Being You

Whether you believe in evolution or creation there is no doubt that the diversity of life is simply amazing.  From frogs that can change their sex to whales that can communicate over hundreds of miles, nature is packed with amazing things.  Whether it's huge, tiny, loud, whisper quiet, bright and beautiful or grey and ugly the animal and plant kingdoms are anything but uniform and dull.

Think for a moment of the magnificent, rustling display of a male peacock as he tries to attract a mate.  The huge colourful fan tail abundant with amazingly vivid blues, greens, gold and ruby shimmering above his emerald and turquoise head.  Or the savage beauty of a Bengal tiger as it springs from the long grass to bring down its prey.  On a more peaceful note, can there ever be anything more beautiful than a field full of poppies gently swaying in a summer breeze?  Or maybe you love the intricate detailing and rich, vibrant colour of a rose.

Beneath the waves are equally breathtaking sights.  Sleek, muscular sharks that glide effortlessly through the water, majestic creatures with hundreds of varieties, each with their own distinctive shapes and markings.  On the other end of the scale are the tiny tetras, often smaller than your fingernail, yet they glow an iridescent blue that seems almost electric.  Even the humble mackerel has stunning colours and markings.   

If your belief is that God created everything then logically, He must be credited with a love of individuality, otherwise why such diversity?  Which begs the question - why would he want his servants to be uninspiring clones?  He sets the example by creating beauty, colour and fascinating displays of feathers, fur and scales yet the Governing Body insist that 'loyal and obedient' Witnesses must resist their natural inclination (that God instilled within them) to be individual and expressive in favour of being dull, monotonous and boring.

'We must not bring attention to ourselves.  We must glorify God in the way that we dress.' Argue Witnesses and they will often quote;

Deuteronomy 22:5

5  “A woman must not put on the clothing of a man, nor should a man wear the clothing of a woman. For anyone doing so is detestable to Jehovah your God.

The word 'detestable' applies to a child abuser, a rapist, incest, a murderer - but if my wife puts on one of my old shirts to decorate the kitchen the word 'detestable' is the furthest descriptive from my mind! 

Personally I wouldn't wear a skirt and high heels but if another man does would you really view him in the same vain as a child abuser or a rapist?  God apparently created the male peacock - a bird who's displays would be regarded as 'drag queenish' in the human world.  Why would he then view the male equivalent as detestable?

The JW.ORG website has an article entitled; Does Your Style of Dress Glorify God? They begin the article with the following;

A DUTCH newspaper described how church leaders were dressed at one of their meetings. It said: “You saw a lot of casual clothing, especially when it was hot.” However, the same newspaper said that this was not how Jehovah’s Witnesses were dressed at their convention. It reported that the boys and men wore jackets and ties and that the girls and women wore skirts that were modest in length, yet modern. Jehovah’s Witnesses are often commended for the way they dress.

Notice how the Watchtower writer completely misses the bemusement of the Dutch journalist?  When it is hot the appropriate clothing is both sensible and expected.  But Jehovahs Witnesses are directed to wear inappropriate clothing and therefore suffer discomfort - surely a distraction when you are supposed to be listening to 'life giving' information!

The last sentence, 'Jehovah’s Witnesses are often commended for the way they dress' is ridiculous. Why doesn't the writer elaborate on who makes these favourable comments and also note how many other people think JW's look like politicians or even the police as they knock on doors in poor areas?

If you, as a man, walked into a Kingdom Hall in a purple silk suit, a purple trilby hat and diamond encrusted cufflinks you wouldn't have a hope of progressing to baptism because you are displaying 'the showy display of ones means of life'.  Unless of course you are Michael Jackson or Prince and then the lure of large contributions supersedes the normal rules for dress and grooming.

If you are a woman how would you be judged if you went out in public in a revealing outfit that left little to the imagination - unless of course you are a world tennis star that can drop a few thousand into the contribution box every time you attend the Kingdom Hall.

Nature, which if you believe in JW's, equates to God, loves showing off. He loves vibrancy, colour and individuality.  Witnesses want the polar opposite of their members - unless there's money to be had, in which case it's fine to be you.