JOHN BUTLER

I guess that Legal Department with whole Team/s of Lawyers will stay on Earth to support elders :))))

I remember seeing on the news years ago some minority protest group complaining "Washington never pays any attention to US!"
My immediate thought was "I wish Washington would not pay any attention to ME!"
If the GB all go to heaven, perhaps God will have them counting clouds, or something.

I am so sorry.  My bearded husband suffered similar; persuaded by the elder body to become a ministerial servant and then an elder; as they recognized his abilities to “lead”, and their dire need for someone who could.  Then, beat up by other elders for having one…for a good many years.  He was even accused of turning a congregation “apostate”.  It is no wonder our children refuse to search out truth, since they saw only distress and suffering put upon their parents by the treacherous acts of “Jehovah’s organization”. 
Isa 28:5-13

,,, My beard was neat, well groomed, and gad a well-behaved and respectful nest of hamsters ....

"That is if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again have food debris in my beard"

SOME congregations. We don't have a beard restriction. Neat, tidy, well-groomed, free of food debris, vermin etc. is important, but having one is personal.

It's not so much about the traditions of men but more about not stumbling someone, the principle of which Paul spoke about in 1Cor 8:13. "That is why if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat at all, so that I will not make my brother stumble". Some communities really have something against beards, and others do not. Therefor it is up to the elders in each congregation and country to discern if a brother wearing a beard could somehow stumble someone, whether a JW or not. As Space Merchant said, a lot of it is down to culture and also down to respect for others. JTR shaved his beard off to make his dad happy. Nothing wrong with that. It's all about unselfishness really, and putting the other persons interest first. That is a Christ like trait. 

Oh wow... this topic is still alive! ..... interesting.

"But the one who has endured to the end will be saved". ( Matthew 24:13)

To make a very long story very short, almost to the point of abbreviation .... and trying to stay on topic ....
In the past 57 years, I have been in the "little back room, Room 101", about 17 times, being "counseled" by Elders that did not like "something" about me ... that I worked a lot of overtime, that I rode a Honda 350 motorcycle to the Kingdom Hall, that I "refused" to provide a telephone for my wife,  ad nauseum ... and I REALLY HATE BULLIES! ... but I digress ... and about 8 or so of those times it was to get me to cut off my beard.  One time it was because of my mustache. During the 60's it was because my hair came down just perceptively below the collar.
In one congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I had no problem with the beard ... and even got a recommendation letter to go work at the Bethel Branch Office construction in Peru ... and in all others, I was castigated, and even forbidden to go out in Service until I shaved off my beard.
After eight discussions, and no valid scriptural reasoning, all joy in doing what I was doing was destroyed ... but it bothered me A LOT that stuff like this was being inflicted on the global Brotherhood, in almost EVERY congregation I had ever attended. 
If they could do it to me... they WERE doing it to other Brothers ... and things similar to this.
Based on all available real evidence, it seemed to me that in order to be a watchtower approved Elder you had to be qualified as follows:
1.) clueless
2.) petty
3.) irrational
4.be a "Company Man", through and through.
5.) and have no pangs of conscience whatsoever for being a bully.
To be fair, I have also run across Engineers and Doctors that shared these traits, but they did not operate in an environment that ENCOURAGED this behavior.
The other day I mentioned in a comment that I envied Anna, and she replied that she knew that ... because she still seems to have the joy in the Truth that has been systematically beaten out of me.
I miss the man I used to be.
A lot!
I did have a choice, however ... either "get with the program", or keep my self respect.
It has gotten better over the years, but only marginally, but I have endured things far, far worse that these things I have mentioned ... and I will endure things like this also.
When my Dad died, about ten years ago, he asked me to shave off my beard ...  he also never liked it .... and  I have been clean shaven since then.
I loved my Dad.
I HATE BULLIES!
I am 72 now, and in marginal health .... and can see the end of the "conveyor belt" on which I stand, and it bothers me.
I am too old and fragile to carry on my back bags of heavy stones for someone else's entertainment.
 
 
 
 

This is pretty sad. I think a lot of it had to do with the more Anglocentric makeup of the GB in past years. The motive of giving the appearance of unity is not a bad one. Our styles of dress reflect our unity of worship. It's nice to be able to drive through a neighborhood or even visit another city and recognize Witnesses from quite a distance away. But now, there is more concern for writing counsel that advises an entire world of customs. There is a need to generalize the counsel since every country gets the same counsel.
A lot of people think that Rutherford started the no-beard policy as a control measure to make sure that the Russellite cult was weeded out from among the Bible Students. My great grandfather was among the Chicago Bible Students who had many beard-growers because they thought so highly of Russell, who wore a beard. He was well-known in Russell's circle of associates, but would not have "advanced" under Rutherford if he did not cut his beard.

The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in doctrinal matters or in organizational direction. In fact, the Watch Tower Publications Index includes the heading “Beliefs Clarified,” which lists adjustments in our Scriptural understanding since 1870. 
source: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-february-2017/who-is-leading-gods-people-today/
This is general and public prove, that GB made such (not only minor mistake, but life important) mistakes in doctrines and instructions while leading people (members) with some "commands" that went/going against God and people.  
They can call that "adjustments", "brighter light", "path of righteous".... or somehow else. But GB Responsibility is complete on that. They have no excuse!

@Anna There is a  'lady' here in Sidmouth Devon, (here where i live) and she has dreadlocks and beard growth. She is rather rotund and scruffily dressed. She's an antiques dealer so we have known her through the trade, she speaks quite posh. She immediately came to mind when you mentioned 'sisters with a beard'. 
But back on topic. I had to laugh at your sentences 2 and 3.
Quote 2. You can do what you want. 3. You will just be limited in what privileges you get in some congregations
This falls apart for two reasons. 1. it is like blackmail. 2. the system should be exactly the same in every congregation earthwide. Otherwise the Org is basing it's decisions on the 'traditions of men' 
There is no scriptural reason why any man in JW Org should not have a beard. So as i say it then becomes 'traditions of men'. 

"Would you chuck you children out on the streets to live like that" ?
As has been mention already on here, it's not that simple and there are always two sides to a story. Always.
99.9% of the time both sides have a choice. The parent has the right to set ground rules. He is not going to chuck anybody out just because of some trivial triviality or argument (unlike what I've seen in the world). Plus, it's illegal to toss out a minor, which in most civilized countries means no younger than 16/17y. In a JW household, in most cases, the young adult is given an ultimatum, and chooses to leave or stay on that basis. If they choose to leave, most immature young adults will call that "being chucked out".
Of course there is the occasional 15 year old that runs away, and also calls it being "chucked out"
 

Well, I am in the U S, not Britain. It does not happen here, though there probably are youngsters who will run away from home, and afterwards present it that they were thrown out, as explained in my post. And I am dubious that it happens where you are, John. You do not come across as the most rational of commenters. Rather, you come across as pretty unhinged.
If someone has the time, find the discussion—it would be somewhere in the 1991 WT, I think—dealing with how parents would treat a disfellowshipped youngster. The consideration that is posed is to determine whether that person an adult, capable of being self-sufficient, or whether he/she is a child. In the latter case he or she would not be asked to leave.
It is in print. Go find the contrary, if you think it exists. It doesn’t.

He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god.
This has to be the GB of JW Org. They have exalted themselves above every other human on this earth. Above all of the true Anointed. Even to a point above Jesus Christ. 

He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god.
This has to be the GB of JW Org. They have exalted themselves above every other human on this earth. Above all of the true Anointed. Even to a point above Jesus Christ. 

No. The apostates back then were the ones who brought in the immortal soul teaching, as well as the Trinity. The governing arrangement then, as now, stayed true to scripture.
Besides your statement the end is a long long ways off, have you now come to embrace the Trinity and hellfire for the miscreants?
Witness, too, cheered this statement. Is she also a Trinitarian and hellfire advocate?

Thank you John.  Even more so, it is the GB's personal "clergy", that replaces God's anointed priests.  Matt 24:48-51
 

He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god.
This has to be the GB of JW Org. They have exalted themselves above every other human on this earth. Above all of the true Anointed. Even to a point above Jesus Christ. 

Quote @TrueTomHarley  This does not happen.
I would not say that it never ever happens
Tom you are sooo funny. Srecko saw it too.   And as for you talking about a JW made / GB made video, well what use is that ?
The GB / JW org make videos for their own purposes, to twist reality.   Children get thrown out of homes regularly, but it should not be that way with JW's.
Even my brother who is an Elder threw his youngest daughter out. She was actually homeless on the streets for a while. She is now happily married, out of the Org, and doing fine. When judgement comes, who knows, Jesus has the authority to judge not us. 
My 25 year old son is a Punk rocker, mohawk hairstyle, leather jacket with rude words all over it,  he even gets two pairs of jeans of different colours and swaps one leg from each to make strange looking jeans, he's getting good at sewing now :). My point is he mixes with a lot of people that live on the streets and many of them were thrown out as teenagers. it's a common thing here in UK, so maybe JW's don't worry about it either, they just do it. 
But when you push a person out into the world you push them into fighting for survival as best they can. A homeless person here in UK, with no address, cannot get a job and cannot claim any benefit. The common thing is, the boys deal drugs, the girls sell themselves, sex for cash. Would you chuck you children out on the streets to live like that ? 

What is the "temple of God"?  
"sits" -  "to make, to sit down, to set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one"
Something/someone is exalting itself over the temple of God.  If you know what the temple of God is, then you can determine the identity of the man of lawlessness.  
 
 
 

Quote @TrueTomHarley  This does not happen.
I would not say that it never ever happens
Tom you are sooo funny. Srecko saw it too.   And as for you talking about a JW made / GB made video, well what use is that ?
The GB / JW org make videos for their own purposes, to twist reality.   Children get thrown out of homes regularly, but it should not be that way with JW's.
Even my brother who is an Elder threw his youngest daughter out. She was actually homeless on the streets for a while. She is now happily married, out of the Org, and doing fine. When judgement comes, who knows, Jesus has the authority to judge not us. 
My 25 year old son is a Punk rocker, mohawk hairstyle, leather jacket with rude words all over it,  he even gets two pairs of jeans of different colours and swaps one leg from each to make strange looking jeans, he's getting good at sewing now :). My point is he mixes with a lot of people that live on the streets and many of them were thrown out as teenagers. it's a common thing here in UK, so maybe JW's don't worry about it either, they just do it. 
But when you push a person out into the world you push them into fighting for survival as best they can. A homeless person here in UK, with no address, cannot get a job and cannot claim any benefit. The common thing is, the boys deal drugs, the girls sell themselves, sex for cash. Would you chuck you children out on the streets to live like that ? 

No crime TTH. :)) WT Society Literature reflecting, also, various sorts of morality through doctrinal teachings changes. 
Especially this is interesting with flip-flop instructions. In one period of time JW members moral is good under one sort of instruction, but when different, opposite instruction about same thing come to power, than JW members, who lived and made action according to First Instruction, has not been "moral" person in his/her past.  :))     

.... and baby eaglets are not going to be too happy  ..... for their VERY short lives .....  when the Mama Bald Eagle brings home straw and grass, instead of rabbits, mice, and fish.