Holy Hair- The Male Version

[ChTatum]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Why are we not practicing this ... ???

Number 1 reason is we are not Hasidic or Orthodox Jews, and if we keep part of the law we are obligated to all of the law.

[The Mrs]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

Number 1 reason is we are not Hasidic or Orthodox Jews, and if we keep part of the law we are obligated to all of the law.

Then why are some practicing Deut. 22:5 only?

[ChTatum]

Couldn't tell you. They aren't building rails on their roofs, they aren't wearing only single cloth-type garments, and they shouldn't be using a John Deere bush hog with a Kubota tractor!

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Most men would just be glad to HAVE hair!

[Encryptus]

Originally Posted by Nina

Do You Encryptus, really?

Curly locks no. Full beard without curved edge yes.

[James Griffin]

Early Apostolic attitudes:

* St Clement of Alexandria
o "The hair of the chin showed him to be a man." St Clement of Alexandria (c.195, E), 2.271

o "How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275

o "This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature….It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.” St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.276

o "It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man’s natural and noble adornment." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.277

* St Cyprian
o "In their manners, there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced." St Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.438

o "The beard must not be plucked. 'You will not deface the figure of your beard'." (Leviticus 19:27) St. Cyprian, 5.553

* Lactantius
o "The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength." Lactantius (c. 304-314, W), 7.288

* Apostolic Constitutions
o "Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, “You will not deface your beards.” For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men." Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392.

Furthermore, in later centuries the pope ordered priests to start being clean shaven around the same time as he mandated celibacy, both were attempts to emasculate the priesthood. The first thing the protestant minsters did to show they were neither celibate nor catholic was grow a beard. Likewise I choose not to be mistaken for a papist !!!



So after much soul searching even though my clean shaven effeminate looking brethren choose to take the pulpit in such an unApostolic condition (although it was the only practice of the first century church) I have decided to not oppose them in the pulpit as long as they don't shave that morning and have at least started their beard.

[mizpeh]

Who was Clement preaching against? Egyptian pagans?

[James Griffin]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Who was Clement preaching against? Egyptian pagans?

Guess the same ones Paul was, Apostolics that didn't measure up.

[The Mrs]

Originally Posted by James Griffin

Early Apostolic attitudes:

* St Clement of Alexandria
o "The hair of the chin showed him to be a man." St Clement of Alexandria (c.195, E), 2.271

o "How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275

o "This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature….It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.” St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.276

o "It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man’s natural and noble adornment." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.277

* St Cyprian
o "In their manners, there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced." St Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.438

o "The beard must not be plucked. 'You will not deface the figure of your beard'." (Leviticus 19:27) St. Cyprian, 5.553

* Lactantius
o "The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength." Lactantius (c. 304-314, W), 7.288

* Apostolic Constitutions
o "Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, “You will not deface your beards.” For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men." Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392.

Furthermore, in later centuries the pope ordered priests to start being clean shaven around the same time as he mandated celibacy, both were attempts to emasculate the priesthood. The first thing the protestant minsters did to show they were neither celibate nor catholic was grow a beard. Likewise I choose not to be mistaken for a papist !!!



So after much soul searching even though my clean shaven effeminate looking brethren choose to take the pulpit in such an unApostolic condition (although it was the only practice of the first century church) I have decided to not oppose them in the pulpit as long as they don't shave that morning and have at least started their beard.

All I can say is WOW!

I mean WOW!!!

Sounds like good enough writings and grounds for our good Apostolic brethren to adhere to!

They are taking away the very NATURE of a man by shaving!

[mizpeh]

o "How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275

Quote of the Day!


Let's compare men and women's hair to animals! We can learn from nature, right?

I feel sorry for those men with unhairy chests!