The Evangelical Universalist Forum

WHY THE BEARD?

Practices Christian Living
#1

I taught elementary school in a Christian community from 1962 to 1965. All of the married men in the community had beards. I asked why, and one said in all seriousness, “I have a beard because it grew on my face.” Others explained to me that “God planted it”, and so he must have a purpose for it. Some suggested that it might be a special distinguishing mark of the human male, just as some species of male birds which have crests whereas the females don’t. “If we succeeded in taming these birds,” one man asked, “would we improve the male’s appearance if we cut off his crest? Or would he simply look ridiculous and unnatural?” Others made similar remarks concerning particular species of deer among whom only the males have antlers. But the main thrust of their position was, “Do you think you can improve on God’s design for you by cutting off your beard?” It made sense to me, and I began letting my beard grow. I recalled some tricks in which some women use to alter their natural appearance, such as shaving off their eye brows and then painting fake ones back on. I wondered why they despised the natural eye brows which God had given them.

So I let my beard grow in an era in which it was unpopular to do so.

Once when I was walking down the streets of Winnipeg, one man greeted me with, “Hi Castro!”

On another occasion as a man was walking by on the sidewalk, he asked, “Why the beard?” as he was passing by. I responded with, “Why do you shave yours off?” — to which he answered, “So that I can wash my face.”

That was a cute answer, but it didn’t make sense. This same man had hair on his head. Was he unable to wash his scalp because of it?

What is your opinion of the beard? Does it serve any purpose? Or did God make a mistake? Is it a useless appendage as evolutionists used to say was the case with the appendix and the tonsils? Do you remember the days, or have you heard your parents speak of the days when doctors routinely removed the appendix and the tonsils from children whether it was necessary or not? — until it was discovered that they have useful functions after all.

#2

I am hopelessly in love with beards, and until recently wore one — as soon as I chopped into it, I regretted it. Though I still have the 'stache (though it’s now trimmed, I used to wax it into a generous curl). I’m thinking about growing the beard back :sunglasses: But to be honest, the ladies (generally speaking) do not like the beard. Single? Shaven? It’s definitely a tough call :wink: But I think I’d prefer to be shaven. Maybe if I get married, I can unleash it. :smiling_imp:

There are lot’s of different things that men and women do to shape and maintain their appearance. I don’t see how shaving could be an attempt to better God’s design, anymore than clipping your fingernails or applying deodorant. I appreciate the naturalist/primitivist thread through some Christian lifestyles, but I don’t think its necessary, entirely beneficial or obligatory. And nor can every man grow a beard, or is suited to it. It would be uncharitable to expect it of some souls.

#3

Why might a lioness want the lion to cut off his mane?

#4

i’ve a sort of goatee thingy with moustache, which quite often gets out of hand and covers more of my face :laughing:
my girlfriend doesn’t mind it, unless i fail to trim it and it’s messy or scratchy. otherwise, no problem!
i know a decent number of girls that don’t seem to mind beards either.

#5

According to this logic, women should not shave their armpits. Anyone here think women’s shaving under armpits is anything BUT an improvement? :laughing:

I wonder if Spurgeon required his wife (if he had one) to grow out her underarms?

Sass

#6

Personally I like a beard on my husband. I think it suits him. But I also think some men look better shaven.

I think it’s a matter of personal preference, it’s purpose is decorative, neither a mistake of God or an offence to Him to shave it off.

Sonia

#7

Sass…good point about underarm hair! leg hair too LOL

i suppose if we wanted to hear God’s opinion, He might’ve voiced it about the Egyptians. they shaved everything off and wore wigs, for hygiene reasons. God got upset with them from time to time, but i don’t recall Him being annoyed with their shaving :slight_smile:

#8

I just shaved mine off today. :wink:

Plus I got a haircut today too… I usually shave everything before I get a haircut, 'cuz I think I look kinda goofy with short hair and a beard :laughing:

That and it’s over a hundred degrees over here, so short hair and no facial hair feels better :wink:

My fiancee Kaylyn has gotten used to the beard (or goatee, not sure what to call it… chin lettuce :laughing:), though she hates mustaches, so I keep all of that shaved off… and she likes it when my hair gets all bushy and crazy (she calls it Harry Potter hair :laughing:), though she says no to me having a pony-tail (my dad’s hair grows long enough for that, so it’s a possibility mine might too, if she let me :wink:), and she likes it when my hair is short and I’m clean-shaven. :slight_smile:
Plus I look pretty smashing at the moment, if I say so myself. :wink: :laughing:

Anyways, I think as far as a lot of us men go, the women in our lives probably have at least some impact on our personal grooming choices :wink:

I’m with Sonia though, that it’s basically for decoration, and a matter of personal preference. :slight_smile:

But perhaps a more interesting question might be this: why do some women have beards? :confused: :laughing:

Matt

#9

Hormones, Matt – they can’t help it or they would. :wink: No woman wants a beard.

But as for the boys, yeah I agree it’s all a matter of fashion, comfort and preference, unless your particular religion requires it. Your beard looks marvelous, Paidion. I don’t think Abba would love you less without it, but it looks perfect on you.

Blessings, Cindy

#10

Well I have close shaved this morning (as usual) as my missus won’t have any ‘scratchiness’ on the kissing front :slight_smile: I may go and get my hair shaved to within an inch of its life too come to think of it.

#11

Right you are I’m sure :wink:

#12

I just thought I’d take this opportunity to state that I wholeheartedly and most emphatically DESPISE shaving.

:smiling_imp: :slight_smile:

#13

I trim my beard. Trimming God’s creation and removing his creation are clearly entirely different acts.

I clip my finger nails also. But I don’t remove them completely from my fingers.

I have my hair trimmed, but I don’t have my head shaved. (Quite a number of men do shave their heads these days, and even a few women).

Don’t those shaved female heads look beautiful! What an improvement over the long hair that God gave to each woman as her glory! (I Cor 11:15) :unamused:

I know you asked this in jest, but I will give you a serious answer. I don’t think it an improvement at all. I think shaving the underarms, or the pubic area for that matter, makes a woman LESS attractive. And I don’t think this is a matter of personal taste. Those who think otherwise have been cultured to think so. If a particular society carries out, almost universally, a certain unnatural practice to “beautify women” , people accept it and think it an improvement. For example, in earlier days, in Chinese society, young female children’s feet were bound so that they couldn’t grow — and the resulting tiny feet of adult women were considered to be beautiful whereas female feet allowed to grow in a normal fashion were regarded as ugly.

#14

I agree.

The White Witch cut off Aslan’s mane. Why?

#15

The white witch cut off Aslan’s mane in order to shame him, for the same reason that those who tortured Christ on the cross pulled out his beard.

But today, people don’t seem to recognize the beards of men, and the manes of lions, and crests of some birds as God’s special way to distinguish males from females, and therefore they have no shame. Paul said that it is a shame for a man to have long hair like a woman (I Cor 11). If Paul were alive today, would he say that it is a shame for a man to shave his beard and have a smooth face like a woman?

#16

Now we know no man after the flesh

#17

Imagine a clean-shaven St Nicholas.

“It is the business of these great masters to produce in every age a general misdirection of what may be called sexual ‘taste’. This they do by working through the small circle of popular artists, dressmakers, actresses and advertisers who determine the fashionable type. The aim is to guide each sex away from those members of the other with whom spiritually helpful, happy, and fertile marriages are most likely. Thus we have now for many centuries triumphed over nature to the extent of making certain secondary characteristics of the male (such as the beard) disagreeable to nearly all the females — and there is more in that than you might suppose….” Screwtape

#18

What about guys who have a hard time growing facial hair though… I’m not one of them, but I’m sure they’re out there. :wink:

And seriously, I don’t think it’s a sin for a guy to shave off his beard or to have long hair, or for a girl to have short hair… but I can agree to disagree on that. :wink:

#19

That’s me, alas. :frowning: I’ve evolved further from the apes, you see.

#20

:laughing: