To Beard or Not to Beard, That is The Question

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by hometown guy

Btw way nobody get on the platform at our church who has a bed head hair do, skinny pants, Mohawks, pink shirts , happy socks, ect ... in church or out of church

Someone who wears happy socks, outside of church, isnt allowed to get on the platform at your church?

EDIT: I searched "happy socks". Apparently Happysocks is a sock and underwear company from Sweden that makes goofy print socks. Their website is currently celebrating sodomite pride and the Stonewall Riots.

So, I agree with the happy socks standard.

[jediwill83]

What about my sad socks? Ok ok...the meh socks then.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Wouldn’t let a young man play on platform with black painted fingernails.

Should he have been allowed to help him live for God?

Oh, and he had mascara.

[coksiw]

I always thought “standards” are application of biblical principles for clothing and appearance to today’s culture. They are to be kept all the time, 24/7.

Brother, don’t you think asking men to shave every day as a principle of modesty, decency and gender distinction doesn’t make sense?

Teaching that shaving the facial hair that God gave you every day is necessary to distinguish yourself from the Hippies is as an overreaction as banning rainbows from birthdays, children parties and books because of LGBT.
Again, hippies and gays are identifiable by the way they dress and manners.
The facial hair thing is taking it too far, in my opinion.

[JamesGlen]

Looks to me like the more extra biblical ways of BEING the NT church that we add, the more rules we have to have to “make the cut” for being a part of it.

“Platforms” ie rules=pantyhose on the ladies and clean shaven men.

“Pulpits”- “ Used for vocally expressing those extra biblical requirements to be a part of the “team”.

“Holy reverent houses of God, in error called churches, (when His bride is the church, not made w mans hands)- “Now son this is God’s house, no chewing gum or running in His house”...


I will say on any given day, I usually have atleast one purple/black finger nail, generally a thumb nail that I busted w a hammer!

[loran adkins]

Originally Posted by JamesGlen

Looks to me like the more extra biblical ways of BEING the NT church that we add, the more rules we have to have to “make the cut” for being a part of it.

“Platforms” ie rules=pantyhose on the ladies and clean shaven men.

“Pulpits”- “ Used for vocally expressing those extra biblical requirements to be a part of the “team”.

“Holy reverent houses of God, in error called churches, (when His bride is the church, not made w mans hands)- “Now son this is God’s house, no chewing gum or running in His house”...


I will say on any given day, I usually have atleast one purple/black finger nail, generally a thumb nail that I busted w a hammer!

I like this

[Ehud]

I am getting seriously confused in all of this. For those who are questioning "platform standards" -- whatever those might be in a given place -- are you saying that elders have no say in how the congregation operates? In other words, if they can't point to scripture, it can't be a rule?

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Ehud

I am getting seriously confused in all of this. For those who are questioning "platform standards" -- whatever those might be in a given place -- are you saying that elders have no say in how the congregation operates? In other words, if they can't point to scripture, it can't be a rule?

We are only discussing beards. Beards were always considered a positive in scripture. There should have NEVER been a ban on them.

Hippies wore beards. Dont wear beards.

Hollywood actors and Wall Street robbers wear suits. Should we wear suits?

See the hypocrisy of it?

[coksiw]

I think the principle of teaching "you should be clean shaved because of separation and you don't want to be taken as a gang member" has two problems:
* I still want to see a scripture where Jesus or the Apostles teach me to look different for the sake of separation. Separation has always been about sin, not about looking different.
* There can be a good point about looking decent, and neutral, to avoid identification with a certain practices. Cutting your hair and trimming beard in a weird shape (goatee, punk haircut, etc...) may be a sin, unless it is a wide cultural issue (for example, to be a respectable man you have to have a thick mustache, like in Mexico used to be).
* The previous can be taken too far. The goal is to look neutral, decent, and reasonable, not just different to pretend some "separation", in our culture.

[coksiw]

Originally Posted by Ehud

I am getting seriously confused in all of this. For those who are questioning "platform standards" -- whatever those might be in a given place -- are you saying that elders have no say in how the congregation operates? In other words, if they can't point to scripture, it can't be a rule?

Brother we are talking about beards, but in general, you would need to distinguish between holiness standards as an application of biblical principles to be practiced 24/7, and the reasonable expectation to have an appropriate appearance for the occasion (e.g. come to church clean shaved and with a neutral color suit so we can use it in public speaking or music).

I may ask you to come always to church clean shaved and in a neutral color suit so I can use you if I need help, but I won't tell you that it is a biblical principle an so you should go to the grocery store with a neutral color suit and clean shaved. The point we are debating is that some people see the "clean shaved" thing as a biblical principles to be practiced all the days of the week.