"Beards are sin!" False doctrine?

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

That is what they really think. It proves their lack of Biblical knowledge.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

And proves our point. The beards standard Pastors think you are evil if you have a beard. This is THE TRUE REASON they preach against them. Dont believe the trite about respectable "platform standards".

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Well then, that settles it!

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

No, I posted a bunch while posting with Aquila on my view. I just saw what Mike the Dee Cipe posted, and thought "Oh well, I guess I wasted my time again." So, i just thought to have some fun.

You guys sure have your hang ups, whether its tithing, beards, couldn't use dice while you were playing Monopoly as a wee child. Whatever the religious trauma, you all want to rip your chest open like Hanuman and show everyone the gushing ecclesiastical blood.

"couldn't use dice while you were playing Monopoly as a wee child"???

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

That is what they really think. It proves their lack of Biblical knowledge.

Lighten up, the guys are Trekkies

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

"couldn't use dice while you were playing Monopoly as a wee child"???

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

And proves our point. The beards standard Pastors think you are evil if you have a beard. This is THE TRUE REASON they preach against them. Dont believe the trite about respectable "platform standards".

Get some sleep bro,

No Trekkies think you are evil if you have a beard (unless they are into star wars also then you are a Jedi). This is TRUE reason you need to find a new mattress, where a blinder to sleep, with earplugs to get some rest. Instead of using them to read this thread. Because you obviously didn't read anything I posted with Aquila concerning the subject. So, get off it already. If people don't want anyone wearing beards on their platform who cares, if a church group wants everyone to wear a beard who cares. What was that you posted about God creating a beard for man's face, so if you shaved it off you were fighting God? You were joking right? That's how I took it. But just like the stupid memes I posted, it was humor. Yet, you took that as an opportunity to say that we all think beards are evil? Mike, travel around the United States at least, and get off social media.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by FlamingZword

Yes to obey is better than sacrifices, but it is talking about obeying God, not about obeying some silly man made doctrines. This is an often misused verse to beat down some honest sincere believers into submitting to just about any nonsense that some preachers desires to impose upon the flock.

So true. In the church I was saved in, you had to let the pastor know when you were going on vacation (not just those serving, but everyone), you had to let the pastor know if you were planning on buying a car, if you planned on moving, even if it were closer to church. Those in lay ministry in any department of the church had to have BeSafe Online installed, with the Pastor and your C20 (Captain of 20) programmed to receive email updates on all your websites and internet activity. When we got married, there was a young marrieds group and they even broke down what was "appropriate" in the marriage bed with your spouse. There was even a standard against motorcycles! That's right, you were in "rebellion to this pulpit", if you owned a motorcycle. In addition:

-No shorts on men.
-No pants on women (not even pajama pants).
-No short sleeves, everything had to be at least 3/4 length.
-Blouse neckline had to be above the collar bone.
-Skirts had to be two inches above the ankle or mid-shin.
-Women were discouraged from wearing red, especially on he platform.
-No cutting or trimming the hair for women.
-Men had to have their hair off the collar and off the ears.
-Men were not permitted to have facial hair.
-Absolutely no jewelry, not even wedding bands (only backslidden charismatic churches had wedding bands).
-Sports. We originally were told, no secular sports. And so we got involved in a Christian softball league. Well, there was the traditional "confrontation" and dust kicking on the field, and the Pastor prohibited all sports, period.
-No television in the home. Monitors were originally prohibited by the Sr. Pastor also, but the his son, the Pastor, lightened up on that standard as his father grew older.
-No secular radio entertainment.
-One had to attend every time the doors were open for service. All lay ministers had to not only attend services, but also attend all prayer meetings, etc.
-No smoking.
-No alcohol.
-All medication had to be discussed with the Sr. Pastor.

And the list could go on and on.

And it was counted as "sin" if you violated a single one of these standards because to violate any of these standards was seen as "rebellion against this pulpit".

Now, I loved Sr. Pastor Shearer dearly on a personal level. His humility and weeping over souls and the need for holiness was very sensitive, inspiring, and intimate. You rarely had a dry eye. He believed that if a man couldn't weep, he wasn't broken. As time passed, I began to learn more and more of the Bible. I realized that many of these standards were indeed dictated by the pulpit, not by the Word of God. That troubled me, but I remained submitted to the Sr. Pastor. I truly loved him. When he passed things changed. Instead of a weeping Sr. Pastor pleading for us to seek holiness... there was a shrill scream, and the pounding of an iron fist, demanding obedience to the standards or else.

I realized, I can't love and obey a pastor legislating from the pulpit... and then read God's own Word and see that no such standard existed in Scripture. I was torn between two masters... a man... and Jesus. This caused considerable frustration and undermined my family's trust in spiritual leadership. I caught myself explaining, "The Bible says... but Pastor says." The rest is history.

My point is that one cannot have two masters. Eventually, one will choose either the traditions of man or the Word of God, hating the other. As a result, brethren on opposite sides of this issue will not understand one another. Because each will view the other as being in a state of spiritual rebellion and pride.

You say that it is such a minuscule topic, but I think it should not even be a topic at all. There is no reason whatsoever for any preacher to take it upon himself to required that believers shave or that they grow a beard. Once again I repeat it should not even be a topic, not even minuscule.

I agree. It shouldn't even be a topic at all.

[Evang.Benincasa]

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by FlamingZword

Yes to obey is better than sacrifices, but it is talking about obeying God, not about obeying some silly man made doctrines. This is an often misused verse to beat down some honest sincere believers into submitting to just about any nonsense that some preachers desires to impose upon the flock.

You say that it is such a minuscule topic, but I think it should not even be a topic at all. There is no reason whatsoever for any preacher to take it upon himself to required that believers shave or that they grow a beard. Once again I repeat it should not even be a topic, not even minuscule.

Bro, the preacher who wants the men in his congregation to grow beards don't just tell them to do it. He has an argument. Just like you have an argument to remove the traditional wording of Matthew 28:19. So, you just can't say with a broad brush they have no reason.