Amelia Posted December 12, 2006 Posted December 12, 2006 How White Was My Savior? Why has the portrayal of Jesus in art drifted far from the likelihood he was a brown-skinned Semitic Jew? WEB EXCLUSIVE By Matthew Philips Newsweek Dec 9, 2006 Dec. 9, 2006 - Shopping for nativity scenes? At Macy’s you have two options to choose from: "The Vatican Edition" and "The Byzantine Edition." The first comes with a set of white figurines, including a red-headed Mary, a brown-haired Joseph and a blue-eyed baby Jesus. In the second, all three are black, as are the shepherd and three wise men. Both cost $10, and more than likely, both are historically inaccurate. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16125068/site/newsweek/ Quote <p><span style="color:#0000FF;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">"Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you."</span></span> Eph 4:29</span><br><br><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetemp_both/US/OR/Fairview.gif" alt="Fairview.gif"> Fairview Or</p>
Moderators John317 Posted December 12, 2006 Moderators Posted December 12, 2006 How White Was My Savior? Why has the portrayal of Jesus in art drifted far from the likelihood he was a brown-skinned Semitic Jew? The color of Jesus' skin is totally irrelevent. There is a good reason that God saw to it that we don't know what Jesus' physical appearence was like. Jesus came to identify with all people everywhere, and if people need Him to be a certain color in order to put their faith in Him, that's fine with me. I don't care what color He was, whether He was white, black, red, brown, pink, yellow, or a combination thereof. I'm sure that God realized that if people had an exact physical description of what Jesus was like, they would tend to make an image of the God-man and kneel and worship it, or use the physical description as a way of keeping others away from Him. Jesus is the Savior of all races, and as such, everyone has a right to think of him racially as they need to in order to see Him as one of themselves. Quote John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Dr. Shane Posted December 12, 2006 Posted December 12, 2006 Isn't it more important that Jesus was under 5'6"? Quote Pastoral Family Counselor... Find me at www.PostumCafe.com Author of Peculiar Christianity
Moderators lazarus Posted December 12, 2006 Moderators Posted December 12, 2006 Clearly the color of Jesus was/is significant because SDA publications always used to portray him as White european. It was important for white people to make Jesus look like them. Thats ok! things are a little different now. Quote Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. Einstein
Stan Posted December 12, 2006 Posted December 12, 2006 Jesus Great Grandmother, (or close to that) was an Ethiopian, what those of us in North American would call Black. (Ethiopians do not generally call themselves Black, but rather Brown) BTW LynnDel is an Ethiopian... Quote If you receive benefit to being here please help out with expenses. https://www.paypal.me/clubadventist Administrator of a few websites like https://adventistdating.com
Dr. Shane Posted December 13, 2006 Posted December 13, 2006 Nathan Greene, the famous Adventist painter, portraits Jesus with "meditrenian olive" skin. Nathan Greene Quote Pastoral Family Counselor... Find me at www.PostumCafe.com Author of Peculiar Christianity
Moderators lazarus Posted December 13, 2006 Moderators Posted December 13, 2006 Nathan Greene, the famous Adventist painter, portraits Jesus with "meditrenian olive" skin. Exactly right Shane. Greene is a contemporary SDA artist who gets it! Things are different now. Quote Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. Einstein
Amelia Posted December 13, 2006 Author Posted December 13, 2006 I have a signed first run print of this one on my wall. Quote <p><span style="color:#0000FF;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">"Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you."</span></span> Eph 4:29</span><br><br><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetemp_both/US/OR/Fairview.gif" alt="Fairview.gif"> Fairview Or</p>
Parade Orange Posted December 13, 2006 Posted December 13, 2006 O woe is me! I grew up with the prettiest ivory skin Savior! He had dreamy blue eyes and golden curly locks. Imagine my horror when I found out he wasnt WASP! Quote All progress in the Spiritual Life is knowing and Loving GOD"there is non upon earth that I desire besides YOU" PS 73:25That perspective changes EVERYTHING-suffering and adversity are the means that makes us hungry for GOD. Disapointments will wean us away wordly occupations. Even sin(when repented of) becomes a mechanism to push us closer to HIM as we experience His Love and Forgiveness.
Moderators John317 Posted December 13, 2006 Moderators Posted December 13, 2006 Clearly the color of Jesus was/is significant because SDA publications always used to portray him as White european. It was important for white people to make Jesus look like them. Thats ok! things are a little different now. Yes, it is OK for white people to portray Jesus as white just it is OK for blacks to portray Him as black and for Chinese to portray Him as Chinese and so on. I don't think there's anything wrong with any of that. Quote John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Parade Orange Posted December 14, 2006 Posted December 14, 2006 Can I paint him wearing a fedora? Quote All progress in the Spiritual Life is knowing and Loving GOD"there is non upon earth that I desire besides YOU" PS 73:25That perspective changes EVERYTHING-suffering and adversity are the means that makes us hungry for GOD. Disapointments will wean us away wordly occupations. Even sin(when repented of) becomes a mechanism to push us closer to HIM as we experience His Love and Forgiveness.
Moderators John317 Posted December 16, 2006 Moderators Posted December 16, 2006 Can I paint him wearing a fedora? You surely may, Orange. You have as much right to do that anyone has of painting him as a member of their race. I enjoy seeing paintings done of him as he might look as a human living on earth today. Quote John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Neil D Posted December 16, 2006 Posted December 16, 2006 Quote: Yes, it is OK for white people to portray Jesus as white just it is OK for blacks to portray Him as black and for Chinese to portray Him as Chinese and so on. I don't think there's anything wrong with any of that. I don't understand.... How can this be tolerated? Isn't this historically inacurate ? To allow this error to cloud your view point? If you allow this picture of Jesus, [as white, blue-eyed or as black, brown eyed, ect] in your own life, doesnt this picture foster an inaccuracy? Intolerance for other colors of the human race? It seems to me that this view point [and I am speaking generally, not just to John317 either] set a precedence. We don't allow this sloppy tolerance in the writings when we search the scriptures. Why should we allow this historically incorrect Jesus to be protrayed to the world? [/tic] Quote Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. George Bernard Shaw
Beryl Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 I guess we all think of Jesus as being MY Saviour -- and thereby being the person who would most fit in with our own thinking. Perhaps that is why God has not given to us any physical description of Him. Quote "Grace is God doing for us, in us and through us that which He requires of us but which is impossible for us to do in or for ourselves." But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9.
GreatLakesGramma Posted December 23, 2006 Posted December 23, 2006 I personally prefer him pictured as olive-skinned, as he actually must have been. Right there in the middle, Savior of everyone from one end of the spectrum to the other. Quote Catherine God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26. "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." -- C. S. Lewis
gina i Posted December 23, 2006 Posted December 23, 2006 I picture Jesus as Arabic. But he could be 4 feet & I'd still love Him the same. Appearance means nothing & many people portray Him in a different light. Quote All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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