Why do people become so defensive when I suggest this about Jesus?

Question

Having a general conversation one day, not even a religious one at that, I brought this point...Considering the part of the world where Jesus lived and was born, is there not a possibility that Jesus had arab traits, skin color etc, or even the possibility that he was black. Why do people take offense to this and get so defensive? What would it matter anyway?
No one really knows what Jesus looked like, he is depicted as white with a beard and long hair. Would you become offended if I suggested that he was fat and bald?

Answer 1

Dunno if he could have been black, but I've always figured he was an Arab. The only 'pictures' we have of him were painted by European guys during the Renaissance, so Jesus looks like a European guy during the Renaissance.

He was from a desert tribe, wandering around in what are today Arabic countries. So yeah, in all likelihood, he was an Arab.

They get offended because they see it as a smartass challenge.

I have no idea why it would matter.

I would be a little pissed off if you said he was fat and bald. He may well have been bald but with all that walking he did, I don't think he could have been fat.

Answer 2

I am a white American, of northern European stock.

Of course Jesus looked like an Arab!!! He was Jewish He had to fit in, you know, or people would be struck by his strange looks and not pay as much attention to what he said. He may even have been black. But I bet when he fixed you with his compelling eyes, you forgot everything but that look.

It's all nonsense. If you want to speculate about the color of his skin, that's your business. I say it doesn't matter a bit.

Oh, he wouldn't be fat. Are you kidding, living off the land as he did, or off the generosity of people and walking around all the time? Would that I had that lifestyle (well, not exactly, but I would love to be that thin!).

Re. Ferret (what an apt name!)'s comment, Jesus would not be slamming into buildings. Duh!!! He came to bring peace and justice but not by force. Remember "love your enemies"? Besides, the Jews (Jesus was a Jew) don't hate us, it's some of the Arabs.

Answer 3

I'm not sure why they would be offended. If anyone who is a true reader, they would know Jesus wasn't born "white". Early art and drawing do depict him this way, everyone knows that too. I have never seen a pic of him with a 'white beard'. Considering where he was born, those of us who study know where Jesus' roots lie. There's no doubt. I know, no Christian that gets defensive about this. Not one.

Answer 4

Not at all. But are the people you suggest this to white Christians? The world needs to open their eyes to the fact that we ALL evolved from the first Homo sapiens that evolved totally in AFRICA. We as a species (neanderthal man was not Homo Sapien!) did not migrate out of Africa (with the exception of a small group to far east Asia) until 60,000BCE. AND furthermore Europe was not populated until 20,000 years later. Homo sapiens overtook and drove to extinction all others in the Homo genus.
Just because this is a SCIENTIFICLY PROVEN FACT does not disprove the theory of God, or Adam & Eve. I personally belive if Eden existed it was in AFRICA and Adam & Eve had brown skin. AND yes Jesus could posibly of had Arabic features but the Egyptians depicted those from the Middle East (such as Phonietians) as white because to them they were white but Europeans do not see Middle East people as white. So maybe that is is were the discrepantcies lie.
Just so you known this is coming from a white girl in SE Kansas.

Answer 5

Truthfully, Jesus was Jewish so he would have looked like a Jewish man of that time period. I do doubt that he was bald and fat. I also don't care for the whole debate on the pigment of Jesus's skin. The point is that he has provided the gift of salvation to us, not what is skin color was.

Answer 6

Since the Bible has a list of his genealogy traced back to the Jewish king David, and that a young Jewish girl gave him birth, that he "came unto his own" Which the Bible states was the Jewish race, I would venture that the human part of him was Jewish.The fact that some have depicted him Westernized does not change those facts. I myself do not get offended by these images of the Lord, i just see him as my Savior and provider.

Answer 7

Well, I don't get "offended" by such things, I just view them as poorly figured.

If Jesus were black, do you honestly think people would have listened to him? Probably not. He was most likely Semetic, but the second strongest theory of his race is being White. People would not have wanted to listen to a black "prophet" and would probably have put him down MUCH sooner if it were the case. People get offended by this, mainly because it has been a White religion throughout most of history--our saviors resemble ourselves, for the most part. White people don't want to believe that Jesus was black, just how they don't want to believe that Thor was black or God was black, just how Asian people don't want to believe that Buddha was White, just how Hindus think their Gods were blue and elephants and don't want to be told otherwise.

There is White Christianity and non-White Christianity. White Christianity has a White God and a White Jesus, that's the extent of it.

And secondly, Jesus being bald would be offensive to a good section of devout Christians, considering that having your head bare or otherwise kempt was against the Law of the Nazarites--he kept dredlocks until he couldn't, and saying otherwise than that, is basically telling someone that their savior didn't have the ability to fit the criteria he was given for being holy.

Answer 8

The Bible clearly states that Mary who later bore Jesus was a direct decendant of David, and David was Jew. So Jesus had to have been Jewish.

This is why it is very possible that he was married and had children, because Jewish law stated that you had to marry or you had to have had a legitiment reason for not marrying.
(being gay) I really don't think that Jesus was gay, or black.

And pardres or teachers had these weird piss-pot hair cuts back in those days.And he had to have had dark hair being Jewish and shortened beard.

Answer 9

i never thought it like that that might be true i don't know why people don't think it like that they can't face up to possibilites does it even say in the bible that he was white i don't think so and if it did how do we know that the book is wrong cause we didn't see him so we don't know
ive just read from YoungScholar she said that jesus is jewish so why are christians beliveing in a lord of a diffrent religion what about god as he fatherd a jewish son as he choose a jewish family instead of christian so can somone explain that

Answer 10

This is how He was supposed to be, according to Isaiah.

Isaiah 53: 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.