www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The War Over Christian Beards

How funny!

My priest sent out a link about the Nativity fast which was on that page, and after reading that article, I saw the above article and was reading it--completely unaware of you posting it here on byzcath--

and here is the funny thing, it seems to have been at exactly the same time that you posted!

What a coincidence!

Orthodox minds think alike!

Left out Peter the Great's war on beards.

The night before his martyrdom, St Thomas More told the gaoler that "I have changed my mind. . ."

The fellow told Cromwell who then informed the sleeping King Henry VIII that Thomas More had changed his mind!

The king went in all haste to the Tower himself with a retinue to see Sir Thomas.

When the king entered, Thomas More looked up at him and said that he "was thinking of shaving his beard before his execution, but had changed his mind . . ."

Also, the pagan ruler, Olgerde, martyred Sts. Anthony, John and Eustathius of Vilno for being Christians and for refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods.

And how did Olgerde definitively know they were Christian? By their beards . . .

St Basil the Great once said, "When I take my beardin my hands, I know that I am not a woman . . ."

And a relative of mine was overjoyed with our new Metropolitan in Canada . . . "There is hope for our Church after all!" he exclaimed. "The Metropolitan is growing a beard!!"

I thought it was neither hair nor there . . ."

Alex

So many times we stubble on the path to truth . . .

hawk, whose wife insists his beard needs trimming . . .

p.s. A Greek Orthodox attorney at the bankruptcy court had hair and beard groing longer, and shaggier, and was looking like a monk.

One day his wife came in cleanshaven and close-cropped, and we asked about it. His wife told him that if he didn't get the haircut, she'd do it in his sleep . .

In the Anabaptist tradition (Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren) there are different views about beards. Most Mennonites do not have beards, whereas married Amish men do. I like the Brethren view the best: They have beards because God made men to have them, and we should not alter what God has created! One person also said that according to the Scriptures Jesus had a beard.

That settles it for me! God bless.

And then there's the basic bit: don't trust a man who will run a piece of sharp metal over his throat before his morning coffee . . .

The Church of the Brethren is a broad spectrum; the more conservative rural congregations have bearded men, women in prayer caps, and clergy without Seminary training chosen by lot-- who wear late 19th century frock coats.

Spot on about the Amish and Mennonites.

The large urban and suburban congregations have none of that; they have clean shaven, Seminary trained clergy who wear albs or "pulpit gowns" and stoles (sometimes female clergy); and very few beards among the laity.

I wear a beard that would rival the hierarchs at my grandmother's church. But I can't claim any ecclesiastical convention to justify it. Still I notice small children in public places staring at me around this time of year.

μιχαηλ η αιρετικη

We have a biritual priest who is our chaplain. Since he started serving our community he has sprouted a beard, albeit a well trimmed on. If I tried to grow a beard I would look like Ho Chi Minh. My wife would kill me and my son-in-law who sports a full face of hair would laugh me out of his house.

God may have created hair on men's faces but he didn't create chewing tobacco or runny food. More power to the haired ones. In my case keeping my wife of 43 years is a bigger deal. Let's chalk it up to economia.

Thomas the Seeker,
Yes that is true of the Church of the Brethren. I was thinking of the much more traditional Brethren, such as German Baptist Brethren, Old Order German Baptists, and River Brethren.
Many Anabaptist churches are now no different than any other generic evangelical church and they blend in quite nicely!
God bless