Hair length

[Pastor_Bob]

Originally posted by Optional:
This has to be the largest crock of crap I've heard in a long time. There's no way you can know any of those things from hair length. I think I've shown my conservatism often enough to rebuke this garbage.
Also, as pointed out, gay men wear their hair very short and neatly trimmed for the most part (of course there are exceptions). Wonder what folks think of you?
Excuse me if I scome across angry - I am. There is absolutely no Biblical basis for what you posted.
I have been married for 31 years with 4 kids and 8 grandkids. Gee, there goes the stereotype in your own mind.

I'm sorry you feel that way. Your arguement is with radical revolutionary Jerry Rubin not me.

Your arguement is also with God's Word because it is there that long hair and homosexuality are characterized by the Greek word atimia.

I do not have any stereotypes concerning hair. I know good Christian men with long hair; I know sorry Christian men with short hair. That doesn't change what God's Word says.

Regarding what folks think of me, I have been mistaken for a Marine, an attorney, a police officer, and rightly guessed as a preacher. I guess it's my honest face and not my short hair.

Regarding your anger, I hope you get that under control. I would hate to think a post on a forum could make me angry.

Ps 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law : and nothing shall offend them ."

 

[Optional]

Pastor Bob,
Your post was an insult. I'll stick with what Paul says - not you.
Maybe it was righteous anger? Whatever, I'm over it now and just consider the questionable source.

 

[blackbird]

My dad use to threaten me with a pair of mule shears!! He said if I looked like a mule--I might as well live out there in the barn with them and do the kind of work they do!!

When my hair was getting long enough--my dad would load me up to the barber. When I got old enough to drive myself--all he had to say was, "Boy, you're looking like a mule! Go get that hair cut by tomorrow!" And I'd go!

My dad was driving home a point--he wanted me to act like a man and he wanted me to look like a man! My dad is in GloryLand now--but his words still sink in the soul--when my hair needs a clipping--I give it a clipping! A man ought to look like a man and a woman ought to look like a woman!

 

[Chet]

rlvaughn said:
Also, I always find it somewhat humorous to hear people say things like, "O, she got her hair cut short, didn't she?" and "Wow, look how long his hair is!" and then when they begin to talk about I Corinthians 11 suddenly they do not know and cannot tell what is long and short.

Very well said.

Might I also add that it says: Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
NASU

Seems to me that we can know what long hair is even by nature. We should also utilize some common sense and logic. And of course we have the Holy Spirit.

 

[Pastor_Bob]

Originally posted by Optional:
Pastor Bob,
Your post was an insult.

Optional,

My past posting history will validate that I do not insult intentionally. If you were insulted by my words, please know that I was not trying to be insulting.

Your comments directed at me such as...
"This has to be the largest crock of crap I've heard in a long time."

"Also, as pointed out, gay men wear their hair very short and neatly trimmed for the most part (of course there are exceptions). Wonder what folks think of you?"

"I have been married for 31 years with 4 kids and 8 grandkids. Gee, there goes the stereotype in your own mind."

...led me to believe that you were taking on an insulting spirit.

I do not apologize for my post. I quoted substance relevant to the topic, and I gave my interpretation of a Scripture relevant to the topic.

What else can I do?

 

[Optional]

Pastor Bob,
I will apologize for what I said aboutwhat folks might think of you. However, didn't you directly imply that someone with long hair has to be or approve of homosexuality and of low moral values, i.e.

"Wherever we go, our hair tells people where we stand on Viet Nam, Wallace, campus diruption, and dope. We are living TV commercials for the revolution...Long hair is the beginning of our liberation from sexual oppression that unerlies the whole military society.'"

Also, I looked up Atimia in Strong's and there's a big fat * beside it.

Sorry I don't "conform" to your world view. I do affirm the Baptist Statement of Faith 100% and have no doubt of my salvation.
Peace

 

[cojosh]

I like Pastor Bob's statements on this subject. The scripture clearly makes a statement that can be applied to all cultures of all ages. A man is a man, a woman is a woman. There are characteristics that identify them as so. How do we determine what is too long or too short. Well, it's easy. First, you look at yourself in the mirror and ask a simple question. Would my hair look better on a woman or a man? There's your answer. This answer should be based on scripture, Holy Spirit, and good ole fashioned reality. See, the reality is, our society is in bondage to pride, arrogance, & rebellion. You know, the "I'll do what I want to do!!!!!!!" philosophy. The same attitude Lucifer had right before God tossed his sorry rump out of heaven. Well, is the way we wear our hair(and everything else we do.) based on our desire to be accepted by a society governed by Satan or based upon respect for our God-given position in this life? There is always someone watching us. Does the way we wear our hair discourage or edify. Well, if the hairstyle we have chosen, short or long, has been chosen to please ourselves or other people instead of God maybe we should think about changing it. Hairstyles won't send people to heaven or hell but pride, arrogance,& rebellion can.

P.S. Christ didn't wear His hair like a woman.

 

[Pastor_Bob]

Originally posted by Optional:
Pastor Bob,
...didn't you directly imply that someone with long hair has to be or approve of homosexuality and of low moral values, i.e. </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />"Wherever we go, our hair tells people where we stand on Viet Nam, Wallace, campus diruption, and dope. We are living TV commercials for the revolution...Long hair is the beginning of our liberation from sexual oppression that unerlies the whole military society.'"

</font>[/QUOTE]No sir, I did not imply that. This was a quote from a book written by Jerry Rubin. Those were his words not mine.

Also, I looked up Atimia in Strong's and there's a big fat * beside it.

It is Strong's Greek number 819. It means "dishonor," "reproach," "disgrace," or "vile."

Sorry I don't "conform" to your world view.

Optional, I never asked you to conform to my world view. It is my desire that I, you, and all else who profess to be a child of God follow Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son , that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

For some reason you took my post as a personal affront; I sincerely did not have you or anyone else in mind. I was simply responding to the original question.

 

[rlvaughn]

Optional, on the lighter side - a little while ago, you had just posted and I scrolled down on the main page to see:


Hair length (Optional)

 

[Optional]

Originally posted by rlvaughn:
Optional, on the lighter side - a little while ago, you had just posted and I scrolled down on the main page to see:


Hair length (Optional)

Now that's funny!

Pastor Bob,
Do you know what the * beside 819 means?
I'm bowing out of this thread now as it has become unproductive.

 

[rlvaughn]

Pastor Bob, though I am in general agreement with you in the "hair length" discussion, I do not think the commonality of the word atimia in Romans 1:26 (vile) & I Corinthians 11:14 (shame) makes a strong enough case to show Paul was linking long hair and homosexuality. For example, we might (in English) describe incest as being "shameful" and then later say that long hair on a man is "shameful." That would not necessarily mean we were connecting long hair and incest. I think we need more evidence than just the use of the same word to make the connection between long hair on men and homosexuality. But we do not need that argument, for Paul makes a good argument with what he did mention in I Corinthians 11.

 

[SaggyWoman]

I love a hairy man.

His beard is full. He can't go a day without shaving without growing a load of hair. Hmmmmmm. I am purring already.

His hair is short on top, but his back, he is growing out. It is a little past his collar. As scraggly as it sometimes usually is, plus, the way he carries himself, I doubt anyone could mistake him for a woman.

 

[FearNot]

so, those who don't accept the cultural arguement, let me ask you a question. Why would God order the Judges to live their whole life without ever haveing a haircut if it was a requirement for men always to have short hair?

 

[AVL1984]

Originally posted by Optional:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Don:
Tony, I think the only real measure for that would have to be--if you turn around, and people mistake you for a woman....

Not likely to happen with me. I'm 6' 4" and weigh 220 lbs. Back to square one.</font>[/QUOTE]Well, I'm only 6'2" and weight about 300. I also have a full beard and moustache. I don't quite think they're going to mistake me for a woman either...LOL

B.T.

 

[donnA]

It doesn't say how long is long. Wonder why? Without a biblical guide line for length, how do we say how long is long, if the bible doesn't say?

 

[Terry_Herrington]

Gee, I seem to have stirred up a hornet's nest. I have seen Christian men who wore long hair and were very good Christians. I have even had a pastor who had, what I would call, long hair and he was a tremendous preacher. I have also seen Christian men who had short hair and were very self-righteous. So, if I go by what I see and can reason, I see no reason why hair length should make any difference.

That being said, there is still the question of how these verses in I Corinthians apply to us today. I appreciate what rlvaughn said on his first posting. It does seem, to me, to answer the question. Like I said, it does not, on the surface seem to make any sense how hair length on a man could have any impact on his Christian life. But, I would rather allow God to make the rules. If what God said was not applicable to us today and a Christian man still kept his hair cut short, what would be the harm? However, if it does apply and we ignore it, we will be found in opposition to God, Himself.

I know, many will say that this whole discussion is futile. Perhaps Adam and Eve had a similar discussion concerning the eating of a simple piece of fruit. After all, how could eating one little piece of fruit make any difference in one's life? It is such a small matter.

I will keep my hair cut short and be happy about it. If you desire to grow your hair long, that's between you and God. You do not have to answer to me, or anyone else; just be prepared to explain to God why what He said didn’t apply to you.

I believe that this subject, as silly as it may seem, shows how today we often look for reasons to compromise God’s Word and filter what He says through our reasoning processes. I long for the day when Christians, myself included, look for ways to over comply with God’s Word. How glorious the Church would shine if we simply took God at His Word without argument. The children of Israel started out, in the wilderness, by giving to God an offering of gold and other things needed to build the Tabernacle. They gave so much; Moses had to command them to stop giving. Later, the whole bunch of them rebelled at everything God said. Likewise, the Church seems to have followed their example.

 

[blackbird]

The Bible teaches that the "glory" of a woman is her hair. That's why when a woman is threatened with "chemo" and the doctor says, "You're gonna lose your hair!"--she gets all worked up in a frezzy and runs out to the mall and buys one of those wigs or a scarf--something to cover her head! The man on the other hand--when the doctor tells him, "You're gonna lose your hair!"--says, "Cool!! Now I don't have to worry about combing the stuff anymore!" The man buys a cap--and wears it only to keep the hot sun from peeling the hide off the top!!

The glory of the man is not his hair! The Bible says that the glory of the man is his strength! That's why there's a rush to build more "Gold's Gym's!!" The man will "pump iron" till he's 99 years old! The woman will get up every Saturday and run to the beauty salon until she's 99 years old! Its nature!

 

[StephenMozier]

Well, thank our God that I do not have this problem!

My hair thinned out some years back, beginning in my early 20's. Now I shave what I do have left off every day. Perhaps the best way to not worry about hair length on a man is to have none in the first place!

 

[yardane]

I believe men should have short hair, my dad and brothers do, when thier hair starts coming over thier ears, and below the hairline on the back of thier neck they come to me asking for a hair cut, even my baby brothers get their hair cut.

My mom, my sisters and I all have long hair, the only kind of cut we get is a trim when needed.

Katie, I think I have an idea why the Bible doesn't say how long is long is long, my sisters and I all have different lengths of hair, my older sisters hair comes past her waist, mine won't grow any longer then about 6" above my waist, one of my younger sisters hair doesn't to grow more then a few inches past her shoulders.

All women and girls only have a certain length that their hair will grow.

 

[hrhema]

My sister was very heavy into the hippie movement. I can remember her male friends coming to our home. They were wearing their hair long and they were talking very radical. Overthrowing the government. Free love. Dope.

They went to Louisiana where they got stopped by the police and took to jail and there they were made to visit a barber who shaved their hair.
They felt humiliated and distraught that their symbol had been cut off. They kept talking about how their long was a anti-establishment symbol.
A symbol of rebellion against government, parental control and on and on.

Long hair on a man became the symbol of all that was anti-government, anti-parent, anti-God.
It became a symbol of no morals at all.

My parents were not Christian and allowed all these hippies into our home. I could have become part of this and wore my hair long but even though I was not saved I knew all the rhetoric that I heard from all these guys that my sister hung out with was wrong.

I know from personal experience and my past what long hair on men meant and was a symbol of so today even though society has accepted it I do question any Christian who wears their hair long.

Men cannot use the nazarite vow as an excuse because that was under the Old TEstament. Also
there were periods of time when long hair on a man was just a fashion statement and nothing else but here in America it became more than that.
EVen George Armstrong Custers reason for wearing his hair long was to be a maverick, to be rebellious and pride.

Look at the story of Absalom who wore his hair so long. It was not for the Nazarite vow but he wore it as a symbol of pride and rebellion.

I am sorry but I feel that Optional has shown the real reason he wears his hair long by responding to this thread the way he did. To me this shows a streak of rebelliousness.