Having long hair is wrong?

[MoonlitYT]

A protestant posted an image with Jesus having long hair and stated that Jesus could never had long hair since in 1 Corinthians 11 St. Paul stated that men having long hair is dishonor to him?

How can i Defend having long hair? I’ve heard many say that first century Jews considered hair to be long when it’s below shoulder level, but i can’t seem to find a source.

 

[puer.dei]

How can i Defend having long hair?

Why should you? It’s not doctrine or dogma.

 

[MoonlitYT]

Yeah but they attack the image of Jesus stating that our image contradicts the teaching about hair length.

 

[Montrose]

Christianity.com

What Is the Shroud of Turin? Facts & History Everyone Should Know ​

The Shroud still exists, and we would argue for a divine reason. And by its very existence, proves that the cloth has been “protected” after being hidden in a wall in Edessa for over 400 years and then surviving through crusades, wars, numerous fi…

Are you going to copy and paste this into every thread?

 

[puer.dei]

Yeah but they attack the image of Jesus stating that our image contradicts the teaching about hair length.

So? It’s not doctrine, it’s not anything to do with faith. Let him waste his time on nonsense.

 

[Montrose]

It is relevant here, don’t you think? BTW, how do you enlarge the link like that. Very impressive!

Personally I think like most Jews at the time Jesus probably had long hair but there is no description of Jesus in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and none given by the Magisterium which are the only things that matter.
The Shroud is not evidence of anything.
Catholics are free to believe it is genuine or not because it not an article of faith. Any Catholic who does not believe it is genuine (like me) is not diminished in faith in any way.

 

[Montrose]

You keep saying that, but aside from referring to Mr. Farey’s nonsense, you provide no data or discussion.

I don’t have to provide anything because I don’t have to prove a negative. It is up to those fanatics who believe in it to provide the proof. Nothing I have seen or read achieves that.
This is not an attack on you but a general comment about those fanatics - they are condescending to those who do not believe and demand that we non-believers in the Shroud must believe it. Even the Church does not tell us that but they obviously think they know better.

 

[brown_bear]

A protestant posted an image with Jesus having long hair and stated that

But is it really worth replying to such posts?

They seem to me minutiae thrown there to make controversy.

I understand that when they ask us such a question face to face, you cannot answer “Go away”; it’s obvious!

But a post, or topic, or whatever you want to call it, can be ignored.

I don’t mean to be rude: I work hard with subtle tones.

I know that the whole question is a matter of opinion.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

St. Paul was talking about men who presented themselves like women. It was not just about hair length. It was more like being a transvestite. Also, “long hair” in those days meant really long, not just bouncing around your shoulders.

There were other men in St. Paul’s time (Nazarites) who took a religious vow for a period of time during which they allowed their hair to grow and did not drink alcohol. At the end of the period of time they cut their hair. Some people believe John the Baptist was a Nazarite, and Acts 18:18 has Paul getting a haircut “because of a vow he had taken” which causes some to think Paul himself was a Nazarite for a while. Paul, who was Jewish, would not be criticizing those men who were engaging in a traditional Jewish religious practice.

How can i Defend having long hair?

You can say the Catholic Church does not interpret 1 Corinthians 11 in the manner this “protestant” does. You can also say the Church is not sola scriptura and that the Magisterium is not concerned with people’s hair length as it’s a cultural, social and practicality issue, not an issue of morals.

Be aware however that Jesus’ hair length in art was developed by artists after Jesus’ own time. During the MIddle Ages and later, long hair on a man was a sign of nobility, therefore artists painted Jesus with long hair. Jesus’ hair length during his life probably varied and may very well have been short some or much or even most of the time. Pictures of Jesus closer to when he lived tend to show him with short hair.

 

[Irishmom2]

You don’t need to show up to every argument. Some people just will continue to pick at things whether they know what they are talking about or not.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You don’t need to show up to every argument. Some people just will continue to pick at things whether they know what they are talking about or not.

This too. I really don’t understand why people always feel a need to “defend” everything, although I provided an answer because this is a question that has come up many times before.

My response to such people is usually either to ignore them or if they got really pushy, to say, “Hey, I’m a Catholic, and my Church, which is the true Church, doesn’t care about hair length. If your religion has a hangup about it, that’s your problem, not mine, and furthermore it suggests a bunch of really misguided priorities.” Then I’d walk away. I realize this is unlikely to convince people, but such people usually have their minds closed anyway and whatever I say is not going to convince them, so why waste my breath on arguing?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m not sure what your point is. If you’re arguing that Jesus had long hair during his life based on the image of Edessa, then as I said Jesus likely had a variety of hair lengths during his life, so long hair wouldn’t have been out of the question, although there is also at least one Catacomb depiction of Jesus with short hair.

If you’re arguing about what I said about Jesus’ depiction with long hair in art, I was discussing primarily Western Church art, as I’m a Latin Catholic. I don’t think the Image of Edessa was big inspiration for painters in Italy, Germany and France, although of course there’s room for differing opinions there.

 

[Montrose]

I must disagree with this assessment. The Image of Edessa was recovered from its vault in that city’s West Gate in the sixth century, and that is when our understanding of Jesus’ appearance initiates. Monks from Edessa traveled in various directions to distribute this new information. The most famous depiction is the sixth century mosaic that resides in St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai.

This is very familiar. I now believe you are the previous deadrat member.

 

[Montrose]

I believe that your are referring to that notorious “undead rat” . The disgusting thing is rumored to have been sent back to the underworld where it belongs.

Yes undead rat. I note you are not confirming nor denying it. Anyway not really any of my business. I was just curious.

 

[Diaconia]

So what?

There are plenty of ignorant Protestants, who cares what they think about the length of Jesus’ hair?

Christ our True God had long hair, as did all the rabbis of that time. As did the prophets, the patriarchs, the Precursor, the apostles, and so forth.

Send your Protestant friend my way, I would be happy to help educate them.

Deacon Christopher

 

[umamibella]

Yeah but they attack the image of Jesus stating that our image contradicts the teaching about hair length

People will attack anything. The fact is Jewish people were not allowed to paint or make images of people so any image of Jesus is from the mind of the artist. Tell them that. They might do better to learn why the Old Testament discusses not making images, rather then attempting to discredit another religion by its art work.