In response to my earlier question of Jesus and racism.?

Question

The question was tounge in cheek. I do not beleive if Jesus realy lived that he was White in fact it would be highly unlikely.

If though he did and was not white and was only depicted as white for the early western worlds ideas that whites were superior.

Would Christianity be the religion it is today if Jesus and his deciples had been depicted as dark skined individuals ?

Answer 1

I am a Christian. I know that Jesus wasn't white. You ask a very good question though.
I would hope that it would be the same. But you may be correct that some may find it harder to believe in. But then I would have to think that racism had something to do with that.
Darn good question!

Answer 2

I belive that you are right. If Jesus and his deciples were depicted as people from the east, darker skinned people (which is more likely because of where they lived, but no-one can truly know) than people in the west would not have embraced God as much. Especially back in the day when people thought different colours and ethnicities were higher/better than others. Therefore I believe if this happened christians would be an even smaller minority than the bald eagle, and that is why God let the world depict Jesus how they wish

But I think even if they were depicted as dark skinned, the western society would of still changed it to make it seem not so.

Answer 3

The scriptures clearly state, in fact the lineage is recorded meticulously that Jesus was a hebrew, or a jew as they are now called. His lineage is traced back all the way through scripture.

I agree with what another person answered. Any culture that recieves Christ into it's culture depicts Him as appearing like them. Though this may be inaccurate, it enables a culture to relate emotionally with an image of the Lord that seems like a friend or family member, which he is. Though we are not to focus on the images that man has created of our Lord, people can hardly help but be artistically inspired by the stories about Jesus, and when they do make creative renderings they would most likely draw the features most prominent in their culture. Because of that your question seems nullified.

Answer 4

I do think if it were said and never altered in the bible that Jesus was darker skinned man that MOST white slave owners of early America would have had a problem with worshiping an inferior.

In this day and age not so much.

Answer 5

That's an interesting question.What's also interesting is that many Christians throughout Europe thought Jews infidels for killing Jesus but ignored the fact that Jesus was Himself a Jew,thus indirectly implying that JESUS was an infidel!

Answer 6

I guess any culture that accepts Christianity would naturaully want to assosiate their race and culture to that of their savior.

Some people think Jesus was black some think he's white some a little tan.

Really doesn't matter really....

The issue of Race was not in issue in the times of Jesus or in the Roman times for that matter.

Answer 7

I doubt whether the colour of his skin would have influenced what's written in the Bible; I'm not a Christian but I feel his ethnicity was not a parameter behind the formation of this religion.

Answer 8

For a genuine believer, his earthly appearance was temporary anyway. You can't be a Christian and be a racist. Though it would certainly be fun to see the faces of the 'poser' Christians to see a middle Eastern complected Jesus, as He was....

Answer 9

Some "Christian" churches don't even acknowledge that Jesus was Jewish. People think what they will if they aren't the "sharpest tools in the shed".

Answer 10

serious answer.........god is god, it dosent matter in what colour he appeared on earth, but at at time no blond or long faced white skinned person could have kept his appearace under the weather at that time.