JOHN BUTLER

It is NOT a matter of conscience
... well, it depends on how far you want to work in the organization. Here in Spain the situation is as follows:
In many congregations one may serve as elder still wearing a beard, and therefore enjoy any other local privilege.
But that does not work for you in the neighboring congregation. It is usual for a speaker with a beard to inform when they invite him that he is wearing a beard, in case it bothers the conscience of the brothers of the congregation where he will speak.
At the circuit level, forget to have part from the platform (with beard). I know of a case that they interviewed a brother with a beard. The traveler (district) forced him to cut it if he wanted to go out in the next section. As he did not want to, they did not let him leave.
I think that in some circuit brothers with beards have served as ushers and other auxiliary works, but it has not been general. In the case of another circuit they asked the traveler about which males with beards could be ushers. Answer: "When you see one of Bethel with a beard, then. Meanwhile I do not want to be the first.
On a global level, have we seen a man with a beard in the broadcasting, or in the videos of the regional assemblies? Yes ... representing the role of non-believer, opposite husband or person in a bad spiritual state.
Result of all the previous thing: to take beard between us is a thorny subject, problematic, if you want to have to fully serve for others. If you settle for being "rank and file" maybe they do not mess with you.
If, when going to preach, people would say to me "can you wear a beard?" I will give you a short answer: yes, of course. The most extensive answer is the one I mentioned above.
A well-groomed beard in Spain is not at all a sign of rebelliousness or careless dress. The King of Spain has a beard. The previous prime minister too. When preaching, it does not attract attention.
Someone will say: "Videos and broadcasting are prepared taking into account the society or brotherhood of North America" To which I will reply that it is said again and again that the Governing Body intends an "international flavor" in our publications and videos, collecting scenes from everywhere, even the clothes. So, why is not it seen in the videos, or in the pictures in our magazines an elder directing the Watchtower study with a beard? Why are all seen with beards unbelievers? Why, when you progress, you see them shaving?
I find that it is a minor matter whether I wear a beard or not. That's why I will not leave it, to avoid more complications than the many I have in my life. But what is not a minor issue is that we are imposed the conscience of others
(2 Corinthians 1:24) “Not that we are the masters over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy”

Sometimes Lawyers wear some pretty strange clothing, depending on the Venue.

Is it? One could make that case. It certainly could be annoying at times. Still, not every whim in life goes your way. I never wanted a beard anyway. It did sometimes cause some trouble however, when they grew one for non-standard reasons. They could always do it, but they might come in for counsel and be kept from what Witnesses call “privileges”—MS, elder, pioneer, and so forth.
Yet, isn’t this another case of the non-doers saying that the doers are doing it wrong? Witnesses are a close-knit group, organized that way for the sake of preaching the good news. They rub shoulders will people of all dispositions and backgrounds that they otherwise wouldn’t rub shoulders with. The past circuit overseer said that Jehovah has molded his people into “large, united, happy, somewhat dysfunctional family.” Idiosyncrasies will pop up in a dysfunctional family, and this was one of them.
Not really.  It has been a issue only for the last 30 years, which is still not nothing, but neither is it 100. In the days of beatniks and hippies, Anna’s application of verse would have been spot-on. A beard during that time, suggesting affiliation with those characters, did indeed have a high chance of stumbling new ones or unbelievers
Neither of you are in any position to lecture. Both of you have put yourself in places where you have no need to get along with people—if anyone annoys you, simply write him or her out of the picture. Inevitably, you surround yourselves with people who are pretty much like yourself. I don’t know it for sure, of course, with you as individuals, but it is the typical pattern that you have probably fallen into.
If I were not a Witness, my friends would almost certainly be persons just like me, with little variety. Instead, I have friends of every age, nationality, ethnicity, social class, educational and economic level. I have a whole circuitful of real people who like me, and I like them. It is not for the sake of making friends that I come online—I have more friends than I can handle. The only common feature that they have is that they are on the same page spiritually, which I regard as a good thing, not a bad thing. I am grateful to Jehovah for it, and to his organization, because it would not happen otherwise. 
There is a price to pay for such close interaction, however. You don’t always get your way. Sometimes you have to yield. Sometimes you yield on things that you think you really shouldn’t have to yield on, but you know that keeping the peace is better than getting your way on every thing. 
Nations have cultures. They all have their own unique ways of thinking, their own quirks, some of which will seem nuts to another nation. Witnesses have their own culture, too, and their own quirks. It is the price to pay for working in close proximity with many different people. I wouldn’t get too hung up on it.

@TrueTomHarley  The only reason you think of me as being unhinged is so that it makes you feel easier about my comments. To use the excuse that you think someone has a mental problem, just because they tell the truth and you don't like it, well that's pretty poor Tom. But if it makes your life easier then ok go for it. 
JW Insider. Now is he still a JW ? I think so. Hence if he brings up a situation he does not want it to look too serious for the JW Org. 'that he regards is quite rare' does not mean it actually is 'quite rare' it just means that is his opinion. PUT NOT YOUR TRUST IN EARTHLING MAN. 
As for the CSA thing. In my opinion it is easier for me to relate to such things that others have suffered as i have suffered similar things.  It's not about me Tom, it's about ALL THOSE THAT HAVE SUFFERED CSA AND OTHER ABUSES IN THE JW ORG.. But as I've said before most people just see it as collateral damage... 
The comments i see as funny are funny to me. The reason most are funny is because they are only a person's opinion, and in most cases are nowhere near true. So you see i have a sense of humour. i don't always moan about comments i laugh at some. 
As for Srecko, i think he does fantastically well with his English as it is not his first language. And maybe he has a similar sense of humour to me. 
I have a comment on my FB page somewhere and it says 
'The first thing you have to know about me is that i am not you'.  Do you get the sense of that comment Tom ?
Stop judging me because i am not you. I do not think like you, act like you or even want to be like you Tom. 

@Anna  Quote "it was not what the elders said, but it was what the Bible said."
Yes love that. But it has never said in the Bible that men have to wear a suit and tie.
Imagine Jesus getting to the sea shore and saying to those fishermen ' Guys I would have let you be my followers but you are not wearing a suit and tie' 
And back with the beards thing too. ' You guys have beards, you cannot follow me and preach'.   .
And I'm sure there are a few more such things. I was even told by an old brother, an Elder in fact, that years before paisley ties were forbidden. 
In my last congregation if an Elder 'told me off' for anything, i would say show me three scriptures to back up what you are saying. It came from the idea that the Org use to teach repetition for emphasis... 
Quote,  The funny thing is, they blame the org..   Maybe it's because Elders make the worst parents sometimes. (even involved in CSA) And other Elders will not take notice of a child if said child is the child of an Elder. So the child cannot get help from anyone. 
By the way, I'm glad you had a good childhood. Mine was horrible, with a wicked mother committing adultery and her 'boyfriend' nearly drowning my dad in the family pond. My dad suffered with TB (and had one of his lungs collapsed so my brother tells me). Then the children's home episode.  Dad died aged 49 when i was around 20. So of course my outlook is 'slightly' different to yours. 

In the Armed forces in UK and USA there are rules WRITTEN DOWN for soldiers to follow strictly. 
Yet it has been proved that in many cases those soldiers did not follow the rules. 
It is also the same in the JW Org. However in the JW Org, it would seem as if the elders are told not to follow the rules that are written down.
The GB believe they have the right to tell lies and they call it spiritual warfare. So what is the point of them writing down rules which they know they will deliberately break. The point is, for people like BtK and Space Merchant to point to the written rules and say 'Look i told you so'. How blind are those people ? Anyone can write rules, but it does not mean anyone will live by them. 
 

I am truly sorry you had that experience. I can see it has damaged you. You must realize though that most Jehovah's Witnesses have not had those kind of negative experiences and are well balanced and useful members of society. Also, most of them do not discuss these "issues" on forums like this, (notice there are only a handful on here) if they discuss them at all. Neither do they spread hate for apostates. 
Each human being is entitled to live the kind of life they believe is right, this includes Jehovah's Witnesses. And since they believe there is a creator who has given instructions on the best possible way to live, (since he IS the creator) they want to show him gratitude, and follow his advice. 

Hey critical thinker, why are you on here?

I also asking myself, more and more, why spending time here on arguing with people about JW Issues :)) 

@The Librarian @JW Insider The whole idea of you guys following other men as to what is "permissible" is repugnant to people who have been taught critical thinking skills.
Science has left religion and customs of desert nomads from 5,000 years ago literally in the dust.
Time to find newer books to spend your days on.
Have you considered learning a new skill in coding? Maybe medicine / health?
Much more productive than spending your time as a people wondering if beards are ok or why you are all forced to wear suits and ties for walking down the street.
 

Soon we will have to ditch the business suit since it is becoming fashion relegated to lawyers, courthouses etc...
The most common "business suit' now is Khakis ....
I won't even mention the IT world.

.... the hand of justice is slow but attainable ..... after cca 100 years. 
or ... God is Almighty and He decide how His People is finally ready to accept this big change in theocratic instruction matter
or ....Finally Heavenly Chariot made 180 degrees move and surprised JW Brotherhood because this news will strengthen their Unity  
:)) 

Many things suggest this to me. It may not be so, but one can only go by evidence presented. 
The fact that, on your pet peeve, you have never yielded to the tiniest degree, suggests it. Everyone yields someplace to some degree.
The fact that @JW Insider brings up a circumstance which he makes clear he regards as quite rare, and you immediately characterize it as the norm is another.
Another is that the frequent child sexual abuse that you have chronicled was perpetrated for years by a party that you should consistently vent your wrath upon, yet you vent it upon people who had nothing to do with your trouble.
The fact that you attach a maniacal laughing emoji to comments that are not at all funny, posted by several here, and that in some cases are quite frank and conciliatory, is yet another.
Before you came along, I once observed that @Srecko Sostar had chosen to represent himself on this forum as a moron, regularly appending an inane “hehehe :)))))))” to his comments. He did it so much that @Nana Fofana began imitating his style, and did it better than he. He stopped doing it. He is not a moron and didn’t want to portray himself that way. In hindsight I think some of it was due to language and culture differences, he not realizing how certain signs translated. 

I did have a good childhood. My mum was baptised when I was 6. I still remember celebrating our last Christmas and birthday. Since then I didn't miss either of them one bit. I guess I was lucky to have a mum who although very spiritual, was also very balanced, and had her own mind. We never missed one meeting unless sick. We were regular in service. We really lived the "truth" which included having fun. So yes, my childhood was pretty cool. Of course when I hit teenage-hood I balked at some things, and the only thing that worked was not what my mum said, it was not what the elders said, but it was what the Bible said. I could not argue with the Bible. Mum figured it out real quick so as long as she could support anything with scriptures, I was good with it, albeit a bit reluctantly sometimes.
As regards very strict upbringing, I guess you mean where the parents are unreasonable and rule the house in a kind of dictatorship rather than a Christian way. Most of the kids brought up that way are no longer JW's. And in some cases neither are the parents. The funny thing is, they blame the org. but the org. has never endorsed unreasonable parents, on the contrary, all the publications out there, for children and teenagers and parents encourage reasonableness and are full of excellent advice. In fact here is the latest magazine about rearing children. If you find anything wrong with it let me know: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/awake-no2-2019-jul-aug/

GB is run by Witnesses ? This is exclusive new information! Shall we wait Official Announcement from JWTV? or to believe You? :)) 

Luke 17 v 1&2. 

Yes and to think they let congregants smoke tobacco into the 1970's without a problem, even though they knew it was totally wrong in the late 1800's.  But no beards, just to prove they were the boss. It's called dictatorship, nothing else. 
 to quote TTH " Though nowhere forbidden by scripture or Bible principles, no "rule" was applied with more vigor than the "no beard" rule, "
Dictatorship Tom. Domineering at it's best. 

(Colossians 3:21) 21 YOU fathers, do not be exasperating your children,. . . (Ephesians 6:4) 4 And YOU, fathers, do not be irritating YOUR children, . . . And when threatened with discipline as a pre-teen, how I loved to respond with: "Father, stop exasperating me!!" It worked especially well at meetings.

Yes probably. In the same book that said they knew Christmas was wrong but kept on celebrating it at Bethal until 1926 ish. 

Luke 17 v 1&2. 

Yes and to think they let congregants smoke tobacco into the 1970's without a problem, even though they knew it was totally wrong in the late 1800's.  But no beards, just to prove they were the boss. It's called dictatorship, nothing else. 
 to quote TTH " Though nowhere forbidden by scripture or Bible principles, no "rule" was applied with more vigor than the "no beard" rule, "
Dictatorship Tom. Domineering at it's best. 

You have evidence for that?

Good observation there TT

@Anna  Quote  "In any case, the mind boggles as to why a teenager would prefer living on the streets and sofa surfing to living at home abiding by a few rules until they are able to leave home and fend for themselves properly."
Answer : Because that is the real world. If you had a good childhood then you probs will not understand, but if you had a very strict JW upbringing then you might. A lot of teenagers do not want to go to the meetings and do not want to do the door to door ministry. They want to have fun. If they are at school five days a week being bullied by both teachers and other pupils, then they want to blow off steam at the weekends, not be bullied by domineering JW parents. And if they are at work 5 days a week, then likewise. 
When our son left school we gave him two years 'freedom'. We didn't pester him to find a job to pay us money, we didn't even tell him what time to get out of bed in the morning. The reason was he was so badly bullied at senior school that he was almost a total wreck. The bullying was caught on security camera one time and the police were called in. The bully boys were suspended from school for a while but nothing else happened and when they returned it started again. So we gave our son two years to recover from it all. It worked, he gradually opened up to us more and found new friends He's fine now. But a lot of JW parents, ones that we know well, are not so loving or understanding to their children. Some JW parents are 'Elders and wifes'. That is even worse for the children as those children are expected to be 'extra special' good little JW's. 
Like I keep telling you lot, but you don't want to believe it, I've known the JW Org / Watchtower Soc since I was around 20 or younger, and I'm 70 this October. So 50 years of it all. In different congregations, in different towns/cities. So what i say I say from first hand experience, not just read in JW literature or seen on JW videos or on 'apostate' websites... 
And I'm a total individual, with my own thoughts, which seems to frighten TTH and others, as they always pretend I'm part of a group of something or other. 

No need to get too technical here. It is enough for the phrase to stand for one’s guiding focus on life, as the Temple was for Jews.
The aggravation I face is that I only have to breathe an expression like “Temple of God” and Witness reliably jumps in with:
and this is generally followed by pages and pages of diatribe which always come down to her same regular conclusion:  that she represents a truer anointed than the ones that Jehovah’s Witnesses focus upon. Been there, done that (1000 times) I just didn’t want to go there yet again.
Yeah. That’s pretty much the point I was making. Again, no need to get too technical here.