The concept of eternity has intrigued and mystified human beings for centuries. It is the idea of a timeless existence that transcends the limitations of our mortal lives. Eternity is often associated with notions of immortality, infinity, and the persistence of the soul beyond death. Religious and philosophical traditions across the world have grappled with the concept of eternity. In many religious beliefs, eternity is closely tied to the idea of an afterlife or a spiritual realm where souls continue to exist beyond the physical world. This belief in an everlasting existence has provided solace and comfort to countless individuals, offering hope for a life beyond the transient and fleeting nature of our mortal existence.
As a matter of fact, “apart from throwing ale in someone's face, insults included man handling a person riding or walking on the highway, making a minor attack on a man's beard or hair.”
The fact that specific offenses relating to beards were codified under the law, and that such offenses could also be deemed insults to a man, reinforces the importance of beards in Norse culture and history, and more specifically, as a foundation for Forn Siðr. From an Æsir and traditional Norse god perspective, a beard is therefore always associated with masculinity and virtue, including moral strength, manliness, valor, excellence, and worth, while the absence of a beard expresses feminization as well as depravity and immorality.
This belief in an everlasting existence has provided solace and comfort to countless individuals, offering hope for a life beyond the transient and fleeting nature of our mortal existence. However, the idea of eternity can also be a source of existential contemplation and existential dread. The prospect of an endless existence, devoid of change or progression, raises questions about the meaning and purpose of life.
A ‘defining feature of masculine men’ — soldier’s Norse pagan faith earns beard waiver
A soldier serving in Afghanistan with the Nevada Army Guard has been granted a religious accommodation to grow a beard in accordance with a Norse pagan faith that traces its origins to Scandinavia. Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, a 34-year-old Alabama native and member of the Nevada Army Guard’s 3665th Ordnance Company, was granted the waiver following a lengthy review process that concluded with the Army’s acknowledgement of his sincerity as a heathen.
Hopper’s exemption is the latest example of the military’s effort — most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force — to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks. The first such accommodation came in 2017 following years of beard-exemption requests and legal pressure from Sikh soldiers seeking to preserve religious traditions while wearing a U.S. uniform. Then, in November 2018, Staff Sgt. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to be granted the exemption in observance of the tenets of his faith. Because the 2017 directive is technically applicable to all religions, final judgement is often left to individual leadership to discern authentic exemption request from insincere.
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Further blurring the beard waiver criteria is that while Norse paganism encourages the growth of a beard, or “skegg,” the religion doesn’t require it. The Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, sought to clarify any existing confusion in a 2017 post about beard exemptions. “There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry,” the post read. “Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. Kesh, or ‘uncut hair’ is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. We, as Heathens, have no such religious requirement with regards to hair.” No matter the religious requirements, the Army interpreted Hopper’s request as genuine.
“My personal faith is deeply tied to the modern warrior lifestyle that I have been able to live during my military career,” said Hopper, adding that the beard has never hindered his ability to put mission first. “In short, it is honoring the pillars of heathenism, our ancestors and ancient gods and way of life.” Hopper, like service members who have sought exemptions before, was advised to meet with a chaplain to present his case. Chaplains cannot officially approve or deny requests, but recommendations based on perceived sincerity can be made on the service member’s behalf. “The chaplain corps will work with any military member to aid them in a genuine pursuit of an accommodation,” Joint Force State Chaplain Maj. Donald Crandell said. “However, we are not actively promoting a trend in this direction or seeking to normalize it.”
But a trend, as minimal as it may be, has certainly been stirring among the rank-and-file. The already-growing list of religious exemption requests inflated earlier this year when Spc. John Hoskins applied for a beard exemption as part of his proclaimed devotion to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster — a faith also known as “Pastafarianism.”
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The importance of one’s hair or beard can never be understated.
“This request is based on my deeply and sincerely held belief in the Pastafarian faith,” Hoskins wrote in his request to the Army. “It is my personally held belief that growing a beard will bring me closer to my God and bring me into his favor.” This time the Army declined, but only after Hoskins’ request made it all the way to the desk of a deputy chief of staff.
“The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin,” Cathy Brown Vandermaarel, an Army spokeswoman, told Army Times when asked about the decision to deny Hoskins’ request. “While we cannot speak to the specifics of any particular case, religious accommodation can be disapproved if it is determined that the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief or if the accommodation would create a specific hazard that cannot be reasonably mitigated.” In Afghanistan, meanwhile, Hopper keeps his waiver on him at all times in case any superiors question the facial feature he refers to as a “sacred and defining feature of masculine men.” Regulations specify a beard can be no longer than 2 inches in length. “Once I present my memorandum for record and cite all of the applicable regulations and directives, the focus on the beard tends to go away, for the most part,” he said in the release. “I see it as a phase very similar to when the Army authorized the wear of black socks during the fitness test. It is something new and authorized, and you will always encounter people who do not like change. “That is just life.”
Observation Post is the Military Times one-stop shop for all things off-duty. Stories may reflect author observations.
This goes great if you have short or long hair. If you have long and thick hair on your face, you should consider the long Viking beard style. A long beard can be more of a challenge to grow out, but the end result will always be worth it.
If our existence is eternal, how do we find meaning in an existence that has no end? Without the constraints of time and finite resources, what drives us to strive for growth and improvement? Moreover, the notion of eternity challenges our understanding of time itself. Time, as we experience it in our mortal lives, is marked by cycles, changes, and an inevitable end. It is a linear progression that provides structure and meaning to our lives. However, the concept of eternity transcends this linear perspective. It exists outside the boundaries of time, raising questions about how we perceive and comprehend such a timeless state. The course of eternity is a topic that has fascinated poets, writers, and artists throughout history. It has been explored in various literary works, from Dante's "Divine Comedy" to T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets." These works delve into the complexities and paradoxes of eternity, attempting to capture the vastness and profundity of such a concept. Ultimately, the course of eternity remains a mystery that eludes complete understanding. It is a concept that challenges our very perception of existence and time. Whether viewed as a source of comfort or as an enigma, the concept of eternity continues to inspire awe and contemplation, reminding us of the profound mysteries that lie beyond the limits of our mortal lives..
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