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What is the Orthodox response to questions such as: Why Orthodox Priests have beards just like the Levite Priests of the Old Testament?
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Isa_Almisry
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Why? Is this a problem?
As a matter of fact, beards are favored for the laity as well. The men at least.
As a matter of fact, beards are favored for the laity as well. The men at least.
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Nicholas82
Guest
Facored by the men or the women?Why? Is this a problem?
As a matter of fact, beards are favored for the laity as well. The men at least.
I can’t find a girl who thinks it would be attractive if I grew a beard, unfortunately. 
They do itch like crazy for me though…
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O.S.Luke
Guest
If a beard was good enough for Jesus, it is probably good enough for the Orthodox.
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ralphinal
Guest
Well, he walked everywhere he went and didn’t have air conditioning…
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Ghoti
Guest
Maybe a better question is why the Western Church adopted the pagan practice of shaving.
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O.S.Luke
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Uh… yes. He did. (Well, he walked everywhere he went and didn’t have air conditioning…
)
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ralphinal
Guest
Just making a point. Jesus had a beard because it was culturally and religiously accepted and expected. Orthodox are the same. In the West, beards have come and gone and come and gone, in and out of fasion. However, relegiously, there is not a clear reason to have one. If it is what comes from a man’s heart that makes him impure, not what goes into his mouth, then can it not also be said that it is what is in a man’s heart that makes him holy, not his hair or beard?Uh… yes. He did. (
Besides, why not follow all of the grooming rules if it was a matter of being like Jesus?
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bpbasilphx
Guest
Almost all mature men have beards.
The real question is why do so many of them shave them off?
The real question is why do so many of them shave them off?
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ralphinal
Guest
I have four reasons that I do.
First, in my area and line of work, it is more professional to be clean shaven.
Second, it is too hot in Alabama.
Third, I do not like the look of my baby face when I have one. I end up looking like a thug.
Fourth, my wife hates them.
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Peter_J
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As long as you’re asking whether it is a problem, present tense, I would say absolutely not.
But in the anathemas against the Eastern Orthodox in 1054, beards were one of the things complained about: “While wearing beards and long hair you reject the bond of brotherhood with the Roman clergy, since they shave and cut their hair.” (Not our finest hour, in my opinion.)
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Isa_Almisry
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So what you’re saying is how someone has already reworded it, why is it that “Roman clergy” adopted the pagan custom of shaving and cutting their hair. (No, I wouldn’t say our finest hour either).
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Ghoti
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I can see these comin’…shoot!
I work retail at the moment. We have people with long beards sans moustache, hijab, turbans, assorted facial piercings, and a mohawk. No one says “boo” to a 43-year-old man with a neatly-trimmed beard.
It’s hot here (not like Bama), but I actually find the beard protects my face from the elements – heat and cold.
I look just as harmless with my beard as without, but not so ludicrous.
Opposite here – Donna loves my beard. She has threatened me with grievous bodily harm should I shave it off. Not a worry, though: I can only see it being removed in the following circumstances:
- Alopecia areata barbae
- I get drafted back into the CF following an order from the Governor-in-Council activating the Reserves and recent retirees
- I convert to Hare Krishna
- I’m dead
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Ghoti
Guest
chest hair.
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ralphinal
Guest
Great build up to the pay-off on that one.
When I was in retail, and even in the car business, a beard would not have been considered at all. One strange thing in Alabama is that full beards, not van Dykes, goatees, or just mustaches, are almost a racial thing: far more African Americans than whites have them. I would say that here, yes, a turban, hijab, facial pearcings, or a mohawk would present a problem to a lot of people. THis is not good, but it is true. Now that I am in Real Estate, more or less working in a mid-range market for the area ($200,000-600,000 homes), the beard is most assuridly out. You always want to look like your clientel.
The heat per se is not as big an issue as the humidity, Yesterday it was only about 92, but it was 90% humidity. It felt about like 100. This has been a mild summer with only about 12 days abouve 100 before you figure the humidity.
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tundramom
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I think beards are great! Facial hair is a good thing for a male. Not so great for us women though… where did I put my tweezers?
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Isa_Almisry
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I might add that a lot of Arab Orthodox do not have beards, almost as an indication that they are Christian (the Muslims regard beards as near obligatory, as you may have seen).
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Reactionary
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The Eastern clergy have always had beards and the Western clergy have always generally been shaven. It is not because the west has adopted the pagan practice - IT IS BECAUSE BOTH EAST AND WEST ADOPTED THE PAGAN PRACTICE. Ancient Greek scholars always wore beards so early Christian clergy of the east followed suit in order to present themselves as scholars and philosophers. In the west Roman scholars were mostly clean shaven thus western clergy followed them suit for the same reasons as their eastern brothers. Hence the tradition.
What on earth is so wrong with pagan traditions!? Genuflecting is an ancient, pagan form of military solute. The Glory be (used in both east and west) is partly based on an ancient prayer to Zeus/Jupiter. Is it still a good prayer? Of course! God chose that early Christianity be borne in the Roman Empire of the 1st century and he did that for a reason. The unharmful things adopted from this culture into Christianity are providence. Eastern theology is largely passed on the philosophy of Plato, western on the philosophy of Aristotle. That is also providence. Many theologians (not least the present pope) have said as much.
What on earth is so wrong with pagan traditions!? Genuflecting is an ancient, pagan form of military solute. The Glory be (used in both east and west) is partly based on an ancient prayer to Zeus/Jupiter. Is it still a good prayer? Of course! God chose that early Christianity be borne in the Roman Empire of the 1st century and he did that for a reason. The unharmful things adopted from this culture into Christianity are providence. Eastern theology is largely passed on the philosophy of Plato, western on the philosophy of Aristotle. That is also providence. Many theologians (not least the present pope) have said as much.
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Reactionary
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PS: What are we, Jews?
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Isa_Almisry
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Actually, while Greek scholars had beards (Julian adopted one when he apostacized), I don’t believe their priests did.
For instance, a sacrifice scene
But yes, pagan practices can be baptized. For instance, we use the pagan alphabet to write the Bible.
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