Recently I posted a link to a joke site mocking Christians and their hatred of long hair.
There were some responses that didn't think it funny. Ok, here's a post to a REAL site about how they think.
If anyones cares, I am not an atheist but I'm not offended by them. By modern standards I'm not a Christian either. I don't hate Christians, there are some that I often speak with about my beliefs. But if they judge me or try to control me then we have a problem.
1 Corinthians 11.14, we all know what it says, "nature itself teaches, blah, blah, blah," (since when do "Christians" do everything it says in the bible).
Guess what, right after that, 1 Corinthians 11.16 says, "But, if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God." When do you hear them quote that?
Also I point out it says, "nature" itself teaches, not God teaches.
So, to all you long haired Christians, good for you, too bad there isn't more like you.
Paul
Oh, heres another one,
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/5043/Shorthair.html
Christians hate long hair? Really? Who the heck told you that?
That's just an ignorant statement. "Christian" includes many, many different faiths.
Does it make you feel good to "mock" others?
I personally know Catholic Priests with ponytails.
I (a Christian) have very long hair.
And we don't hate long hair.
Be very cautious when making general statements...
He didn't say, or even implicate, that all Christians hated long hair. There are some Christians who hate long hair and thus his statement was valid. He was also cleary refering to the Christians who DO hate long hair.
Ok, smart guy,
For you information, some of them told me that in person. One said, "I can see your not a Christian, do you even believe in God?" You got that?
I am not "mocking" anyone except the "ignorant" who judge others because of the length of their hair (not to mention a hundred other things).
In case you had trouble reading it because of your blind rage I also said, "to all you long haired Christians, good for you, too bad there isn't more like you".
I certainly don't think that a Christian with long hair would fall into the group I "mock".
That last sentence really amuses me, what are you gonna do, crawl through the phone line? I live in Alabama, Jefferson co. you have an open invitation.
Paul
So you want to be provocative but not have anyone be provoked?
Zeal is not just applicable to religion.
Chris
You really are missing the point, I am using a verse in the bible to defend longhair. Besides his reply was insulting.
Do you think I posted that to provoke anyone?
I expected some intelligent and thoughtful replys, which I got a lot of, from Christians and non-Christian alike. I didn't expect outright attacks from people who defends the church at all cost. Now I know.
get a grip,
Paul
Ok, sure. But you posted a wildly intolerant interpretation of long hair and the bible, and then lumped all Christians under that umbrella: in your words, "Ok, here's a post to a REAL site about how they think." With all respect, I don't think I missed the point at all.
So, why should it be a surprise that someone might react badly to that? In a highly diverse community linked only by long hair, you're going to have people who agree and those who don't.
I did not lump ALL Christians under one umbrella.
It's true, I could have used a bit more tact with my choice of words but I do believe there are church groups that are behind the bias against longhair. You are proof some feel differently but I think you were being a bit thin-skinned.
Let's cut the crap throwing out. I want to ask you a serious question, if you disagree with me then who do you think spurs on these Hair Nazis who like to make policies and rules against men with longhair? It's very important to them that these rules stay in place and I can see, at least in my area, it's getting worse.
Paul
As for the policies and rules, I have my theories!
At schools, the rules not only about long hair, but also including such things as bans on piercings and uniform rules for clothes, are about denying expressions of individuality that are seen as a threat to order and discipline. Add in such innovations as mandatory drug testing, harsh speech codes and the whole notion of "zero tolerance," and I see it as a pretty grim environment especially compared to when I was in school (I'm 41).
Does this have a biblical basis? Maybe, but call me unconvinced. Certainly there is a religious aspect to some of the beliefs that lead to the policies above, in that they are more taken on faith as being effective rather than hard evidence. As an example, DARE has cult-like aspects, without being expressly based on religion. If you've been to an elementary-school DARE graduation, you might know what I'm talking about.
I'll also point out that as these policies apply to public schools, any express religious basis has almost certainly been rooted out, which is not to say that it's never at the back of the mind of a superintendent or school board member.
On the corporate side, bias against long hair, in my observation, appears to be due to a notion that an employee "represents the organization" and that long hair isn't an image that they want to project. This is of course very, very vague on their part, never mind that a line worker or cube dweller seldom represents the organization as a whole. The other flaw with this kind of thinking are that people may have no problem with long hair, but may imagine (without evidence) that having a long haired employee will cost them business from clients or customers who would have a problem with long hair.
So, anyway, sure there can be social control without a religious basis, unless you take things so far back to their roots, that EVERYTHING becomes about religion.
And by the way, just FYI, I didn't have a terribly negative reaction to your original post---if you look back I responded to the "Smart A**" comment, not the o/p. I felt that you were departing from the civility that really is necessary on a forum like this and yes, provoking people needlessly. But no need to rehash old arguments. I hope the majority of my post helps bury the hatchet.
Chris
I' 47 so I know what you mean.
It does help bury the hatchet but it seemed to me that Mick departed from civility when he said I made an "ignorant" statement. Yeah, he got under my skin with that! LOL.
If he had put it a different way I never would have jumped him like I did, but I ain't sorry I did it. Far as I'm concerned he deserved it.
You did make a lot of good points on this reply Chris and you do seem to be an intelligent fellow so I guess we'll see.
Paul
Thank god i live in the UK where we don't have the same quantity of religious nutcases as the USA. To see someone who has spent this much time and effort into 'proving' long hair on men is wrong is just sad. Hair grows! the unatural part is cutting it.
Entirely agree - religion and gods pervade far too much of US life - high time a more secular approach was taken,.
A black man will shortly the White House - a woman came close to getting a tilt at that prize (HC). How long before a declared atheist or long hair makes it to that high office?
Thomas Jefferson is generally considered from the modern historical perspective to have been an atheist, or certainly at the very least not to have been a Christian. OTOH, I understand that didn't stop him from attending church services altogether, though. Most of the early presidents also had long hair. OTOH, nobody today could get elected in the US without being religious, or having long hair which is a terrible shame.
The UK has already had a woman PM, Maggie Thatcher, and long since had a Jewish PM, Benjamin Disraeli. No recent long haired PMs either, though. No black PM yet, but then there aren't as many black people as in the USA, although there are still a lot.
I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Long hair was always discouraged, but there was never any "hate" involved. Religious ideals seem to change with the wind. Not too long ago, the Smurfs were demonic. =P Perhaps reword your statements a little? Hate's too strong a word to be used on such a large mass of people you don't even know.
Tristram
I had no idea you were raised as a Witness. I was too! LOL, I remember the whole demonic smurf thing. It was a long journey for me before I was finally able to break free and grow my hair. Does your family treat you differently now that you have long hair?
Wow =P I'm sorry. XD Being raised in "the truth" is much different from coming in as an outsider, as I'm sure you know. It's harder to see the organization objectively when it's all you know.
Of course they do =) but it's nowhere near as bad as it was. The only person I care about is my grandmother, because I know her feelings towards me are genuine. The rest of the family doesn't speak to me, but that's for more than just my hair. =P
Oh well, I guess our definitions of "family" are just a teeny little bit different. =)
What about you? Was it a rough break?
I really don't have much contact with my family anymore but as in your case it's due to more than just the long hair. I think there are few religions that are anal about anyone who looks a little bit different. It's really pretty disgusting that people can base how they feel about a person based so much on looks.
My point is it shouldn't be discouraged. It shouldn't matter one way or the other.
Why do you assume I don't know them? You can't throw a rock down here without hitting a church.
I went to church the whole time I was growing up and most of them, down here, have a problem with it. I also know some who don't including my own brother whom I work with. He is one Christian (and a short hair) who defends my choice to grow it.
Hey, you ever heard of Mary's Church of David? Check that out.
Paul
I believe people in a religion shouldn't discourage long hair for people not in their religion. But if you're complaining about a church policy, go to a different church or place of worship. Don't fight the policies of an organization you don't wish to be a part of. Hypothetically speaking of course...I don't know your reigious views, and quite honestly, I really don't want to...they're yours and that's all that matters. =)
To say you know the beliefs/opinions of every individual "christian" is rather short sighted, in my opinion. Maybe try giving them the benefit of the doubt every once in a while? I just had lunch with a Mormon, a Wiccan, and a Born Again Christian....and there wasn't any mention of my hair, or religion. Not all Christians are crazy...
Oh and...don't rocks then =P domestic disturbance charges could get a little sticky =X maybe try something like mashed potatoes =) everyone likes mashed potatoes.
I agree, not all Christians are crazy.
I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall at that lunch.
The one thing I do like about the Jehovah Witness is like the ancient Arian Christians they believe that Jesus, God and the Holy Ghost are separate entities. This was outlawed at the first Council of Nicea sponsored by the Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Emperor.
The one picture of Jesus I have is him praying in the garden (with long hair). I always like to ask any visiting Christians who is he praying to?
When I went in the Christian book store to buy it, I got short attitudes and dirty looks. Maybe they just didn't like the color of my eyes.
I promise not to throw any rocks. ;-)
Paul
It's amazing how much religious art depicts long haired males. But within this sphere, we have to remember that especially during the Italian Renaissance(Botticelli,Raphael,Michelangelo, DaVinci,etc.) when most of the artistic tradition of decorating churches with paintings began, long hair was the accepted fashion for men. The current trends determined the way historic and religious personages were depicted. That's how we get the blond and blue-eyed Jesus. The trend to portray Jesus and angels as longhaired has stuck, and you're right, most of what prints and pictures you find in a bookstore like you visited will have them as longhairs. I have a print of the angel Michael standing behind Jesus as he prays in the Garden of Gethsemene. Both have shoulder length hair.
The crazy thing is that Jesus was probably dark-haired and dark-eyed. But who knows for sure. The Middle East has been a cultural crossroads since time immemorial. The original Greeks were blonds supposedly and the Hittites came from Central Asia. The Celts and Gauls, who knows what they looked like. The Eygptians probably looked more African, and the Persians, who knows. Today in Persia and Afghanistan your still see green and blue eyes here and there.
The two point are these. Jesus may have had long hair, or not. But the irony is that religious art can be a convincing tool to make your longhair case for Jesus, although most of it was created at least 1500 years later and has nothing to do with the man really! It's convincing because of lots of folks muddled sense of history. The same ones who think the KJV is the only "true" version of the Bible and don't have a clue about the Koine Greek and Vulgate and Aramaic! I wonder how many of them know that King James was openly bisexual. And no, I'm not making that up; there are tons of historical proof. There's even a Shakespeare play that explores it!
Like I said, there was no mention of religion or hair. It was a bunch of musicians talking about...well..music.
As for the religious history, you're preachin to the choir. =P I was giving talks on that stuff when I was 5. Get'em while they're young eh?
Dirty looks are dirty looks. Water off a duck's back? I mean really...it's a look...what's the point? If they really wanna make an a$$ of themselves, by all means let them. I might wanna pick a different bookstore though...most Wiccan bookstores carry books on a HUGE variety of religions.
Good to hear about the rocks ^.^
Here's another interpretation of Corinthians 11:14
Another interpretation: Corinthians 11:14
I think it's true that God see's what is in your heart and will not be blinded by the hair on your head.
Bruce
I'm not so sure this is an "across the board" sentiment. Once when I was working with the bank and traveling from branch to branch as an auditor, some of the guys from the bank in this little town we were at invited us to go eat and attend Wednesday night church. It was a relatively small church, so afterwards the preacher came around and talked to everyone. The first thing he said to me was, "If I could grow hair, I'd grow it just like yours." The preacher was bald, and I couldn't detect any sarcasm or dishonesty in his voice. It was a Southern Baptist church.
Also, I sometimes visit my friend's church. No one has ever cast a doubtful glance my way or been anything but nice. Again, Southern Baptist.
The shame is that a few bad apples ruin the barrel. When folks want to say how God hates this or that, it's just sad that there not using their God-given good sense to actually think. They're essentially attributing human emotions (hate, fear, loathing, etc.) to a deity which is by far a more sinful and blasphemous thing than long hair ever could be, which it's not anyway to begin with. Any supposed Christian who would defame anyone because of long hair is just in the wrong. Milton's Paradise Lost certainly isn't the Bible, but heck, he describes Adam with shoulder length curls. Man in God's image, the natural man, pre-scissors. Man in Eden, the cave man, Neolithic, etc. However you want to look at it, long hair's just not wrong.
God doesn't hate long hair. It's certain groups of people who take the bible out of context. They want to try to discredit things that bother them. I am a christian conservative and have long hair. This is nothing but an attack on long hair and we strongly believe that it is what's on the inside that matters, not outward.
Very True Skimboarder, you only have to go back to biblical times to see the amount of men with long hair in those days, Also the Old Testament does say about that men shouldnt cut their hair above shoulder length.(ok Parts the laws of moses I Beleive only applied to the jewish) But still..
but theres to many people out there who do take things out of context, and just make such a fuss, when really they should stop worrying about other people and worry about themselves, they are obviously the ones with the concerns.
Hey Matt,
We have had very different experiences indeed.
The main people at my son's school who hate longhair on boys (yes, they said "hate" in assembly) are Christian. I know because I found out every single thing I can about them (talking to those who know them, not stalking).
The Ass. Principle who wrote up my son for his hair is a Christian female with short hair.
Before anyone comes out slashing, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST WOMEN WITH SHORT HAIR. I pointing out that she has the least ground to stand on since her opinion is obviously based on 1 Corinthians.
It's not wrong to wear it long,
Paul
See, I've never had a problem on the religious side of things. The only long hair problem I had was when I worked for the bank, and this post made me remeber it.
The HR lady who told me I had to get a haircut or get fired had SUPER short hair, cropped close to the head. It was such an amazing display of a double standard on several levels that I cannot begin to extrapolate what it all means!!!
I don't have a problem with women who have short hair either, but rather beleive the freedom ought to be there for both men and women to have their hair how they please. It's only right that a woman have full control of her appearance and body, and the same for a man. But this is the rub: some religions forbid women to cut their hair, and this is just as bad as enforcing short hair for men! And this, I overheard a lady with really short hair talking once. She and another lady. The shorthaired lady was talking about how people said she shouldn't cut her hair like that and that it was wrong. It works both ways. We have a screwed up society with priorities all wrong. And the hair battle is just a symptom of larger problems. Take the hair issues and multiply one hundred fold and then you have the gravitas of gender issues, sexuality and the discrimination that ensues, issues of body ownership (genital mutilation, etc.), rape issues, attitudes toward disability, jihad, cultural marginalization, etc. It's too much to think about altogether.
Hey Paul, as an atheist myself I very much appreciate your open attitude and your ability to reason through life's intricacies. Far too many christian's sense of reason and questioning have been stifled through blind faith in dogma. So bravo to you for that and thanks for the links!
Cheers,
Max
Thanks Max,
I have 2 bibles, one is King James and the other is in modern English, I keep them on the same shelf as my subscription to Skeptical Enquirer and The Golden Bough by James Frazier.
Belief system are fascinating to me, including Atheistism.
Paul
Cool! You like The Golden Bough too! A good work. I bet you especially like the section about Adonis/Attis/Osiris.
Well kiss my grits! Who would have known.
I liked the parts about tree worship, being Irish (kelt) the ancient druids always fascinated me.
The part I really liked was the sections on all the tabooed things. I used to think living in a primitive world might be simple!
Stay Cool,
Paul
Hey Paul, thanks for the note. I've been thinking of subscribing to the Skeptical Enquirer and I will look into The Golden Bough...hey listen, if you ever want to contact me directly to discuss my views on atheism...well then please do...of course this site is not for such talk. Let me know if I can be of assistance in your longhair activism.
Cheers,
Max
Hey Max,
I'd love to, thanks. Be warned though, just like I tell the Christians, you won't convert me. LOL
All I'll say here is, I believe in God but I think the bible was put together by men with agendas.
I'll e-mail you,
Paul
Hi Guys, Id just like to add im a Born again christian and as you can see by my avatar have long hair, ok the pics a couple years old, but ive only had 2 trims since the pic was taken
<><
heres a More Recent Pic, infact after my last trim about 6 Months ago :o)
cool picture Ozzy and im christian too man and the biggest Oz freak around as you! lol good taste in music brother keep the ozzman legend alive!!!
Great! You are the type of Christian I was hoping to see respond.
Paul
Hey, Ozzy. It's great to hear from you again. You're hair looks great. Wishing you a great Christmas! Keep it growin' and flowin'.
TLH
p.s. Like your fish!
Hey! Terry! how you doing? wow its been along time!
must admit I Havnt posted in ages, just thought id add my bit in the longhaird christians thread lol
how you been? how the times flown a? bout 4/5 years ago I 1st sopke to you on here!
Have a Great Christmas TLH, Keep Rockin'
glad you like the Fish! <>< Take care dude
The author of that linked article (rant, diatribe?) was an extreme Baptist fundamentalist pastor called "Dr." Jack Hyles -- and I actually heard him "preach" when I was a kid. Not sure what his "doctorate" is in.
He shouted a lot and was pretty out there. (I could even tell that as a child raised in that world).
Some of his other ideas:
- Women who wore pants instead of skirts secretly wanted to be men
- Longhaired men were either closet homosexuals or wanted to be women
- Mother Theresa was going to hell because she was Catholic
- Bob Jones University was liberal
- Pat Robertson was very liberal
- Women, according to God, served only to reproduce, clean, cook, and teach Sunday School. In fact, women who attended his "college" could major in only those options - and were expected to be married or engaged by the time they graduated.
- The King James Version of the Bible is the actual "inspired" text - not the original Hebrew and Greek. One cannot be "saved" without the King James Version being involved.
- An unmarried man over twenty-five was a closet homosexual
(Which is unfortunate for Jesus - unmarried at 30, and with long hair at that!)
That nutty world is in my past - and I am quite happy to be far away form it at this point in my life.
That said, I don't think people like Hyles are an accurate representation of mainstream Christianity.
A sad reflection upon one of the drivers of American society.
Its people like that which give the rest of the christians a bad name,Im glad to say ive never personally known any fellow christians with those sort of views, although ive heard storys.
theres many false teachers out there unfortuantly,(Just as we were warned!) and people are taken in without realising, we can only hope people realise before being too drawn in, and find someone who actually preaches the true gospel.
I Myself am 30, Unmarried,have Longhair and Tattoos!(12 infact) all but one on my arms and very visable! lol
ive been going to my church for about 5 months now, and the people there have been so great, made to feel so welcome from day one, made many wonderful friends, So I am glad this guy as lifobryan said
"I don't think people like Hyles are an accurate representation of mainstream Christianity".
n/t
If you Read the Original Post! the topic is actually about LONG HAIR within religion.
also as the site is called the Mens long hair hyperboard I Think we know what the sites about
Chill dude
It -is- possible to discuss being a man with long hair within a religious community without bashing the faith, yet Paul's o/p doesn't seem to accomplish this. Is it OK to bash others as long as they're Christians?
--
Splat
Jeeze! The joke site is mocking Christians, not me.
I ain't bashing anything, you're just angry because you know it isn't far from the truth.
I couldn't care less about anyones faith, that's their own business.
The fact is the church, excuse me, SOME in the church are behind the prejudice against our little group.
If you have longhair and you have not experienced dislike from SOME church goers then good, that's what I wanted to hear.
I don't believe ALL Christians hate longhair, anybody who read anything I ever posted should know I'm not that stupid. I do believe fully that the loathing of it comes from these misguided individuals. Ok? Can you accept that?
I quoted a verse from the bible because I feel it says there is no rule from GOD about the length of your hair. Now go tell your fellow church goers.
Paul
We could still be feeding them to the lions.
Kevin
LOL, dude you rock!
If I am able to start a group to try and force the local school board to change their hair cut policy for male students I seriously hope I can recruit some longhaired Christians like you.
I know 1 who is in a rock/metal Christian band, he was told by the same Ass. Principle he didn't have to worry anymore about his hair. (The same one who wrote up my 3rd grade son for his hair).
The problem truly isn't the Christian faith but those few bad apples like Matt said.
Thanks,
Paul
As much as I dislike Christianity and religion as a whole, he is talking about long hair and not entirely focusing on Christianity itself.
This post is the kind we need on the board because as you see from the amount of responses, this is a topic people have a problem with and opinions on. Lots and lots of guys out there have problems negotiating life longhaired and surrounded by religions they may or may not adhere too. Maybe by talking about things civilly and patiently with an attempt to understand what we may not agree with, it will help us all.
This is what the board is about. We can talk about shampoos and conditioners all day long, but if a guy can't grow his hair because people are telling him some book says no, then we have a problem. That's why this thread is important.
Your right on track Paul. Amy longhaired subject should be brought up and it all cool with me. Opens up the mind of everyone! Take care
Thanks,
Damn, all I was doing was defending long hair with a verse. None of them caught that.
Stay warm,
Paul
i live in Mississippi Paul so i def know how ya feel bout these religious freaks in the south saying long hair is a sin and a wrong look i think its stupid as hell when they come up to me and ask me do i believe in god which i do and im a long haired christian and ask why they say i look like i need jesus i say dude whats my look have anything to do with it??? so i def get your point dude no offense taken here!
Hey Mark
From what I've heard it seems to get worse toward Texas and that state is the heart of it.
No offense to Texans, I have just heard of more Hair Nazi issues there than anywhere. I would like to hear from any longhair Texans to see tell me if this is true or not.
Paul
Hey, Paul. Parts of Texas, expecially the north and eastern parts are full of far-right Bible thumpers. Of course, that has not stopped men from growing out their hair. Austin and San Antonio are probably the most liberal. In S.A., where I live, there are a lot of Latino men with long hair, probably because of their Native American ancestry. The percentage of men with long hair is still quite small. We do have a lot of military personel here, also.
I've noticed at the local university that more men are letting their hair grow out, probably because of the new style and trend.
No offense taken. That is really great looking hair, Paul. Keep it growin' and flowin'.
TLH
before I make my comment, let me first say that I am a Christian, currently attend an independent evangelical Christian Church, and before moving away, was a member of a Southern Baptist Church in Illinois. I've had long hair (more than shoulder length) while attending both churches. My hair is currently about 28 inches long (roughly midback)
Now for my comment:
The issue of longhair and Christianity comes up on this board every 9 months or so, and takes the usual course. The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of people we come in contact with, Christian or not, don't give a damn about our hair. And those that do come in all shapes, sizes and religious backgrounds.
Confronting ignorance with ignorance does nothing to further our cause - I have never encountered negativity at either church I mentioned above, and both would be considered conservative Christian churches. You get what you give - treat people with consideration and humility, and even if they have an unfavorable view of your hair choice, your own mature and tolerant response to confrontation will cut through the bias and allow them to see the real you.
Yes - it pisses me off when I get negative comments about my hair. But those comments have gotten less and less over time, and the few times it happens, I laugh it off or deflect the conversation to something else.
People are people, and any large group of people is going to include its share of nutjobs. Christians are no different.
So - debate the issues, call out the the goofballs, but please don't overgeneralize and (intentionally or unintentionally) smear the entire community of believers.
Keep it growing!
Jim
Hi Jim,
I'm not sure if you are referring to me as ignorant or not but I do genuinely believe that there is a movement within the church that is behind the discrimination against us. The link was posted as an example of this and I have personally witnessed it irl. Obviously, all churches don't do this but some do.
It's simplistic to think that always you get what you give, it's just not true. Some people out there are looking for trouble, you have to learn to avoid them. If you can't avoid them then you have to learn to handle them on their own level.
I am glad to hear the amount of Christians on this site who spoke up, both the ones that understood my post as it was meant and those who were angered by it. They have proved to me there are a lot of Christians who not only don't share this prejudice but have a personal issue against it.
They are all saying that the church is not pushing it. Fine, who do you think it is then? Honest question.
Paul
Hi Paul, we don't have any problems around here, I know both christians and atheists and to be honest its the normal everyday atheist that makes comments about my hair more.
I really don't think the whole world is down on us longhairs as you see it, obviously having to cut your son's hair has created a dark cloud for you, but beyond that I really don't think its doom and gloom.
Cheers Dave
Hey Dave,
I agree. This forum is very diverse, the only single thing we all have in common is our hair. In my opinion, if the world could disagree with the same civility as I see here it would be a much better place to live.
Some of the "dark cloud" statement is true, without the school's idiotic hair policy I would never even researched longhair issues on-line, but I don't think the whole world is down on us. In fact the opposite is true, I've found out since the incident that most people, longhair or short, disagree with the policy.
Surely you do agree that there is a discrimination, without it no one would ever have to cut their hair to get a job, right?
Before the school made us trim his hair I rarely even thought about my hair or being part of a "sub-culture". The fact is "they" have grouped us together, now my issue is to identify "them". The Hair Nazis are a shifty lot, if we identify just who they are then we could do a lot to diminish this unrecognized prejudice.
My opinion now, since the post, although there are certainly Christians who feel like the ones on the links,there are MORE who strongly disagree with it. I don't mind being wrong, in this case it's in our favor.
Cheers,
Paul
Oh dear that age old seasonal issue!
Cheers,
John.B
PS...How is Carol!
Forget Carol, hows anna?
Christmas Carol and Hosanna in Excelsis ;-)
2 very important things.
One: I learned there are a lot of long haired Christians who don't like their belief to be blamed for the discrimination. Good, I'm glad, too bad you don't live down here.
I offered you a verse that I think says there is no rule on hair. 1 Cor. 11:16, not one of you commented on that.
Two: I proved there is a lot more passion on the subject of religion than organizing a group for the purpose of opposing discrimination. I think that's it's pitiful that there isn't one. I'm making my own, I hope others follow suit.
Thanks to all for the honesty,
Paul
Hey Paul, what you did do is show your passion for longhairdom and your son, and that my friend is commendable.
We need serious topics to be raised and discussed, it's what bonds us together.
Glad you 'got' my post above and had fun with it ;-)
Cheers Dave
You didn't get discussion on the Corinthians verse because that's been done to death here. Also, the verse is so open to interpretation, about what Nature is and so on, that the debate is really moot. Plus, if you take different versions from different translated Bibles, you are going to have more problems. If you were to analyze the Greek, you'd get something else altogether. Just for the record, some scholarship says that Paul was preaching to male prostitutes who impersonated women and vice-versa. In context, the verse makes more sense. And so that goes for every stand-alone verse someone might throw in another's face.
The majority of guys here have long hair, can afford an internet connection and computer, and have jobs/own businesses/etc. Therefore, they aren't really being excluded from gainful employment and a livelihood or discriminated against. Ergo, they don't feel passionate about a long hair advocacy group for long hair -- because there is no immediate threat to them on that front. It's selfish of course, but it's human psychology too. The idea of "what's in it for me?" trumps the fight for ideal causes everytime.
That's my brother's interpretation also, he's a Christian short hair.
I've that exact same thing talking to people around here, if their kids go to a Jefferson Co. school their like "hell yeah!" if not it's more like, "I don't know man..."
You never worry until it's at your front door.
Paul
Hey, *I* worry all the time! (But that's just me, I guess.)
My Myspace page
Gonna have to start prohibition again!
Hairball,
What did prohibition do? Gave power to the Mob. Besides I rarely drink.
I'm disappointed, I expected more than just a crack from you.
Whatever,
Paul
Sorry Paul, I'm not trying to make fun of what you are trying to say here but threads like this start getting out of hand and frankly my eyes start glazing over after reading the responses.My comment was just to lighten up the moment as I wasn't proposing bring back prohibition.I'm usually a much too serious guy so I try to be somewhat funny when I can.I guess I flopped on this one.
Mark
OH!
I may be a little sore from some of the replys Mark, so I also apologize.
I knew it would get some negativity. I just wanted to see where everyone stood on this. It's a shame that this post got more responses that starting up a club to counter discrimination against us.
I figured it would happen, sad but true.
Cheers buddy,
Paul
Hey Paul
No problem as you didn't need to apologize.Sometimes if
someone doesn't know me they might think my comments are
insensitive.So I just wanted to be sure that you understood that.
I think that maybe I talk too much.So Dave please don't
take offense as I really enjoy having you as a member of this board.
Take care my friend:)
Mark
Yeah, boy do I know what that feels like!
Cheers friend
Is this thread been nominated for the Guinness Book of Records! my mouse gave up the ghost!
Cheers,
John.B
And it just keeps growing and growing and growing!
LOL
Kevin
Honestly, not too many Christian's make such an issue. Like many things in our society, the noise is from a small minority. Mind you, that minority isn't solely Christians, so (like the minority) we shouldn't blow this out of proportion!