Facial Beards are Religious symbols, why do atheists grow them?

Atheists grow them because beards are not grown for religious reasons.You can also read from wikipedia. They're grown because many men think they enhance their appearance. Some men, both religious and non-religious choose to wear beards because they saw no benefit in shaving. In countries that go through cold winters, a beard definitely does offer protection against icy winds.

There is also an association in place that promotes the worldwide appreciation of beards and moustaches, and to co-ordinate international events, including competitions, held in such a manner as to encourage friendship among those with beards and moustaches.

It was 1:30pm Friday 30th April 2010. I just returned home feeling very exhausted for no particular reason. I left home very early in the morning, feeling very energetic and hopeful that May will be a better month since I didn't make any money in April. Also I hope that since Saturday 1 May 2010 is a public day, I will enjoy it home listening to my best music.

On my way home, I decided to visit a barber and trim my beard that I have left grow; not very big but it was an issue since I had an appointment with a female friend whom I met online. Previously I had met people, both men and women while wearing my beard. Time has changed many things in our generation.No one minded our fore fathers when they had beards. No one labeled them Moslems or any other religions. There are many religions and cultural traditions that treasure beards. But none of them were making me grow my beard.

To tell the truth, I don't mind beards. I wouldn't mind growing them or not. I still feel okay with either. My recent attempts to grow a beard proved that women fear men with beards, at least Ugandan women and those who are married to men with huge beards, only adopt how to live with them. If you doubt me, try to grow your beard and make a move to a new lady, try to date her. Chances of her saying NO are very high compared to when you have no beard. So in most cases, I have used the beard to scare away those small women that I always desired and had inner crush on them. The moment I open my mouth to say hello, they turn away from me mainly because of my beard.

But then, I cut off my beard when Moslems start to initiate "Asalam allekum sheikh" way of greetings to Moslems. I always wondered why one would think that am a Moslem because of my beard, yet there are other religions that treasure beards like those who belong to an Orthodox Church.

The only reason why I allow my beard grow is simple. It's neither cultural nor religious. It's because I hate saloon barber shops. All the times I have visited them, my skin develops strange painful pimples. The utensils in these shops are not well maintained, not clean, and even the barbers themselves are dirty. Honestly there are some good barbers who are clean and maintain their utensils, but these are very few. And when you met one, the trimming prices are always skyrocketing--just like many services in Uganda.

It seems as though some of these barbers don't brush their teeth, or they eat garlic just before opening shop. Hence, they smell. If you are in a business that makes you come close to your clients, you need to be extremely clean since only a small space will be between your nose and their mouth. Sometimes people have bad odour because they eat garlic--even though they brush their teeth before coming to work. The oils of garlic seep through the skin and the body transfers this oil from bloodstream into the lungs. This is why I avoid eating garlic.

Recently I found a good barber who was in Kawempe. He was smart and young and he boiled his utensils in my presence. But when he came close to my face, the air from his mouth (I smelt it because he was talking to another barber and every time, he talked, I felt nauseated. Since then, I haven't shaved or trimmed my beard. So today I decided to return to the same guy since he boiled his tools. He was trimming a client's beard on which he spent two hours and several minutes. I decided to wait and wait. He finished and I thought that it was now my turn. But then he called another guy whom he claimed was there before me. I wouldn't imagine spending another two hours waiting. This immediately made quite unhappy.