Is Jesus' portrayal in churches racist?

[Michael Hawk]

The Last Supper View attachment 279131

Thats an awesome picture, where did you find ot?

 

[Jipsah]

Thats an awesome picture, where did you find ot?

Sorry, I don't really feel the need to help you with whatever axe it is that you're trying to grind.

 

[Jipsah]

. Red heads appear in all ethnic groups.

I don't think I've ever seen a red-heade Korean unless it was a red wig during World cup football.

 

[Jipsah]

Where are all the blonde Arabs today?

In the same part of town as the Arabs with ruddy complexions.

 

[Jipsah]

The Korean Jesus.

I have that one on my wall.

 

[George95]

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Thread closed for Staff Review.

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[ewq1938]

 

[ewq1938]

 

[Radagast]

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.

That's not true at all.

The best indication of what 1st Century Jews would have looked like (not that it really matters) is to look at people who have lived in Israel unchanged for 2000 years. For example, the Samaritans. They are not "dark brown."

 

[John Helpher]

It's fine to be curious and speculating on what Jesus looked like could be interesting, but when you start to think it's important to know what he looked like then you're missing the point of the kingdom of Heaven.

 

[Renata8]

He could have looked like just about any of us, because he was not genetically related to his parents. He also said that we are all made in his image, that’s mentioned about 100 times in the bible. What If every man that laid eyes upon Jesus, saw someone like himself, the black man saw a relatable black man, the Jew saw a familiar face and the Mediterraneans saw a man with olive skin? All things are possible with God

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

John 7:24
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Acts 10:34-35
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Acts 17:26
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

Romans 2:11
For God shows no partiality.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Romans 10:12
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

James 2:9
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors

 

[Radagast]

He could have looked like just about any of us, because he was not genetically related to his parents.

I'm assuming that Jesus was genetically related to his mother. I think that's implied by Jesus being human like us.

 

[Zao is life]

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'm pretty sure the idea for that picture comes from a painting of a Roman on an excavated wall in Pompeii. Not very original.

In any case. Jesus is the Son of Man, the last Adam. All who are born into this world are born into the first Adam. He is in us and we in him because we are all his descendants. All who are born again of the Spirit are in Christ, the Son of Man, the last Adam.

Only racists will care about what color skin the face of Jesus is depicted with - people who are obsessed with race.

And that's the state of the world. Everyone is obsessed with race. They've all gone mad with this racism. Jesus said that ethnos (nation) will rise against ethnos and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes, and that these are the beginning of birth-pains.

The closer we get to the birth, the closer together and more intense the birth-pains (so I'm told by every mother).

 

[Brightmoon]

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

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

. That depiction of Jesus wasn’t from CNN . It was from National Geographic who actually did a DNA tests of people who would have been living in the area around the year 1 . That’s how they came up with that portrait. The population had darker skin, hair ,and eyes and the approximate facial features shown . I thought it was interesting as I’d always thought it odd that a middle eastern Jew would be blond and blue eyed

 

[Radagast]

. That depiction of Jesus wasn’t from CNN . It was from National Geographic

I'm deeply suspicious of their agenda, of their method, and of their results.

The best guide to what 1st Century Jews would have looked like (not that it really matters) is to look at people who have lived in Israel unchanged for 2000 years. For example, the Samaritans. They look nothing like what National Geographic says.

 

[Brightmoon]

These were 1st century Jews who didn’t mix with Samaritans . The whole point of that Bible story was that the Samaritan had no tribal or family obligation to the Jewish man he took care of . He was a complete stranger in a way that most of us living in America would have little understanding of. Most Americans or Europeans would help a stranger in trouble. Tribal people might not.

 

[fwGod]

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 news media is not an accurate authority on it.

What of the gospels or the epistles.. did they bother to physically describe Jesus skin color or eye color? No. Why not, isn't it important? No.

2 Cor.5:16 "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!"

 

[Swag365]

That's not true at all.

The best indication of what 1st Century Jews would have looked like (not that it really matters) is to look at people who have lived in Israel unchanged for 2000 years. For example, the Samaritans. They are not "dark brown."

I think that is a pretty difficult argument to make in view of this:

There were 1 million Samaritans in biblical times,[77] but in recent times the numbers are smaller. There were 100 in 1786 and 141 in 1919,[1] then 150 in 1967.[77]​

Samaritans - Wikipedia

It's pretty tough to make an argument based on continuity when you have a population that has reduced from a million to a hundred.

Other historical things as well in the article seem to make that a pretty speculative position (the rest of us, including myself, are also speculating of course).

 

[Michie]

An article of interest on the topic.

Searching for a Jesus Who Looks More Like Me

 

[GirdYourLoins]

Go do a google search fro Jewish people and look at the images you can find. They are Caucasian.

That doesnt make people racist. We are all ball equal. What divides people is trying to force views on other people which I consider extremism. Accepting that people may have other views is crucial in life. For example, we are called to tell people that Jesus is Lord. If they choose to reject that, its up to them, we cant force them to believe in their hearts.