From: sco@aero.org (Stacey C. O'Brien)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: Long Haired Man
Date: 31 Dec 1992 03:02:28 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: antares.aero.org

In article <1992Dec30.172950.25181@odin.corp.sgi.com> labson@borneo.corp.sgi.com writes:
>I have a very long hair and some of my relatives & friends condemned it,
>some don't, and some no comments....I like my hair and I'm not going to
>cut it for anything.....Is that a bad attitude????Is it wrong to like
>your hair....
>
>Any suggestions ??? comments ??? I played in our church band, and I love
>to play & use my talent for the Lord but I'm thinking of quitting
>because I might offend some people when they see me in front with my
>long hair...(don't want to be a stumbling block to them)......but don't
>want to cut my hair either.... 
>
>And I am very defensive if someone comment about my hair....(Don't get
>me wrong, I'm idolizing my hair, I just plain like them)
>
>I will cut them if anybody can prove to me it is wrong.....Thanks
>
>-- 

huh? There's NOTHING WRONG WITH LONG HAIR! This is just a bunch of cultural
balderdash. Tell them you're a Hasidic Jew and have to wear it like that.
Tell them Jesus and the disciples wore long hair (most religious Jewish men
did), then if they start to really get holier than thou on you, turn to the
passages about Samson losing his strength and annointing when he lets his
hair be cut, and all kinds of terrible things happen from then on. Do you 
want to lose your annointing? exactly. So you don't dare cut it!

I'm kinda being a little silly, but I think anyone who draws some kind
of "should" or "shouldn't" spiritual conclusion from hair length has got
a looooong way to go in their walk with God. God doesn't care how long
your hair is. 

The stuff about Samson is good (silly that you would even have to talk
to people about this - it's really none of their business how you wear
your hair. People like that are just trying to be controlling and
manipulative. Next thing you know they'll be telling you what career
to have and who to marry! sheesh!), but even better, you can talk to 
them about the scripture which says to be a Jew to the Jew and a Greek
to the Greek. Paul (?) is referring to cultural things, not blatant sin
so they can't rebut your argument by saying something like, "well, do you
have to be an alcoholic to reach alcoholics?" because sin is a totally
different thing. If by wearing long hair you are able to have an impact
on other guys with long hair - even if the only impact you have is showing
them that it's ok to be a Christian and there are people who will accept 
them if they become a Christian - then you should keep your hair long
by all means.

What do these people think John the Baptist looked like, roaming the
desert in a loincloth, eating locusts and yelling "Repent for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!"? He had long hair and locust
breath and no polyester pants and certainly no tie! Why, his bare
chest probably showed! (gasp!). I think he would have fit right
in at a metallica concert and not even drawn a second glance.

I'm so tired of people mixing up American White Culture with 
Christianity. They are NOT one and the same! Christianity crosses
ALL cultures. What if you're an Amazon Indian wandering the jungle in
a loincloth - does this mean Christ didn't die for you? What if your
face breaks out? Do you go to hell? What if being bald isn't great
in some culture and they say "Brother (people who are about to try
to manipulate you love to start with "brother...") I must rebuke
you for this nakedness of the head - it's unbecoming and a bad
witness".

I REALLY hope you don't get pushed around by these people becasue
GOD has a plan for your life and it's probably nothing like what
they assume it "should" be. We're each unique and created with
certain talents and tastes, and instead of fighting that and trying
to be what someone else is comfortable with - we should be who we
really are, reach people we can really reach, express what we can
really express, and live fully and freely in the light of God's love
and truth. All this nitpicking is for the birds. It'll all burn just
as hot in the end - big houses, small houses, mercedes, old clunkers,
messy houses, clean houses, neat clothes, messy clothes, long hair, short
hair. The eternal stuff is who we are inside and how are depth of
relationship is with the Lord. The rest is just chaff.

So I hope you just go ahead and be yourself. Move to California maybe?
My church has more longhaired guys that short haired almost ;-)

I sometimes go to a heavy metal church where ALL the guys have long
hair, most have tatoos, and they all wear leather. The pastor's hair
is almost to his waist. Maybe there, if you cut your hair they 
exhort you "Brother, we're concerned about your walk...your witness...
we feel the Lord is saying you can't just up and cut your hair like
this. The Lord wants your hair at least past your shoulders, brother.
Let us disciple you...." hahaha just kidding.

                --Stacey