Is Jesus' portrayal in churches racist?

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buzuxi02

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You know what I think? I think I saw that depiction in a doctor’s office in a big blue book. They had those impossibly Arian depictions of Adam and Eve, etc.
No (unless you mean something else as in an icon of the 7 creation day creation). That would be an expanded icon of Abraham's hospitality. It would be Abraham and Sarah serving the three men (usually depicted as angels) it's an image in Genesis 18:1-10. The earliest original were simply three identical looking men, today the most known icon if this type is known as Rublev's Trinity. As the famous Russian painter painted it in the 16th century.
 
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Michie

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No (unless you mean something else as in an icon of the 7 creation day creation). That would be an expanded icon of Abraham's hospitality. It would be Abraham and Sarah serving the three men (usually depicted as angels) it's an image in Genesis 18:1-10. The earliest original were simply three identical looking men, today the most known icon if this type is known as Rublev's Trinity. As the famous Russian painter painted it in the 16th century.
What I am talking about is not an icon. It a kids book. It’s just a depiction. I just did a huge search and came up empty.
 
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Redwingfan9

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?
We shouldn't be making any images of Jesus. If we would return to scripture this wouldn't be a problem.
 
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Aussie Pete

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?
Sure. Let's add more fuel to the fire and give people even more excuses to be bitter and resentful.
 
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Michie

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I think that the color of his skin is entirely unimportant, and it's absurd nonsense to think it's racist for people to think that he looks like them.
You get it. It is one thing to read the facts in Scripture. Another to depict Him in the context of one’s ethnicity and culture. Which I personally think, is beautiful.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?
The only reason He was occasionally portrayed white , blond with blue eyes or white, brown hair with blue eyes or white with brown hair and brown eyes or brown with brown hair and blue eyes or black with white hair and blue eyes or black with black eyes and black hair...etc....etc...is because no one knows what He looked like. No conspiracy. Be blessed.
 
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salt-n-light

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?

Depends on which church you're addressing, since not everyone puts that much importance into depicted what Jesus looks like.

But yes historically, there is a underlying racism there in its depiction of fair and white within the western culture. I don't think its that clear cut, as people will more likely depict Him in comparison to their own culture. I wouldn't go out of my way and say a church is racist if they did show him as fair skinned. since the Bible didn't in detail describe the features of Jesus. Only real part is Revelation, with the white woolly hair.
 
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GenemZ

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?
CNN.com,,, the home of experts about God and Jesus?

Jesus did not say... "I am the Fake News, the Life, and the Way.
 
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GenemZ

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Jesus broke bread, and said it was representative of His body.

Two things Jesus did not have at that supper.

He did not have white bread. And, they did not have pumpernickel (dark bread).

Matzoh was made from whole grain (the only kind they used back then). It would have been a tan color.
 
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DebbieJ

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Hi all,

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?

Middle-Eastern / Israeli people are Caucasians. They can vary from light skinned blue eyes blond and dark skinned brown eyes brown hair. But, typically middle-eastern features and not Scandinavian.

"White" in the American context is an alien concept in the middle-east. They have their own ethnic divisions even though they are Caucasians and don't want to be associated with other Caucasians from a certain place or ethnic group. It's a complex matter.

As for how Christ looked like, we need to see the Lord in how he looked like in heaven in his permanent glorified state and not his temporary human vessel which was discarded a long time ago. Don't expect him to return in his human state.

Hair: White like wool as white as snow
Face: Like the brilliance of lightning
Eyes: Like blazing fire / flaming torches
Body: The color of Chrysolite / Beryl
Arms: Gleam of burnished bronze glowing in a furnace
Legs: The same as the arms
Voice: The sound of a multitude / the sound of rushing waters

Ref: Revelation 1:14-15, Daniel 10:6

I wonder why Christians still view Christ in his "old" discarded clothes.
 
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ViaCrucis

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Icons of the Lord have always depicted Jesus as looking like those societies and cultures which depict Him. Which is why in Ethiopian iconography Jesus is black, and in Middle Eastern iconography Jesus is Middle Eastern, and why in western European iconography Jesus looks western European.

It's important to know that, yes, Jesus wasn't white. He would have been darker as a Middle Eastern Jew living under the hot Judean desert sun.

But depictions of Christ in iconography and art have never been about depicting what Jesus actually, physically looked like, but about affirming the doctrine of the Incarnation: God became man. It is Jesus common humanity with ours that is what matters, not the color of His skin. So when groups depict Jesus as looking like them, they are saying, "God became one of us", "us" meaning you, me, everyone, all of us.

Rather than doing away with that, I would instead encourage looking at the wide diversity of Christian art and iconography around the world.

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-CryptoLutheran
 
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NerdGirl

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Hi all,

With recent events focusing on fighting racism, do you think we should talk about how Jesus is portrayed in western churches? Fair and white, yet we know for a fact he was dark brown from the middle east.

I've been reading this article of what Jesus mostly likely looked like, based on the appearance of Isreali people at that time period.

CNN.com - From science and computers, a new face of Jesus - Dec. 26, 2002

Thoughts?

I don't picture Jesus as "fair and white".
There is no depiction, picture, or painting of Jesus anywhere in my church.
It doesn't MATTER what Jesus' earthly body looked like. He represents all of mankind.
 
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