fella

Buffalo2:

You asked about the Bible ref. to the pierced ear as the mark of servanthood. Okay, in response:

"Exodus 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

Deuteronomy 15:17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise."

This mark of servanthood is also referred to in Psalm 40.6:

"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened [Hebrew: digged]: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required."

Christians link this Messianically to the atoning work of Christ at the cross, where he

"took upon him the form of a servant ... and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow". Philippians 2.7-10

So in the imagery of the Bible the pierced ear as a mark of servanthood is significant.

(Since you asked. You're welcome.)

acco40:

Good quote!

Actually, I think on a guy earrings can contribute a bit to a 'tough guy' image, which maybe kind of bears out the quote just a bit.

Okay, good link

Bob White:

It also says in the Bible about the men and women freed from slavery and willingly serving their master being commanded by their Creator to pierce their ear.

To say that the Creator would have given us a hole in the ear-lobe is a bit like saying: If He had wanted us to swim He would have given us web feet.

Actually I don't think that ear piercing is a terribly serious matter, either for those who do it or for those who are deprived of it.

It's great to do it, it's great not to it.

Rogue391"

"RE: Body piercing

Posted: Sunday, February 02, 2003: 2:30:01 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a female leader with multiple ear piercings. When camping I wear small post earrings and usually have my hair pulled up so the boys obviously know. When I was a cub leader I would not let the boys camp with earrings due to their 'high'activity level. Now as boy scouts I think they're old enough to show good sense and know what would be too much of a risk to wear camping (ie hoops). As far as the message they might send with an ear piercing... My 16 yr old has his ear pierced and is currently acting as a JASM and troop guide, is a project away from Eagle, is the OA Chapter chief for our district and will be spending his third summer on camp staff this year. ... I feel that we should choose our battles carefully"

Quite so! Sometimes it's sensible not to prohibit a boy from getting it done.

It's pretty innocuous, really.

NJCubScouter:

Yes well, you say that earrings on boys AND girls irritate you.

All I can say is, get used to it; they're probably going to have it done anyway sooner or later, I guess.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as scouters are not hasarding themselves or others with tiny rings or studs in their ears, then they should feel free to go for it, confident in the fact that most people won't take any notice anyhow.

Happy New Year!

NJClubScouter

"I didn't even like it when my wife allowed our daughters to get their ears pierced. Now my oldest daughter (age 20) has a pierced navel."

Well, welcome to today's young people!

Actually, I think that if piercing presents a safety problem in scouting, then of course the ring or barbell should be removed.

But for a boy or girl with an earring I think it's no big deal, so many of them get their ears pierced these days.

fella

Without getting invloved in the pros and cons, I guess the issue of hair length comes to the fore a bit? (Or maybe it doesn't?)

Some of the more recent postings have been about avoiding wearing way-out and excessive things.

Well, I agree; don't have any trouble with that.

But a while ago:

I happened to go for a walk near where I live

I happened to see some boys playing football in the street

I happened to see that they were all wearing earrings, and all of them in both ears.

I really think that it would be inaccurate to say that for boys to get little rings or studs for their ears is either unusual or excessive. I think that boys should be both allowed to have their ears pierced if they wish but also that, in acknowledgment that so many boys do it, people don't need to pay any particular attention to it when they do.

fella

Rooster7:

Thanks. I don't think we particularly disagree.

Regards

Rooster7:

I don't necessarily object to what you say.

But since, let's face it, so many boys DO wear a little ring in their ears (if only sometimes to keep the hole), then I wonder if you would be prepared to ask such repeated serious questions to girls as well.

The average teen, girl or boy, won't rest upon some magisterial Harvard-standard thesis for the mere fact that they have got an unremarkable, tiny ring in their ear-lobe. They won't have committed themselves to a confessional testimony as to why there's a little round stud protruding from the bottom of their ear.

If the colloquiallism 'go for it' is inappropriate, okay.

But my point was simply that if there a safety issue, let them take them them out, but let's not get worked up about what is really unremarkable. Character is what counts.

Okay, Im happy with the notion that neither boys nor girls need wear earrings for activities where safety might be an issue.

But otherwise I don't think folks should have a problem with a tiny little ring that, let's face it, so many boys today are accustomed to piercing through an ear.

So I would say (and I guess lots of people would agree):

a) If boys want to pierce an ear, go for it!

b) If, in activities, safety is an issue, take it out for the duration, then they can just put it back in again.

alexiv:

Your point about watch chains and earrings is very interesting. Of course, medical people often wear watches on a chain. I don't know of anyone who suggests that such a chain on a medical person's uniform is contrary to dress codes.

Personally, if a guy chooses to have a little unobtrusive ring forced through his earlobe, it shouldn't bother other people.

fella

Maybe I could illustrate what I mean?

The other day I was out walking and happened to pass a group of boys playing football. I happened to notice that all of them were wearing earrings, all of them in both ears. Now there's a sense in which it's hardly remarkable or worth reporting, but that's precisely my point.

I know there have got to be dress codes and uniforms for scouts I'm in favor of them but I do wonder whether the administering or even reviewing of the rules can be done in a way which to some extent reflects what so many boys today wear to a very widespread extent.

The boys I saw playing football: they weren't harming themselves or anyone else with their earrings. (If, however, there is a real health and safety issue which applied to girls' earrings as well, then, sure I can understand it.) But boys with earrings today are just part of the normal way boys look.

I realize that rules are rules, but they can sometimes go over the top.

Also I can appreciate that sometimes it's appropriate for jewellery to be removed for sports, etc.

But I do wonder: do all girls of a similar age remove even the tiniest fo earrings for all athletic activity? If they don't, then what about similarly tiny earrings worn by boys?

njcubscouter

These days, it's quite mainstream for boys to wear earrings.

fella

mommascout:

Thanks.

As one who has rather conservative values really, I think that character and moral resilience are what really count. For example, Ephesians 3.16 speaks of being 'strengthened...in the inner man'. For boys to learn constructive outward behaviour, they need to be encouraged in inner qualities: in the end I don't think that such considerations can lead people lightly to the reject foundational Christian principles whihc have been so influencial.

As far as earrings are concerned, they are hardly central to the cultivation of inner qualities in a boy.

At the same time, as your 14-year old will probably testify, for a boy it can be a source of good, clean, innocent fun to be organized by a parent to have the lobe of an ear sterilized and marked up and a ring forced through. (Some boys like it so much that they have it done again!)

fella

mommascout:

Thanks. Yes, it's no big deal.

BTW, on the other thread you said your son was 14: has he already had his ear(s) pierced?

It's just a little hole and so many boys have them.

Regards.

Personally I don't see how an unobtrusive stud in a boy's ear does much harm. Character training is more important.

Lots of boys get a stud or two put in their ears, often with Mom organizing the whole thing. This is a plain fact.

A boy can be encouraged to be reliable, ready to take sensible initiative, punctual, honest, and yes, godly I'm not afraid of the word ; such qualities are hardly related to the tiny stud which routinely errupts through many a boy's ear-lobe.

Umm, I think recent postings have got off the subject...