“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. In 1968, it was directed that beards would detract from the Watchtower message. The question of whether men would have beards "again" in the new system indicates that brothers were not bearded in the congregations at this time.
Do you think it wise for Christians to take time from more profitable Bible study to speculate on the answers?" Watchtower 1962 Jun 15 p.381 One might ask, In what year will Armageddon begin? Will the faithful angels eventually receive immortality? Will there be factories and machines in use after Armageddon? Will men wear beards again? … These are typical questions to which Jehovah has not provided answers at this time. "Likewise it is possible to spend valuable time speculating on matters concerning the future. One of the few mentions of whether a beard is appropriate for Jehovah's Witnesses appeared subtly in a 1962 Watchtower. On the other hand, if a worldly person is represented in a negative light, then it is not uncommon for a beard to be present. The following picture shows a typical Watchtower congregation of clean-shaven men in ties. Illustrations in Watchtower publications never show a beard on modern day Jehovah’s Witnesses. This standard extends back to the time of Rutherford. Rather than enforced by direct decree, it has been adhered to as a result of social identification pressure. Watchtower guidance against beards is limited to vague statements about beards, anecdotes regarding people that removed their beard on conversion, and a lack of bearded Witnesses in Watchtower publications. Yet the standard regarding beards has been rarely discussed in any Watchtower.
It is rare to see one of Jehovah’s Witnesses sporting a beard, and almost unheard of in English speaking countries for a bearded brother to hold a position of responsibility.
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