Jesus was a swarthy middle-eastern. Jesus was not a white European and if he were to return today, a brown-skinned foreigner preaching love and peace and healing people and rich people should give all their money to the poor, it would be the religious conservatives — evangelical protestant, conservative Catholic, Mormon — who would be fighting over who gets to crucify him this time.
When Jesus came the first time, it was the established religious orthodoxy (the Jewish Sanhedrin), working in concert with the government (Roman governor Pontius Pilate) that had Jesus LEGALLY convicted and executed in state-sponsored terrorist murder.
Today it is the religious conservatives who try to mix church and state, contrary to Jesus’ teachings, in a way that Jesus would have found abysmally corrupt and perverse.
As a Native American this is a bit out of my ballpark, but wasn’t Jesus a Middle Eastern Jew? We have a pretty good idea of what they looked like. I have been in the Middle East and I have seen Arabs, mainly Iraqis, Iranians and Yemenis far blacker than the average African American. The Iranian and Iraqi Jews I have seen were more olive skinned, a little darker than Israelis today.
But what difference does it make to the message, the appearance of the messenger? I have seen Black Jesus figures on the cross in Black churches in America, and almost Scandinavian Jesus figures in White churches. Doesn’t change scripture. And Mary is usually depicted as being rather pale as well for someone who spent time in the Middle Eastern sun before Coppertone was invented.
He was all things to all people. Let Black churches have a Black Jesus on the cross and White churches have a White Jesus on the cross. Then get on with the service.
For those who cite the Gospels: please keep in mind that they were written long after the death of Jesus, most probably from lore and not based on anything written at the time they describe.
I’ve seen images of Jesus as Middle Eastern, Chinese, African. They’re all good. Jesus, in my opinion, can appear in whatever guise that the particular local population can relate to best.
It is purely for power that one ethnicity would claim that Jesus looks like them, and only like them.
I read a story when I was a boy about a human explorer / ambassador making contact with a civilization on a watery planet orbiting another star, where the locals had evolved from something like Earth otters. The ambassador is waiting in a room for a meeting with the planet’s leadership. There is art on the wall. The ambassador, studying it, realizes that it is a nativity scene, virgin, child, wise men and all, all as the local otter-people.
Before I finish, allow me to say that, in my humble opinion, someone who treats others with kindness and respect, who helps those in need, who strives to learn from and correct their failings, is doing God’s will. It doesn’t matter what religion they follow, or whether they follow any religion at all.
The greedy, the cruel, those who believe themselves more worthy than others, are not listening to God, no matter what they profess to believe. They might be listening to something, but it isn’t God.
He has no policy on anything except how to benefit himself. Why has he done nothing about Russians paying a bounty for dead US soldiers? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Joseph said it wasn’t his, the neighbors said he looked like the mailman, and Mary claimed it was God’s, which caused quite a few knowing laughs. According to Jewish law, she should have been stoned, so the whole storey is fiction, anyway.
Davis D Danizier (3D) almost 4 years ago
Jesus was a swarthy middle-eastern. Jesus was not a white European and if he were to return today, a brown-skinned foreigner preaching love and peace and healing people and rich people should give all their money to the poor, it would be the religious conservatives — evangelical protestant, conservative Catholic, Mormon — who would be fighting over who gets to crucify him this time.
When Jesus came the first time, it was the established religious orthodoxy (the Jewish Sanhedrin), working in concert with the government (Roman governor Pontius Pilate) that had Jesus LEGALLY convicted and executed in state-sponsored terrorist murder.
Today it is the religious conservatives who try to mix church and state, contrary to Jesus’ teachings, in a way that Jesus would have found abysmally corrupt and perverse.
hawgowar almost 4 years ago
As a Native American this is a bit out of my ballpark, but wasn’t Jesus a Middle Eastern Jew? We have a pretty good idea of what they looked like. I have been in the Middle East and I have seen Arabs, mainly Iraqis, Iranians and Yemenis far blacker than the average African American. The Iranian and Iraqi Jews I have seen were more olive skinned, a little darker than Israelis today.
But what difference does it make to the message, the appearance of the messenger? I have seen Black Jesus figures on the cross in Black churches in America, and almost Scandinavian Jesus figures in White churches. Doesn’t change scripture. And Mary is usually depicted as being rather pale as well for someone who spent time in the Middle Eastern sun before Coppertone was invented.
He was all things to all people. Let Black churches have a Black Jesus on the cross and White churches have a White Jesus on the cross. Then get on with the service.
Patjade almost 4 years ago
Jesus is physically more akin to Palestinians than to those who claim to be Jewish these days, and not at all like the white Europeans.
sappha58 almost 4 years ago
A number of years ago, an article published a digitally created image of what Jesus most likely looked like:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a234/1282186/
The Love of Money is . . . almost 4 years ago
You nailed that one, Clay.
Ontman almost 4 years ago
I thought their Jesus was orange.
RAGs almost 4 years ago
For those who cite the Gospels: please keep in mind that they were written long after the death of Jesus, most probably from lore and not based on anything written at the time they describe.
piobaire almost 4 years ago
I’ve seen images of Jesus as Middle Eastern, Chinese, African. They’re all good. Jesus, in my opinion, can appear in whatever guise that the particular local population can relate to best.
It is purely for power that one ethnicity would claim that Jesus looks like them, and only like them.
I read a story when I was a boy about a human explorer / ambassador making contact with a civilization on a watery planet orbiting another star, where the locals had evolved from something like Earth otters. The ambassador is waiting in a room for a meeting with the planet’s leadership. There is art on the wall. The ambassador, studying it, realizes that it is a nativity scene, virgin, child, wise men and all, all as the local otter-people.
Before I finish, allow me to say that, in my humble opinion, someone who treats others with kindness and respect, who helps those in need, who strives to learn from and correct their failings, is doing God’s will. It doesn’t matter what religion they follow, or whether they follow any religion at all.
The greedy, the cruel, those who believe themselves more worthy than others, are not listening to God, no matter what they profess to believe. They might be listening to something, but it isn’t God.
mourdac Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Yeah, sure, Clay, and next you’re going to claim Santa’s not white also…/s
katzenbooks45 almost 4 years ago
A friend of mine said it’s really Paulianity.
Masterskrain Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Yes, folks, Jesus was NOT from Sweden…
jal333 almost 4 years ago
The “magats” only see/hear/say what the cult advises them. They are the classic three monkeys, repeated zillions of times.
Alberta Oil Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Bad case of Gynecomastia, never knew JC suffered from that.
Radish the wordsmith almost 4 years ago
There are no white people in the Bible.
ferddo almost 4 years ago
Conservative evangelists conveniently overlook that Jesus is the role model for liberalism…
Radish the wordsmith almost 4 years ago
Traitor Trump acts like Putin was Jesus.
Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says.
Forbes
.Report: Russia Offered Bounties For Taliban Militants To Kill U.S. Soldiers And Other Allies.
Daily Mail
.Russia paid the Taliban BOUNTIES for killing American troops in Afghanistan.
tung cha cha cha almost 4 years ago
According to VP Dence, he & his republican followers are going to “pray” the virus away; thus no need for masks.
streetbeater almost 4 years ago
Apologies if this is already in one of the replies…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMu32sC2nM&t=4s
Masterskrain Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I used to be a Southern Baptist, but I’m feeling MUCH BETTER now…
dickanders Premium Member almost 4 years ago
He has no policy on anything except how to benefit himself. Why has he done nothing about Russians paying a bounty for dead US soldiers? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
pamela welch Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Well said (3D)
FrankErnesto almost 4 years ago
Joseph said it wasn’t his, the neighbors said he looked like the mailman, and Mary claimed it was God’s, which caused quite a few knowing laughs. According to Jewish law, she should have been stoned, so the whole storey is fiction, anyway.