How many of you believe...?

Question

...that the pictures of Jesus we see on church walls and in books is how Jesus really looked like?

The pictures show he was fair skinned and blue eyed, yet we were taught that he was born in a place where people were and still are of color. Why don't people of color demand changing the wronged *or not* images of Jesus?

What are your thoughts? I know this is an age old argument but it's still pretty interesting to me.

Answer 1

People feel most comfortable worshipping a being that looks like them. Believe it or not, if you go to the orient, Jesus has Asian features. If you go to africa, Jesus is Black and so on.

Its a matter of culture, not accuracy that made DaVinci and Michaelangelo paint a Jesus with White features...

Answer 2

what do you mean "where people were...of color"? How do you know that? Nobody knows that. The only pictures we have of people from that time and place are of blue eyed fair skinned Jesus and his pals. And those were not made by people who knew the guy personally. Unfortunately, Jesus and all his neighbors predated the kodak moment, but just because some dusky-skinned people live in that part of the world now does not maen they looked like that 2000 years ago. i am from North America and the complexion of people around here sure has changed a lot in the intervening years. There's no reason to suppose it wouldn't change at least as much, and probably more in a location like the middle east where peoples and empires come and go every couple hundred years.
and if you go into churches all around the world you can find plenty of different representations of what Jesus might have looked like. Try going into a coptic church in Egypt, or an Ethioppian church. Try a Russian orthodox church. They don't all look the same.
And by the way, lots of "people of color" HAVE demended changing the "wronged *or not* image of Jesus", some of them have had great success with it, in other places people have not cared to listen or have suggested that it is not an issue worth worrying about.
Why don't you just try googling black jesus, you'll find almost as many hits as there are black people in the USA. then you should try other colors like bronze, red, purple, yellow, puce, or whatever else you can think of, and see what you can find. It may be more interesting to you than suggesting or demanding anything on this retarded yahoo site

Answer 3

I of course do not believe that he was so fair skinned as such pictures show. He was constantly in the sun, working, teaching, preaching, etc. There is no possible way to know what Jesus looked like in the flesh, but what does it matter? He was probably an average looking person of that day.

Answer 4

Jesus was not a blonde with blue eyes. Go take a look at some of the Middle Easterners - I think you'll get a more accurate picture that way.

Answer 5

I'd hate to see how seriously sun burned someone that fair living in that type of climate would be...besides, he's only portayed that way because blonde blue eyed beaut's were/are rarer than most, therefore most valuable and persued- it makes sense that Christians would want to show him to the world as a rare and spcial gift to the world. I don't blame them- they're excellent sales people.

Answer 6

The link I have included has a multitude of descriptions of Jesus' appearance, most of which fit with the many pictures so many of us are familiar with.
Also, it is said that Jesus, himself, decided what he would look like before he came here to be our Lamb. Doesn't it make sense that he would pick a look that would somewhat set him apart from everyone else so that all would easily be able to recognize him?

Answer 7

Jesus has been pictured as tradition has pictured him.

Its the same as how we imagine certain other historical characters , for example John the Baptist, Moses, Abraham, Esau, or Jacob, we really do not know how they looked but we make an image of them by tradition and certain of their characteristics that have reached us thorough the centuries.

Answer 8

I have always wondered that myself. I have seen a holy card that says it's the true face of Jesus & he does look a little darker skin, but who's to know for sure.
You can depend on the thing though, if we live a good life then we know we WILL see His true face in eternity !

Answer 9

I always knew (since I was a child) that Jesus would be gorgeous. I can't explain it, but I could always feel that His visage would be so ultimate, so perfect, so peaceful, so Godlike, that no painter or artist could capture what He truly looked like. The lamb, the look of a simple man, sent here for few reasons, but mostly to teach us love & to die for our sins, and the things we needed to learn.
HOWEVER> I have heard of this prodigy artist, artakiane.com, her name is akiane, a young child, who is a prophet. And she has painted the closest version of what Jesus would look like in my head. The painting is so gloriously emotionally ~~~ simple.
Check it out.
But seriously, I think we look the way we are supposed to.:o]

Answer 10

The painting of Jesus you refer to ...were done in Europe during the middle ages....the artist used their times and location to portray these images of Jesus...they used the familiar to appeal to those of their time....

Most men during Jesus' time wore their hair short or shaved their heads..because of lice......I think most people understand this....just as they understand he was not of European decent....

these representations are just images......and don't really matter...other than for their artistic skill...

if you are worry about it..or upset....make your own interpretation of what Jesus might have looked like.......