Was Christ really Caucasian????
By bird123
@bird123 (10643)
United States
July 3, 2010 12:22am CST
Through my life, all the pictures of Christ were of a tall caucasian man. Is this really who Christ was??? Are the pictures of Christ just a view of some people's ideal?? As with all things in life, the truth sometimes hides. One must search for answers.
I recently went to a christian church where mostly african americans attend. I saw the same picture of Christ that I'm used to only Christ was no longer caucasian. Yes, a bit of a shock but I found truth staring me in the face. Consider the part of the world Christ was from along with the timeframe, would Christ really have been white???? I don't believe it so.
Christ is also pictured as a tall rather handsome man. Is this for our benefit as well?? Man is getting taller through the generations. I read somewhere that the average height of a soldier in the middle ages was only five foot five inches tall. I'm sure there have been tall men throughout the ages. Was Christ really that tall?? What of being a handsome man?? Could Christ have been average or ugly physically??
It has been said that we are all made in the image of God. So many times, I have found mankind creates the image of God. If we are made in the image of God, it means spiritually. God is not a physical Being.
People just love to bend the facts to their way of thinking. Somehow they think it makes things better. I demand the truth regardless of what it looks like. If they aren't completely honest with the pictures,it makes one question the rest. Things like this must be in all religions. Let's not forget mankind is involved.
OK! All you geniuses out there. Help me out!! I would like answers from everyone not just christians. We are all God's Children. SHARE YOUR VIEW WITH ME!!
3 people like this
8 responses
@EvanHunter (4026)
• United States
3 Jul 10
Revelation 1:14-15 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Daniel 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
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.
The popular picture of Christ you see now is based on Cesare Borgia he was no saint although he was actually a cardinal and a illegitimate son of a pope. It always amazes me how so many people read the bible but don't have any understanding on the fact that Jesus was not white nor was he some tall handsome God like creature that anyone could pick out easily. Several times his own disciples didn't recognize him and he had to be pointed out by Judas so they could arrest him.
2 people like this
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
4 Jul 10
Would it have been better with an honest or close to honest picture or would they lose followers???? The next question remains. How much has been bend to the will of mankind?? As with all knowledge in life, one must question everything. Thanks for all your interesting comments!!
1 person likes this
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
3 Jul 10
It does matter. So many are depending on the accuracy of the christian religion. Should a lie be accepted as the truth????Like I said I demand the truth regardless of whether I like it or not. Doesn't it bring into question what other lie might have been bent to their view of the truth???? Thanks vandana7 for stopping by with your comment.
1 person likes this
@Chiang_Mai_boy (3882)
• Thailand
4 Jul 10
I am not sure you are asking the right question here. Caucasian is one of those invented terms that people use to differentiate the imaginary concept of race. From the point of view of biology there is only one race.
Was Jesus human? If yes than he was of mid-eastern decent and shared the physical attributes of people who had adapted to live in that arid climate. In today's world he would probably have problems getting through airport security because he would fit the suspect profile of a possible terrorist.
1 person likes this
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
4 Jul 10
You are right about the imaginary concept of race. We are all one race. I can see that today Jesus might have a problem getting through the airport. I have to believe he would talk his way out of that trouble. The question remains about honesty of religion. They preach that truth is important and they carry the truth, yet it's clear they are bending things to their will. If they really cared for truth, they would change the pictures to at least come closer to the real truth. One must also question what else could be altered. Thanks for your comments!!
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
4 Jul 10
Hi bird, Jesus Christ certainly wasn't Caucasian. All one has to do look at the part of the world in which he was born.The pictures of a Caucasian Christ was born from the ideas that Caucasians were superior to other humans. As you say it was the spiritual man that was made in the image of God I think it's very likely that Jesus was certainly no more than medium height. I think however that he had a pleasant looking face because I believe that he smiled a lot. Blessings.
1 person likes this
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
4 Jul 10
Good point. Regardless of physical appearance,a warm smile and a loving heart always projects beauty. In fact soon after knowing someone we quit looking. We see them as only them. Our spirit is what really matters. Thanks for all your comments!!
1 person likes this
@sulynsi (2671)
• Canada
5 Jul 10
I think the issue as to Jesus' appearance has been well covered in this discussion.
Something I always thought a little incongruous about many church paintings was that he is pictured as a pale, waif-like feature, kind of pathetic.
He wouldn't likely have been thin and wan.
He had, for the first 30 years of his life, worked as a carpenter. He would have likely been strongly built, because I don't think there were a lot of power sanders and saws in his era!
Interesting discussion! thanks
@sulynsi (2671)
• Canada
5 Jul 10
It occurs to me too, that the expression "picture of Christ" isn't realy accurate.
It gives the idea of 'oh yes, that's what he looked like'
Maybe it is better to use the expression, "artist's concept" "or "artist's rendering"to remind us all that these pieces of artwork are from a person's imagination, not based on any factual information.
The artists theology and own background has more influence on his conceptual drawing than any information from Scripture.
1 person likes this
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
5 Jul 10
That would be honest if every picture had that label on it. Seems like everything now days carries a disclaimer. Why not. The best would be an accurate image. For someone deemed so important, you would think there would be something somewhere. There probably was at some point but a pretty picture gets more followers. That is the bottom line of it. Like a friend told me one time. No matter how you look at it, church is a business. In business, more customers is always better. Do what it takes.It isn't always about truth as they want you to believe. Thanks for your comments!
1 person likes this
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
3 Jul 10
well the only thing that we are sure for is that he is not a caucasian but a middle eastern.
1 person likes this
@meeandnotyou (2548)
• United States
5 Jul 10
Amen! This was about the only thing we know for certain. We do have descriptions from the Old Testament, but those are prophecies not firsthand accounts. Maybe they did make carvings and such but as with all other things that the "CHURCH" did not see fit, it got buried in the Vatican's catacombs. There were literally hundreds of texts that got condensed into the books that are now considered the Bible. The Nicene Counsel decided what would be canonized and what would be rejected.
Have a great day!!
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
well i think a better judge of description is to find what is the traditional wear on that time and place and even the haircuts and such.
i think this the only definitive things that we can research on.
1 person likes this
@meeandnotyou (2548)
• United States
3 Jul 10
Jesus would not have been "Caucasian" nor "African" he would have been Middle Eastern, Hebrew in fact as he was Hebrew decent.
To many Jews, and Gentiles,it is considered a shameful act to marry or mate outside of your own race, so the muddled effect of race mixing, on a whole would not be a factor in the Jewish race. Add to this the slim possibility of lightening skin tone due to generational difference. You would have a Jesus that is slightly darker than the current Jewish person, but if the generations have darkened (global warming, ozone damage, etc...), then you would have a Jesus that is slightly lighter than the current person. No matter what the situation may be Jesus would have been a tan individual neither black nor white.
According to science the average height of a Middle Eastern man during Jesus' time would have been 5'1". So Jesus would have probally been between 4'6" and 5'6" giving 6" either way of normal. So the tall statuesque Jesus, not unless he was a freak of height, but his mission was to live an average existence and avoid sin, thus the perfect sacrifice.
Now as to the "Beauty" of Jesus?!? Following Isaiah 53 particularly verse 2, most early theologians, such as Justin Martyr, insisted that Jesus was physically repulsive, with "no beauty that we should desire him." The anti-Christian author Celsus states that he was "short and ugly", an assertion that his Christian opponent Origen does not dispute. Whether these early debates reflect a purely scriptural view or a continuing oral tradition about his actual physique and physiognomy is not known.
In later centuries this early view was reversed. The Church Fathers Saint Jerome and Saint Augustine of Hippo argued that Jesus must have been ideally beautiful in face and body. For Augustine he was "beautiful as a child, beautiful on earth, beautiful in heaven."
So now you have some additional information to think about, I hope that I have helped at least a little. Have a great and glorious day!!
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
3 Jul 10
Yes, your version seems to be the truth to me. One must ask why the truth wasn't good enough all these years. Even today, if they cared for the real truth, they would make things right. Thanks for your comments and insight. You gave lots of good information.
1 person likes this
@meeandnotyou (2548)
• United States
4 Jul 10
You asked why the truth is not good enough and I actually have an answer for that as well.
As for race. If you will notice this world is separated by an invisible barrier of Black and White so what better way to prove that you have the "Superior" race than to have #1-Adam and Eve (the Beginning) and #2-Jesus (the End) in your own race to feel Superior. All of these proponents of the Black or White Jesus and Adam & Eve are struggling to prove their race as Superior whether admitted or underlying. It is an ethnocentric thought to think that they were other than middle line. The bible talks about the Ruddiness of Adam and a black man could never have ruddy skin as that would indicate blood to the surface of the skin. All races came from Adam/Eve so the idea of Caucasian is gone as they would have had meletonin in their skin in order to produce the multitude of races..... hmmmmmmm... more to think about!!
As for appearance. If most people walked into a church and seen a short, hair lipped, pug nosed, ugly man in a painting that attendees seen as divine, how many do you think would stay?!? Hell a white person sees a Black Jesus and wants to leave the same as a black wants to abandon a White Jesus. In Jesus' time, it was not his appearance or memory that people followed, it was his teaching and charisma, signs and symbols are for the conscience mind, and Jesus' personality out shined his appearance. His followers probally thought "Who the hell is this ugly fellow", but they had the ability to witness firsthand word, action and deed, to wit made Jesus BEAUTIFUL. So the appearance is an appeal to the ego saying "see my beauty, now hear my beauty", but since this lie has been perpetrated, it stuck and people do not want to think of their Lord as anything less than perfect. It is an exterior reference to the inner beauty that is the true Jesus.
Well now you know the truth, has it set you free?!? I do not look down to the multitude for believing this harmless lie as it brings them to the real message which is within. I only wonder, how are people going to feel when they see the real Jesus face to face, even if they do not show their disgust, Jesus can read a person's heart.... hmmmmmmmmmm
@BlackEverything (35)
•
3 Jul 10
The original man was black. Jesus was black, he had some notty, nappy african afro.
@meeandnotyou (2548)
• United States
5 Jul 10
As you can read above, I am never at a loss for words when it comes to subjects such as this but I really have nothing to say except...... the name says it all!!
