Why do all the pictures of Jesus portray him as a white man?

Question

If he was born in Isreal he certainly wouldn't be white, he would have dark skin, yet all the pictures of him I've seem in school and in churches are White! Can you explain that Christians?

He was from the middle East!

"Felicity O" , you are a racist idiot, it's people like you that make me so cynical about Christianity.

Answer 1

Because the bloody charade is a big lie.

Answer 2

First of all you need to know what is "white". Don't forget that both Israel and the middle east are considered Caucasian. the Aryan race is in fact from modern day Iran and not some fabricated German race like Hitler said, and that tell you a lot about what Caucasian or white is.

Now that we know what white is, let's move on to the Renaissance. As the name indicates, the society went through a lot of changes, to the point of people saying that the Renaissance was a more stressful time than our current time... it was a time of rebirth, a time of massive changes. The majority of pictures you see of Jesus are either from this time or inspired in this time and even though Italy was one of the biggest contributors to this fantastic time, the angelic all saint look was associated with blond people. A question of aesthetic and because Christianity was mainly institutionalized in white European countries is normal Jesus was portrayed as one of us.

There is no picture of Jesus and just like today, there was a variety of different people, darker and lighter, not just in Europe - take Italy - but also in other Mediterranean countries such as Israel so Jesus could have any appearance

Answer 3

All images of god (in this case, the son of god) are white! Even Hindu gods!!! I am a Hindu. Of course there was an exception of a dark skinned god here, but he is referred to as a god with dark skin!
There is a reason for it, and not possibly a racist reason. The developed civilizations were all colored races and as such the white color was extremely rare. For such a reason, the person who was born white was either shunned (like an Alabino) or worshipped as a gifted one!
The portrayals of 'gods' are often by belief than by seeing. Not everyone really saw Jesus. In the west, holy men preferred white robes and white is often called "pristine" (or derived from priest), so for such reasons, white Jesus was the acceptable portrayal.

Answer 4

Now it is a white man's burden---the Christianity. Mylord was born in Palestine, travelled only as far as Egypt. Preached in Palestine. The pristine Christianity is practiced, not in the white man's domains, but in and around Palestine; often dismissed as ' Orthodox Churches of Turkey, Syria, Greece, Russia' ... etc. although, the Orthodox can be exemplars to white man, who is sure that mylord was a White Man, and he is in a mirage.

Answer 5

lots of the old religious artwork became accomplished by using Italian and Spanish artists. that's in human nature to portray unseen photos of others a minimum of somewhat on your image. Why do black church homes have photos of black Jesus? because of the fact the artists and worshippers are black. The age of early Christian artwork became an age till now exploration. Jesus is Jesus. i do no longer care what he feels like. he's Jesus! so which you notice, human beings upload their very own reports and perceptions into their artwork and memories. because of the fact of this we've Naitve American memories approximately eagles and coyotes, Peruvian songs approximately condors, fairly Mexican artwork, and Kpop. Then there is scientology....yet that is composed of Tom Cruise, so i want no longer clarify.

Answer 6

"Crabby bl" & "Mike K" are right; look into Art History Books like Janson (sp?)
Plus, there was some ignorance. But mainly it began from art of the times.
Certainly look up Eastern Orthodox Icons; some interesting portrayls there. Even Modern ones. Also:the Black Madonna . . .
He might have had lightish skin, def. olive in reality. He is said to have been of short stature and red hair; so definitely not that dark.
But, I love the idea of Him being seen as the people who worship Him in Truth see Him.
I grew up in Birmingham, AL and one day we drove by a Black Church. The main stained glass window had a black Jesus in it; huge. I was only a child and I asked my mother why he was black.
After HER answer, I just left it alone.
Now I appreciate it; and I remember it; it was beautiful.
In my "fundamentalist" phase, my sister sent me a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a Native American. I can remember being insulted. Now I'm horrified I had that reaction. It was a beautiful rendition.
There are many renditions of Christ as Non-white.
Google ??
Thanks for your question; sorry there were so many racist or anti-Christian remarks!

Answer 7

In western european art, maybe - although if you look at older pictures he is not shown as very pale.

I have seen more than one picture showing Christ as another ethnicity - there is an excellent example in a Church in Kenya.

If Christians believe that they are made in God's image, then surely everyone, whatever their ethnic origin, is free to portray Christ as God made THEM - as a symbol rather than trying to faithfully represent a human being no-one alive has seen.
.

Answer 8

Little was known about what people from that part of the world looked like during the period when Europe was churning out their classic paintings and sculptures of Jesus. The East was an enigma then. No evil plot, no aryan ideal. Just lack of knowledge about racial type. Do Rembrandt's people in his Old Testament biblical paintings, about Rebecca and David and King Herod LOOK true to racial type? No. It wasn't only Jesus who wasn't accurately represented.

And there's too much hatred in the answers here. Sarcasm, negative portrayal of other's faith... I guess that's what atheists do best. (Religion was created by white people? -- Oh, THAT'S brilliant. You've got it all figured out!)

Answer 9

In different ethnical backgrounds, Jesus is painted in different colors. In many places on earth he's not white at all. but a negro or chinese, Indian or whatever. Lets say Jesus changes shape as he changes location. The white Jesus as we know him in caucasian cultures, is most likely a depiction of Leonardo Da Vinci (a homosexual and atheist). White people like to derive their visual idea's of Jesus from paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, and maybe even the "Turin Shroud", that many scientists say is very likely to be made by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci is known to have used himself as model for many of his paintings, like the Mona Lisa, and the Jesus on the shroud of Turin looks like Leonardo like 2 drops of water look alike.

Answer 10

Most early artwork was painted by Europeans,who were fair skinned.Many of the early artists painted people to look like those familiar to them,and so Jesus was painted as white.
Africans sometimes paint Jesus as black with frizzy hair.Again,they paint what is familiar to them.
You are right,Jesus would have dark skin.But paintings of Jesus being white are not part of a white supremacist conspiracy.They are only inaccurate portrayals.
Just to let you know,most churches nowdays,if they have artwork of Jesus,choose depictions which are more accurate-where Jesus is portrayed as brown.

You're kidding,right? Most Christians are white supremacists?
Get a life.

Answer 11

Skin color has nothing to do with it for me .Jesus would have to have been more dark than white because of the area in which he lived.Hebrew,Jewish.He was not a honky.I am considered that because that is what I have been called more times than I can count.I believe the people in charge of the first paintings of him either changed them or hid them from the world to appease themselves.