Off with the beard!

In the circles I associate with some preachers are once again wearing beards. The stigma that I am aware of was related to the beards worn by hippies in the 1960s and 70s, and other negative influences on society such as murderer Charles Manson and music such as ZZ Top. The idea was to not associate in any way with such people, even in appearance. I never heard that a beard was a sin, or Biblically forbidden, just that it might confuse Church attendees. Back in those days it wasn't uncommon in some places to have hippies "preaching" "love" and "god" on the streets and asking for donations to their "fund." Which was in reality a drug fund. So, my understanding was that many Christians, both fundamental and otherwise, were attempting to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" by not wearing beards.

Also, I notice a lot of reference to "legalism" by members of this forum. My understanding of legalism is that it is a requirement that man places on salvation, not just a "should" or "should not." It seems that some people want to lablel every "should" or "should not" as legalism, which it is not. In my circles at least, a beard has always just been a "should not."

PastorMark

 

It is rather ironic how custums tend to taint church and theological beliefs and practices, and yet when anyone suggests that customs followed in Old and New Testament times often dictated certain beliefs around local church practices and times bring changes he is belittled and denied.

A beard is simply "I like" or "I dislike" sort of thing. As I have said, I had a beard long before the hippy age, but still it was disdained by some, not in the liberal churches, but in the evangelical churches.

Cheers,

Jim

PS> Mr. Spurgeon had a full beard and he died just 34 years before I was born,,,,the devilish bloke!

 

Has anyone heard that Jim has had a beard sense 1958? :sleep: Jim that must be one bodacious bald spot you've got. :smilewinkgrin:

I am now sporting a beard for medical reasons. While there may be some drinking beer or wine for the same declared reasons. Personally I am thankful for grace.

 

ZZ top and Charles Manson also had hair on their heads. To be consistent...shouldn't we have shaved our heads, then?

A "should not" with absolutely no Scriptural justification "should not" be a "should not," "should" it?

Wow. I just confused me.

 

I have no dog in this fight, and have even been known to wear a beard from time to time. I was only espousing the historical knowledge I have concerning why a particular regional group of Baptist Pastors disapprove of wearing beards. Your argument is valid, except that having hair on ones head does not necessarily make them different than the norm. In the 1960s full beards were not the norm, and therefore linked to "hippies" either rightly or wrongly. I think if you take a picture of any heavily bearded man with long hair and show it to a person over 50 years of age, and ask them what they see, you will, more often than not, get the answer "hippie." (I know some will say Jesus, but I'm talking to those who know that God said "that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him")

PastorMark.

 

Well, that is the good thing about living in America. If you are flipping through the channels, and come across Bewitched on TV land and think it is satanic, then you have the free right as an American to turn the off button. By the same token, you can use the off button when you see long hair on guys in a choir.

I fail to see how anything in this thread remotely has anything to do with salvation, the Gospel, or worship at church. I believe the name of people in the NT who added things to the Gospel were called Judizers.

 

I grew up Southern Baptist, but when we moved up north we had to attend other Baptist denominations because SB churches were too far away. When my friends would do business in the south, they complained that drinking was frowned upon by their SB friends, but smoking was acceptable. I couldn't remember whether or not that was an accurate description of SBers, since I was only a kid when we attended SB churches. What do you guys say about SB attitudes about drinking and smoking?

Although I don't drink, I attend a German-American church, so drinking beer (but never smoking) in private is about as common as going to the bathroom, and is often the cause of it.

 

At our SBC small church, say thrity some years ago when I was dating my now wife, (I was Presbyterian at the time), you could drive up to the church and see men outside between Sunday School and church smoking. Now, not so much. Drinking has never been approved of in our church.

 

I have always wondered if there was anything to the history of the city Grapevine, Texas.

 

Someone told me that smoking in the South was directly related to the tobacco fields that so many own.

Smoking and the use of alcohol was always a no-no in Canadian Baptist Churches, but I have seen an increase in so-called social drinking.

When in England, smoking a pipe was ok by some and a sip of brandy before supper was the norm for many. I smoked a pipe, but I had to give up brandy when my dog licked my glass dry.....bad influence.

Cheers,

Jim

 

A friend of mine pastored a church in Kentucky and he told me that tobacco was off limits because some of the people were tobacco farmers.

 

Corrupting your dog. Now that is really baaaaad! :laugh::laugh:

 

My dog was Anglican!

Cheers,

Jim

 

The worst part was that no one believed me about the dog drinking my brandy. They all said that if I wanted another glass, all I had to do was get it..........:BangHead:

Cheers,

Jim

 

I used to say that dog ate my homework. If I said the dog drank all the brandy, I know what kind of look people would give me.

 

I just wish I could grow a full beard. There are two patches around my chin that are as hairless as can be. And, to top it off, my mustache grows dark just under my nose and gets blonder as you go out. So, I look like I'm sporting a Hitler mustache. Needless to say, Gillette never has to worry about losing my business.

 

What about cutting your lawn or going out to eat on Sundays? Seems I heard a number of complaints about pastors doing that, but not so much recently.