What's the Church's stance on facial hair? (On men)

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I’m wondering when you’re going to start a thread asking about the church’s stance on facial hair on women…
 
Facial hair on women is only proper if a veil is worn over the face 🙂
 
No, there’s no stance on it. But I do have a priest friend who’s bishop has a no facial hair policy in his diocese. He said it’s either vanity or laziness and neither is a good virtue for a priest.

I’m not discouraging, just thought it was a funny story.
 
I must say I think bishops have more important things to tend to than to take a stand on beards! Vanity?! It no vain than prefering certain hair cut styles or after shave lotions. Lazy ?! Unless it is just free form and never cut, it tooks more effort to trim a beard than to shave. Note: I wore a nicely trimmed beard for 30 years.
 
armywife said:
No, there’s no stance on it. But I do have a priest friend who’s bishop has a no facial hair policy in his diocese. He said it’s either vanity or laziness and neither is a good virtue for a priest.

I’m not discouraging, just thought it was a funny story.
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Vanity? How about just a desire not to scare the kiddies and old ladies into hysterics with one’s unfortunate looks maybe? 😃
 
PoliSciProf said:
I must say I think bishops have more important things to tend to than to take a stand on beards! Vanity?! It no vain than prefering certain hair cut styles or after shave lotions. Lazy ?! Unless it is just free form and never cut, it tooks more effort to trim a beard than to shave. Note: I wore a nicely trimmed beard for 30 years.
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And smoked a pipe, wore khakis and courderoy sport coats (or perhaps Harris Tweed) and favored bow ties?
 
 
🙂 There’d be no monks if the church took a stance on facial hair!
 
The Church is forbidden from making any comment in opposition to facial hair on men. God put it there.

Matthew

PS. After over 35 years of marriage, my wife has never seen me without a beard and moustach. I had it before we began dating.
 
drafdog said:
The Church is forbidden from making any comment in opposition to facial hair on men. God put it there.

Matthew

PS. After over 35 years of marriage, my wife has never seen me without a beard and moustach. I had it before we began dating.
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Quick sidebar: My husband grew a full blown “awesome” mustache the year our son was 4. After a terrible blowout between us (of course it was my fault :rolleyes: ) my husband decided to “get even” by shaving it off. He knew I liked it the way some men like long hair on a woman (or red or blonde or whatever for that matter). Just a personal preference.

Anyway, our son hadn’t seen him without it in nearly a year! Lo! He literally screamed when he saw my husband coming out of hte bathroom. He actually ran out of the house! I had to chase him down the sidewalk. He was so frightened…he kept asking what had daddy done to his face?! Needless to say my husband was speechless…I still don’t understand why our son had such a reaction. We can laugh about it now but it was the last time my husband grew a full blown mustache. 😦
 
Our Orthodox brethren take a strong stand on facial hair: they’re FOR it! Look at (almost) any Orthodox Priest. And to the best of my knowledge, ALL the monks have beards.

Perhaps the preference for beards arises from racial considerations. Asians, for example, generally do not have lush facial hair. Their monks tend to be clean shaven, and many of them also shave their heads.
 
mercygate said:
Our Orthodox brethren take a strong stand on facial hair: they’re FOR it! Look at (almost) any Orthodox Priest. And to the best of my knowledge, ALL the monks have beards.

Perhaps the preference for beards arises from racial considerations. Asians, for example, generally do not have lush facial hair. Their monks tend to be clean shaven, and many of them also shave their heads.
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Actually the religion in Asia that shaves, Buddhism, is originally from India, and Indians are the same race, very broadly speaking, as Germans or Italians–look at the average non-monk Indian over the age of 40, and odds are, he’s got a beard like a rhododendron. Shaving has to do with asceticism, denying oneself physical pleasure or beauty; that’s why western Christian monks tonsure their hair.
 
Hastrman said:
Actually the religion in Asia that shaves, Buddhism, is originally from India, and Indians are the same race, very broadly speaking, as Germans or Italians–look at the average non-monk Indian over the age of 40, and odds are, he’s got a beard like a rhododendron. Shaving has to do with asceticism, denying oneself physical pleasure or beauty; that’s why western Christian monks tonsure their hair.
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And wear beards?
 
mercygate said:
And wear beards?
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Growing beards is a sign of age and therefore wisdom, and is practiced not only by Orthodox priests and monks, but rabbis, Taoist monks, Confucian scholars, and Shinto kannushi.

Not by male Korean shamans, though, since shamans are female, even when they’re male: male shamans do rituals in drag.
 
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