WHY THE BEARD?

[Candlepower]

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.

I don’t remember auto-appendectomies, but I do remember the tonsillectomy craze. I think my earliest memory is of the ice cream they gave me after I woke up from the operation. All my defenseless siblings were similarly attacked by well-meaning surgeons. Having those things out was in! "Who needs 'em?!" we were taught. As it turns out, we do need 'em. That passé phenomenon illustrates how some medicine men think they understand the body better than its Creator does.

Remember the book/movie “Cheaper by the Dozen” in which the whole family (including Papa, reluctantly) had their tonsils cut out on the same day? It’s amazing how fads sweep over societies. Who would ever have anticipated the current fads of multiple self-skewerings, and of shuffling around in trousers lowered to the knees? We’re cracking up, I tell you!

I have no opinion about "To beard or not to beard." Except that, while some do a better job than others (Paidion), it’s all good.

[Paidion]

Thanks to all who replied! I just wanted to know how you all thought concerning the matter.

Do you really think humans should take their grooming cues from the animal kingdom?

I couldn't make much sense out of this comment. It's not that men should "take their grooming cues from the animal kingdom." Rather it's the observation that God differentiated between the sexes of many animals and birds by giving the male a distinctive decoration, and whether or not we are honouring the Creator by cutting them off. (It is true that beards do not grow on some men. I am writing here of those men who would have beards if they didn't shave them off.) Indeed, in many bird species, the male is more colorful, and beautiful than the female — and in some species God gave a distinctive crest to the males. Even in the human species, a beard is considered by many to make a man better looking. Many women see a bearded man as more handsome — except those who have been subjected to a culture in which beards are unacceptable, or at least less acceptable.

Shaving seems contrary to nature. I read somewhere the following words: "Each morning the beard of a shaved man makes its appearance as a dark shadow in protest of the fact that it was meant to be a permanent fixture on the face."

I agree that whether or not we men allow our beards to grow is a personal choice. But I will say that it seemed the norm among men mentioned in the Old Testament. Also it was apparently an embarrassment to men in those days to be forcibly shaved:

... Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; and they departed. when David was told concerning the men, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. and the king said, "Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return." (I Chronicles 19:4,5 RSV)

Now I know that part of the embarrassment was having their garments cut off at their hips. But if that were the sole embarrassment, then they could simply have put on other garments and returned. But David understood their embarrassment with having been shaved. That's why he told them to stay at Jericho until their beards grew back.

Also, if all the laws of Moses in Leviticus were given by God then He did give commands to the Israelites against shaving even parts of their beards:

You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. (Leviticus 19:27)

And similarly, laws for Hebrew priests included refraining from shaving the edges of their beards:

They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh."(Leviticus 21:5)


Now whether or not God gave these commands, I am in no way suggesting that we, under the New Covenant, are obligated to act in accordance with them. Yet, I do think that those of us who allow our beards to grow are honouring the Creator who gave them to us.

(By the way, I dont think the matter of washing off sweat or remaining odoriferous, is a fitting analogy.)

[Homer]

I have had a beard for a few years now.

Shaving seems contrary to nature. I read somewhere the following words: "Each morning the beard of a shaved man makes its appearance as a dark shadow in protest of the fact that it was meant to be a permanent fixture on the face."

OK, I trim my beard every few days. Paidion, it appears you do also. Wouldn't the reasons for having a beard also apply to trimming it?

[steve]

Homer,

You haven't had your picture up here for some time. Last time you did, you did not have a beard. PLease post a current picture, if you have one. We'd love to see how you look with it.

[Perry]

It's not that men should "take their grooming cues from the animal kingdom." Rather it's the observation that God differentiated between the sexes of many animals and birds by giving the male a distinctive decoration, and whether or not we are honouring the Creator by cutting them off.

I am writing here of those men who would have beards if they didn't shave them off.

Okay, sooooo let me get this staight... My beard, (which is thick and full when I allow it to grow), is like the plumage of some male birds, and it is also like the distinctively male characteristics of other animals and I am therefore dishonoring God by shaving. Is that the premise?

[Ian]

In the 70s and 80s I was a handy squash player, but not in the top echelon. Almost all of the top players wore moustaches (none had a beard). I badly wanted to be a top player, so on went the moustache (perhaps some of their better racket skills would thereby rub off on me!). I have dark brown hair but the moustache was a badly contrasting ginger. But on it stayed. After all I wanted to be like them :

http://www.squashpics.com/pastplayers/j ... an_-_8.htm

Anyway the moustache didn`t work. I remained in division two, standard wise.

But my mother unwittingly got my revenge for me. Jahangir`s brother once stayed with us during a squash tournament in Birmingham. At the evening meal he expressed his approval of the meat my mum had served him, "goodness gracious me, this is tasty, what is it?"
And then the sudden horrified realisation in my mother`s face, "oh no, it`s pork! I`m so sorry!!!"
Our Muslim guest sprang up, asked to be directed to the toilet, and didn`t reappear for 15 minutes. She never forgot that, bless her.

[Singalphile]

Even men like me who can't grow anything like a beard still shave regularly.

Those are interesting passages. But I'm not able to see how God is necessarily honored one way or the other by a beard or mustache. (That Jahangir Khan pic is pretty funny, btw.) There are many more structural and permanent differences between the human male and female... and we spend most of the time with most of those bits artificially covered up, anyway.

Also, women in our culture shave more surface area than men. Are hairy legs and armpits necessarily honoring to God in some way?

I was lamenting the recent lack of any new topics. I didn't expect this!

[TK]

Hey Ian-

If you still play squash and are ever in the Atlanta area and want a game, my step-son in law is a "handy" squash player.

TK

[Ian]

Hi TK,

I can think of 4 reasons for avoiding an encounter with your step son-in-law on a squash court:

- I`m in Europe and he`s in Atlanta (phew..)

- I`m 53 with a titanium plate in my neck

- squash undoubtedly became an idol for me. And besides, trying to plot the ball up and down the side wall like a coat of paint was not the most imaginative way to spend my 20s.

but most significantly of all:

- I`ve long since shaved my moustache off!

[Paidion]

OK, I trim my beard every few days. Paidion, it appears you do also. Wouldn't the reasons for having a beard also apply to trimming it?

Yes, I trim mine also (sometimes my wife does it for me).

No, I don't think the same reasons apply to trimming it. Trimming God's creation and removing his creation are clearly entirely different acts.

I trim 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)