorts (boardies) with big long T-shirts & they are REALLY modest if not exactly feminine. This lets her do most of the sport she loves without compromising her. My younger daughter is very fashion concious & it has taken a lot of work to get her to a place where she rejects the immodest apparrel that is the in thing at present for something I can live with. She is getting better though & it is really hard to be teased constantly because your clothes aren't the fashionable sort but she now understands we are striving to please God not man & that has made it easier for her.
Unfortunately, the "in thing" looks alot like what prostitutes were wearing we I was my daughter's age. It seems like they took the styles from the 70's and tried to make the trashier, which they already were. I am waiting for the 80's styles to come back. At least then people were wearing cloths.

[Jehane]

Couldn't agree more. The girls & I have worn our clothing to threads because we wouldn't compromise & with growing kids sooner or later (generally sooner) the tops & bottoms part company & getting new clothing is a must. Our second hand places aren't always much good. Everyone's 'trashy' clothing ends up there.

[ZiSunka]

You all must live in interesting parts of the world where everyone dresses trashy. Our thift stores around here have more modest clothing, especially for the plus sizes.

If you mean by modest clothing that the outfits should look like Amish-wear, there are plenty of MCC thrift stores within an hour's drive of here. I wouldn't expect to see any in Australia, but Danfrey, don't you live in PA?

[Danfrey]

You all must live in interesting parts of the world where everyone dresses trashy. Our thift stores around here have more modest clothing, especially for the plus sizes.

If you mean by modest clothing that the outfits should look like Amish-wear, there are plenty of MCC thrift stores within an hour's drive of here. I wouldn't expect to see any in Australia, but Danfrey, don't you live in PA?
I would call our style of dress semi-plain. My son and I wear button up shirts 95% of the time, but we do wear jeans occaisonally. I mentioned above that we buy Kiara's jumpers at the thrift stores. I think Jehane may have meant junk clothing by "trashy" (correct me if I am wrong) I don't know if they use the phrase "trashy" to mean immodest in Australia.

I try to have Kiara dress in a way that does not stand out as much a capedress would because she attends a public school on an Air Force base in Delaware. I hope that she will wear her jumpers to school, so we try to find a balance without asking her to be a martyr at school. She handles it like a trooper. Candice used to pick her up from school wearing cape and cover. Most of the time she was respected, but occaissionally someone would take offense. It is a wierd situation having child that is the daughter with a Contientious Objector father and an active duty Air Force mother.

[Jehane]

"trashy" (correct me if I am wrong) I don't know if they use the phrase "trashy" to mean immodest in Australia.

Nope, I meant immodest. We get enough U.S t.v & such like to understand a fair bit of American slang. Its more intimate, everyday words that often lose me - like jumper!

It is a wierd situation having child that is the daughter with a Contientious Objector father and an active duty Air Force mother.

Huh? Your daughter sounds great.

Sorry!!! I've muddled the quotes in together & have no idea how to fix it. :doh: Sorrow.

[Danfrey]

Huh? Your daughter sounds great.

Sorry!!! I've muddled the quotes in together & have no idea how to fix it. :doh: Sorrow.
I think she is pretty awesome, but I am a little biased.