PrinceofLight2000

If only they understood the true consequences of what they set out to do. Anyone else thinking of Alma?

What's so funny, Soulsearcher? I don't think it's actually debt when you have enough money to pay it off without owing a cent of interest when you do pay.

I've always wondered this: Where did anyone ever get the bright idea to roll up plant leaves between paper, light one end on fire, and breathe in the smoke from the other end? And druggies claim pot is "natural".

Counsel doesn't always mean commandment.

Only when it isn't truly personal revelation. I think anyone who tries to claim a message from God as a license to sin is in major trouble.

I'll edit my post then. Thanks for pointing that out.

I plan to get one or two, but I'm always going to make sure I'm able to pay everything off every month so that the credit card company can't make a cent off me and I still have a really good credit score.

Oh, is that so? Again, I'm going to follow the policy. I can't count how many times I've said that in this thread. I don't lack an ability to follow rules or standards, it's just that this rule's purpose seems to have faded out before the actual rule has. By the way, tithing can't be compared to wearing a beard, neither can a beard be compared to any other commandment. There's a difference between a policy and a commandment. No sin lies in wearing a beard, only in breaking protocol. Culture has changed, so why can't the rule? Furthermore, tithing and other commandments have easily identifiable objective spiritual consequences when broken. How would having a beard, out of personal preference, not rebellion, stop anyone from becoming like Christ? Lastly, why does one have to "dress/look like the modern prophets" in order to be worthy to do temple work? I'm fairly certain modesty doesn't conform to one particular style of appearance, rather, it encompasses many from each culture around its boundaries. Society needs to start realizing that beards don't automatically make a man look sloppy, and it needs to do it now. It's a real shame that a bunch of malcontents (hippie, drug culture) had to come along and ruin a particular style of fashion via stereotyping that was otherwise modest, professional, and presentable several decades prior.

Valid point, although I tend to think that the neatness rule is enough to cover this problem as well as any other neatness problem. If one can grow a beard and keep it neat, which is what I've been saying all along, I really don't see an issue with it. If we expect the missionaries to keep themselves neat in terms of dress without being watched to see what they do every morning, why can't beards just be applied under the same scrutiny rather than being prohibited outright?

Sentient apes, with beards! Given the fact that in reality there are no other sentient life forms besides humans, it's safe to say that we can analyze the scene as if the apes were actually human. When it comes to this particular application, anyway. So, what it comes down to is that one culture looks down on being clean-shaven, and another looks down on beards. I say, why? It's not as though facial hair is unnatural. Neither is the lack of it. It's not always a mess, either, much like head hair is. Should we have the missionaries shave their heads as well, for fear of their head hair appearing "messy"? Unfortunately, I have a receding hairline and it doesn't look all that good. Maybe I should shave my head bald for fear of someone thinking it looks bad.

There was a scene in the original where Taylor shaved off his beard with a knife, and one of the apes remarked he looked less intelligent clean-shaven. Because having facial hair or not completely changes the capacity of one's mind.

Clearly you didn't read through the whole thread. When Dravin thought I was saying being clean-shaven looked unprofessional, I clarified. When people get word that the Church doesn't allow it, that's where the confusion begins. Secondly, I get that people dressing in strange and sloppy ways isn't dead, nor will it ever be. What I've been saying this entire time is that the connection between beards and supposed sloppiness has been broken for years. Unless of course, you can't grow a full one and it looks awful, like 2 out of 3 of Hordak's pictures. By the way, I've yet to meet a stoner kid with dreads who has a beard, and I used to know a couple dozen.

Just thought I'd clarify. It appeared to be directed at me despite the non-quote.

In this thread: Too many people who haven't seen Planet of the Apes.

I never said I wasn't going to follow the policy, only that it makes no sense.

Exactly what I'm trying to say.

In my experience, when it's worded how you suggested, people typically follow it up with "So beards aren't considered respectable/professional?"

Political correctness prevails over actual professionalism once again! I don't see why a beard should be considered unprofessional by anyone unless no effort was taken to make it neat and tidy. Which is why I'm shaving my neck right now while the rest grows.

That's exactly why people are weirded out by the complete restriction of beards. Edit: lol, I beat your edit. mwahaha.

He claimed it was because a deal was being negotiated to move the mosque further away from Ground Zero. Has that become an unreasonable conclusion?

The peculiarity tends to cease with the other rules when we explain that we don't want there to be any threat posed toward the Spirit, or that long hair is seen as unprofessional. Beards, however, don't fall into either of those categories (anymore, in the case of the latter). I suppose we could claim a well-kept beard is unprofessional, but most people would tell you otherwise.That's why I'm going to stick to following the policy even if I don't see a reason for it. :)

Seeing as it already does when it comes to professional dress that conforms to the Church's standard of modesty...

Yes, but the reasoning between them makes grooming standards and the other rules apples and oranges. Dravin lumped them all together. Non-members have brought the issue up to me, and have said restricting beards makes no sense given the society we're in as well. It's also become a mocking point because everyone else sees the policy (not belief or commandment) as silly and unnecessary. This is my point. Why does there need to be a restrictive policy when the only danger or wrong is in disobeying the rule?

I'm thanking the bottom portion. I have no idea where you were going with the analogy up top. Does having a beard (or long hair, for that matter. Long hair would still be excluded because it's currently seen as unprofessional) make one become closer to the temptations of Satan like dating, going to the movies, listening to music, having less than professional dress, having extensive communication, or being separate from one's companion can? While on a mission of course. I have no problem with following the policy, and I realize that having standards are necessary especially in the case of the missionaries. I just don't see a reason why there needs to be a policy restricting beards when society and professionalism both lack a negative view toward them.

Prohibiting them does. I don't see why being clean-shaven is a requirement when the negative associations from the hippie culture are dead. I don't see how modesty is an issue either, when a beard is well-kept.