WATCHTOWER WRONGLY POKES ITS NOSE INTO WOMEN WEARING PANTS SUITS Jehovah’s Witnesses women are told by the Watchtower Society that since Deuteronomy 22:5 says “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this,” this means it’s a no-no for Jehovah’s Witness women to wear pants suits when they preach door-to-door.   Watchtower doesn’t know or is deliberately ignoring that Hebrew has several words for “men” and here the word is not “adam” or “ish” but “gebor” which means a mighty man or warrior.  Thus the scripture means women are not wear the clothing that a soldier wears, and a soldier is not to wear a woman’s clothing. Genesis 3:7 tells that Adam and Eve used fig leafs sewn together to cover themselves, (Gen 3:7) but later God Himself made “coats of skin” for them them to wear.  The word used for coats in Hebrew is “kethoneth” which means a long shirt-like garment.  Thus God’s own clothing was the same for both sexes. Both men and women wear pants in the U.S., Europe and in many other places around the world.  If they are dressed neatly and cleanly, they are not in violation in any way whatsoever of what God wants.  The Watchtower Society over Jehovah’s Witnesses thus has no business poking its nose into the matter.

WHAT ABOUT BEARDS In the May 1, 1968 "Questions From Readers" the Watchtower Society gave a response about Jesus wearing a beard, namely this: "Nevertheless, as already shown, it is apparent that Jesus did wear a beard, and so artistic representations of him in future Watch Tower publications will harmonize with the Scriptural evidence to that effect. Doubtless the early Christians followed the custom of the time and locality in which they lived, with regard to the wearing of a beard. The Roman custom was beardlessness. Romans converted to Christianity would very likely continue in the Roman custom, while converts from the Jewish community would continue in the Jewish custom of wearing a beard. Today Christian ministers, like the early Christians, are concerned with neatness and cleanness, but they strive to dress inconspicuously, so that their appearance does not in any way detract from the dignity or the effectiveness of the message they bear. (2 Cor. 6:3, 4) In recent years in many lands a beard or long hair on a man attracts immediate notice and may, in the minds of the majority, classify such a person undesirably with extremists or as rebels against society. God’s ministers want to avoid making any impression that would take attention away from their ministry or hinder anyone from listening to the truth. They know that people are watching true Christians very critically and that to a great extent they judge the entire congregation and the good news by the minister’s appearance as a representative of the congregation. In paradise restored on earth it would not be out of order if men returned to wearing beards, in perfect fashion, like Adam in Eden." COMMENTS: In the U.S., beards are extremely rare for a male Jehovah's Witness to become or stay an elder if he has a beard.  However in many other lands such as the United Kingdom and Denmark there are elders who wear beards. It is said that not wearing beards goes back to when Bible Students loyal to the memory of Charles Taze Russell continued to wear beards in deliberate contrast to those Bible Students who wanted to show support for Joseph Franklin Rutherford, the new President of the Watchtower Society who could not grow a decent beard.  Richard Jones (also called Dick Jones) was a Circuit Overseer in the United States.  He once said, "when and only when you start seeing a Governing Body member who wears a beard can you imagine an elder being permitted to wear a beard." In 2010 it is still the same way in the United States, although many elders do have a mustache.   Most know nothing of the historical reasons.   For more information read http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/194563/2/The-no-beard-or-facial-hair-rule