Would you still want to follow Jesus if he was depicted commonly as obese?

Question

Like Buddha.

Answer 1

Excellent point! We generally see Jesus depicted as a healthy, attractive man. But what if he were not? Would that mean he could not be God's personal son? Is the obesity of many statues of Buddha proof that it is possible to be spiritually developed while wearing the effects of one's earlier sins of gluttony? Can a fatty be holy?

Answer 2

On the contrary, Gautama Buddha is more often represented as being emaciated or at the very least thin. What you refer to is known as Budai ... and represents the Bodhisattva Maitreya... (allegedly a supposed future buddha)...

To the world of many centuries ago, fatness represented wealth, happiness and well-being... rather than poor health as it does today. If Jesus had been portrayed as fat then nobody would have taken his "suffering" seriously.



And for the record, I wouldn't follow Jesus even if he popped up in front of me and threatened me with proselytising morons for the rest of eternity if I didn't.
Besides... if he'd been obese then he probably would have fallen off the cross due to his sheer weight. They would have needed at least twice as many nails to hold him in place.

Answer 3

Buddha was not obese. You are thinking of Hotei Buddha. The depiction of Jesus, if he existed at all, is false. He would have been short, dark and dirty looking...not the lily white glistening Caucasian you see in so many statues and photos.

Answer 4

He is depicted as having a beard, and I really don't dig beards at all...

I don't think there were many obese people in those days, as food was not so readily available and there was no automated transport.

Are you asking people if they worship due to physical attraction???? Hmmm (scratches head and goes off to make some coffee)...

Answer 5

Of course they would. He's depicted as white, and looking a bit like Robert Powell, but people still follow , even if that image is most likely false.

Answer 6

Isaiah 53:3 (about 600 BC) describes the Messiah as the "suffering servant":
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

although this may have been after the beatings before He was crucified. We have no idea what He looked like.

BTW, Is 53 goes on to predict that the suffering servant will be tortured and murdered as atonement for the sins of mankind to appease God's wrath about sin.

Answer 7

Yes. THe body has nothing to do with the soul or your actions. A fat man can be just as holy as a skinny man; can still do good deeds.

Answer 8

Through faith and love, Jesus is followed. He is not followed because of his body size. No one should be disregarded for weight.

Note: ive just noticed that alot of people on this question have been given thumbs down for giving good opinions and answers. maybe i should have been sarcastic or something

Answer 9

Then Weight Watchers would've been an insignia for christianity.

Answer 10

just wondering...............could anyone truly be obese back then as we know it today? i mean...............they didn't have processed foods.............they didn't have fridges and all.........they had to eat what they had on hand. it was a really healthy diet. like the mediterranean diet. they didn't have cars to drive them around. they walked most everywhere......
i just can't imagine people being fat back then.

in answer to your question..........if jesus was fat, that would be ok. i don't judge people by their appearance.