It is true that firemen and some emergency service workers can not have their beards due to the actions of some gases that may be traped in the beard, and the difficulty of obtaining an adaquite seal against the face with a gas mask. However, those who make fun of vegatarianism and beards need to read their bibiles. They also need to resurch the history of Judaism and Chrisianity. Roman Catholism seems to be the odd man out on the subject, and that only for the last thousand years. World war two also had a profound effect on the normal appearance of western men. Ignorance is ever the font of predjudice.
Vegatarianism is part of the personal piety of many christians, Christian monks are in part Vegatarian or varrities thereof, the book of Levitcus forbids the eating of blood recomending scaled fish, beards are actualy part of holy tradition up held by the bible and numerous laws and comments by the church fathers. A beard is the normal part of a man, just as the finger nails are. As a Paramedic I purposely do not train for areas where work in gas enviroments are neccary. St. James wrote in James 4:17;
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not,to him it is sin". In the book of Leviticus it says "You will not round the edges of your beard".
Respectfuly, Gregory