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Religious positions on headshaving
A gentleman recently added a comment to my guestbook wherein he described this site (and headshaving in general) as silly. He concluded his comment by saying "If GOD had intended us to be EGGHEADS he wouldn`t have made men with hair ???"
My instinctual response to a statement like that is to wonder if an all-powerful deity would worry about hairstyles at all. It seems like a relatively minor issue in the overall scheme of things, right? It turns out, though, that God does have an opinion, according to several popular religions, but what God's opinion might be varies according to which tradition you follow.
The Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian traditions all have rituals that involve shaving the head. Many
Hindu and
Muslim children have their heads shaved at a young age (which varies from 7 days to 3 years depending on tradition). Young Brahmin boys in the Hindu tradition shave their heads before
heading off to school.
Both
Buddhist and
Christian monks traditionally shave their heads. Muslim men traditionally
shave their heads as part of a ritual undertaken during a Hajj (pilgrimage).
So for those religions, God appears to be okay with headshaving. Aside from having rituals that include headshaving, there are also no specific prohibitions against headshaving that I am aware of.
Judaism, Baha'i, and Sikhism, on the other hand, all prohibit headshaving.
For Jews, Leviticus 19:27 states "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.", which is generally understood as a prohibition against headshaving. Leviticus 21:5 makes a similar charge for priests.
For the Baha'i,
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (written by the Baha'u'llah) contains a passage that specifically prohibits shaving of the head.
Sikhs believe
hair to be
very important, and cutting it in any way is prohibited.
So for this significant portion of the world's religions, headshaving is considered a bad thing which must be avoided.
I suppose the real answer to that gentleman's question must depend on his particular faith. He didn't specify, so I guess the odds are 4 to 3 that God doesn't mind the bald-by-choice style.
Comments
So what's a haircut ? Isn't the decision madein any case. Now we are arguiing about length.
So what is male pattern baldness? A test of faith?
Re Dan's comment:
Actually, during the Middle Ages some Europeans considered male baldness on the crown of the head to be a sign from God that the balding man was destined for a monastic life.
While most monks achieved their tonsure through shaving, the more blessed among them were naturally bald.
He is talking about "his god" not "THE god", if in fact a god exist's.Hair's purpose is to insulate the skull where most of your body heat is lost, and we dont live in the ice age any more.I know what is postive and what is negative, and I know that shaving my head is positive(if you dont get razor burn), so why would a supreme designer forbid such a thing.This is such nonsense.I bet some people(apes) think the devil is behind this, convincing us to become skin(sin)heads, lol.
THE SAME GOD CREATED US WITH 'PUBIC HAIR' TOO... SHOULDN'T WE CUT THAT ???
Guys like the godfearing antishaver who complained about headshaving makes religion look stupid and retarded. Those guys are close to fanatics. When they care more about the rules than the morals these religions teach (most of which are just common god damn sense) they screw themselves in the rear. poor hairy bastards
Head shaving can be beautiful for some, ugly for others. God is God. And headshaving is headshaving. I love to shave my hair on the head; it helps me pray too. But my bro doesn't shave, and he prays too.
Each is different. And God is above our arguments.
The UL HAQ BROTHERS are Muslim Qawwali artistes. Now they go on stage with big hair and also shaved heads.
I personally find they sing with more depth when head shaved.
Please!!!!
But think of the areas the religions origniated. Judaism, Baha'i and Sikhism are all from the middle east. The friggin desert! Having a bald head in the blazing sun would not be a pretty picture. Many times the prohibitions in old religions are more common sense and health based than just for controlling the people.
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