# Religion & cutting hair **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229 "2005-11-09T17:09:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/1 "2005-11-09T17:09:43Z")
My wife has a co-worker, a middle-aged WASP-y woman, who has apparently never cut her hair, and apparently for religious reasons (wife overheard the tail end of a conversation between co-worker and a 3rd party; 3P was saying “is that the religion that doesn’t let you cut your hair?”, to which the C-W replied in the affirmative.) Does anyone have any idea what religion they might be referring to? My wife, not being the nosy type (well, not _that_ nosy), didn’t wish to intrude into the conversation. So I thought I’d ask the Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/2 "2005-11-09T17:26:52Z")
Many members of my family belong to one such church (including several who are pastors). They would be considered part of the “Christian Holiness Movement” but are really quite independent and hard to categorize. They have a _lot_ of rules. Sort of “frozen in time” circa 1940. Lots of restraints of women: no cutting of hair, no makeup, etc. No jewelry (even wedding rings) for either sex. Since they know they aren’t “mainstream” they have a very nice “live and let live” attitude towards other’s beliefs. Wish more people were like that. Since they are old tech oriented (no TV or Internet) there’s not much to be found about them on the Net. So no useful links. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/3 "2005-11-09T17:30:39Z")
There’s always Leviticus 19:27: “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.” ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/4 "2005-11-09T17:40:23Z")
Birdmonster: > [@](#): > > There’s always Leviticus 19:27: > “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.” Has nothing to do with women, though…at least not in any traditional Jewish interpretation. Because the verse mentions cutting a beard as well, the entire verse is read as a restriction only on males. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/5 "2005-11-09T17:48:48Z")
Men & women in the circus, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/6 "2005-11-09T17:49:58Z")
Not supposed to cut your hair in the Sikh religion. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/7 "2005-11-09T17:57:46Z")
Female members of the Pentecostal Church don’t cut their hair. THey also can’t wear jewerly, or anything but long skirts. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/8 "2005-11-09T19:15:16Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > … or anything but long skirts. Topless Pentecostals :eek: ---
**Author:** ![hertgast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@hertgast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hertgast)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/9 "2005-11-09T20:10:12Z")
Some born again christian groups in Britain subscribe to various ideas like this. Women must be silent in church, have long hair, no makeup, skirts but not trousers, no jewelery including earrings, no sex before marriage, no divorce, no Tv, no cinema, no worldly music or books or magazines, no smoking or drinking or swearing, no socialising with worldly people. Of course the Earth was created by God in seven days, 6000 years ago. :eek: As an ex-member I know these things but I’m not bitter… :mad: Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 1 Corinthians 11 ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/10 "2005-11-09T20:14:40Z")
> [@hertgast](#): > > Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. > 1 Corinthians 11 That was WAY better than my lame beard quote. ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/11 "2005-11-09T21:01:03Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > Female members of the Pentecostal Church don’t cut their hair. THey also can’t wear jewerly, or anything but long skirts. Just to clarify, not all Pentecostals beleive this. Also, some strict Southern Baptists believe that women should have long hair, but I’m not sure if they restrict it to ‘no cutting of the hair’ ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/12 "2005-11-09T21:10:51Z")
> [@metj](#): > > Just to clarify, not all Pentecostals beleive this. > > Also, some strict Southern Baptists believe that women should have long hair, but I’m not sure if they restrict it to ‘no cutting of the hair’ I’ve never heard of any Southern Baptist church that believes women should have long hair. It is _possible_, because Southern Baptist churches have a very high degree of self rule. More likely you were thinking about Independant Baptist, Missionary Baptist or (most likely of all) Primitive Baptist. Yep, we dunkers gots lots of flavors! ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/13 "2005-11-09T22:08:24Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Has nothing to do with women, though…at least not in any traditional Jewish interpretation. Because the verse mentions cutting a beard as well, the entire verse is read as a restriction only on males. In fact…don’t some Orthodox women shave their heads and wear wigs? Why is that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a scriptural cite for that. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/14 "2005-11-09T22:14:44Z")
> [@hertgast](#): > > 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. > 1 Corinthians 11 I’ve always wondered about that line. “God says so” is one thing but how does _nature_ teach us men should have short hair and women should have long hair. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/15 "2005-11-09T22:43:25Z")
I grew up in, but was never a card-carrying member of, a church that exhorts women to have long hair and to put it up (buns are preferred, but sometimes a twist or braid is acceptable). They use the 1 Corinthians passage as Biblical support. In the case of the women in this church, they do trim their hair, but keep it quite long. Sometimes, it’s easier just to say “I can’t cut my hair,” rather than go into a long explanation of being able to literally apply scissors, but not to lop it off in a boy cut. So you might have run across a real “no-cutting at all” person, or it could be a person who doesn’t like long explanations. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/16 "2005-11-09T22:52:40Z")
My wife just reported in, that the co-worker wears jewelry. I’m not sure if that clarifies things, or makes it foggier. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/17 "2005-11-10T00:16:03Z")
betenoir: > [@](#): > > In fact…don’t some Orthodox women shave their heads and wear wigs? Why is that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a scriptural cite for that. The scriptural source for married women not showing their hair is indirect. It comes from Numbers 5:18. The context is when a married woman is suspected of being unfaithful to her husband, she can be brought to the Temple, where the priest will perform a ritual to determine her innocence or guilt, In the cited verse, as part of that ritual, the priest is required to uncover her hair. This implies that a married woman’s hair is normally expected to be covered in public. As for the head-shaving, that’s just an extreme way of filling that requirement. I suppose short/no hair is easier to put under a wig, hat or snood than long hair, but it’s not biblically required that it be done that way. My wife has long, and manages to shove it under a wig in public. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/18 "2005-11-10T05:54:46Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > I’ve always wondered about that line. “God says so” is one thing but how does _nature_ teach us men should have short hair and women should have long hair. Just another of those flat-out unsupported assertions from the Church of Because I Said So. Thou heathen sinner, why hatest thou Baby Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-cutting-hair/330229/19 "2005-11-10T12:11:25Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > I’ve always wondered about that line. “God says so” is one thing but how does _nature_ teach us men should have short hair and women should have long hair. Because even the pagan Roman men cut their hair, and pagan Roman women let it grow. So, even the “heathen sinners”, as Johanna put it, do it, so it’s natural.