Arletta

That is exactly my point, though, Nat, vis a vis paintings. Those men (mostly men) painted their interpretation of Jesus, which was colored by what they were used to and what they were getting paid to paint.

Color does come into it, only because some persons who are the same colors as the paintings believe it means something about racial superiority, and some persons who are not the same colors as the persons in the paintings also believe the same thing and feel very negative vibes from Christianity as a result.

The truth is, as I said, no one knows what Jesus looked like. I would tend to assume he’d be a good looking, brown skinned, black or brown haired person, with brown or black eyes. This is because the Jews I’ve seen, who actually came from the Middle East, look that way. But, it is quite possible, he was with light brown hair and blue eyes, as the Jews in the Middle East mixed with a lot of persons, over time, who were darker than them, so the “race” sort of got darker, in the majority, in that area.

In reality, it doesn’t matter a whit.

What matters is the truth. And, the truth is, as I said above, that the paintings had nothing to do with what God said anyone looked like. The truth is that people paint what they know. So, now, if a black man, or an Indian, or a caucasian, or etc. asks you “Why is Jesus always portrayed as a white man” you know the answer.

Or, actually you don’t, based on what I said. You only know that I think it’s the answer, until you look it up for yourself. Which is what everyone should be encouraged to do.

Q: Why is Jesus portrayed as a white man?
A: Which time? In movies or in paintings? Have you asked the actor, director, museum curator, or looked up any of the history of the movies or painters?

Because, really, unless they are willing to look up that information, in this day and age, the question shouldn’t even be asked by anyone except small children, whose parents should help them research the answer.

Learning to be a non-racist society, is not just a two-way street: it’s a multi-laned super highway!

lol Oh, if only you knew what I recently told someone. You might slap me. I shall tell you anyway, as best as I can remember.

“Saying you are spiritual, but not religious, is like saying you masturbate, but are not at all sexual.”

Why? Because you can be religious, without spiritual feelings getting involved; but, to be spiritual, is the ideal of most religions. Spirituality is the transcendence of flesh, the seeing beyond basic human needs, to rise above the animalistic nature, and that is what Christianity is all about. The rules, advice, etc. are ways of getting there, and whom you should be addressing your hopes to, etc.

I am quite sure there is divine inspiration, and I was long before I chose to much about studying the Holy Scriptures or giving a twig what God thinks I should do with my life. That’s primarily because the writing, of James for instance, and the Sermon on the Mount, are so way far better than anything I’ve ever seen anyone come up with.

The Sermon on the Mount is not very big, as far as pieces of writing go, you know? And, I’m sure a lot is lost through translation, through lack of being able to see the way his eyes lit up, facial expressions, etc. Yet, it is like this little .. hmmm ..have you ever seen the flowering tea? You have these compact little things, that are neat looking, sure, but don’t seem like much, and then you pour hot water on them, and they bloom, and become this amazing work of art.

That’s the Sermon on the Mount, as soon as you pay attention to it. You pour your attention on it, and it starts unfolding, petal after petal, branching off into all these thoughts, ideas, concepts .. until you feel like you’ve just read years worth in minutes.. but in a good way. That’s how it is for me, anyway.

It is the best writing that ever existed, and anyone else who has been lauded as a great poet, a great philosopher, the father of modern psychiatry, is someone who managed to capture a small bit of the essence of it. Buddhism, the finest parts of it, are in there, but then the Sermon on the Mount goes beyond those teachings, expands them .. .everything great Ghandi every said about love and charity came from his studying of Jesus, the concepts there and which are somewhat mirrored by teachings of others… the writing of other people about what Jesus said. . the echo of an echo of the words divinely inspired.

And, you know, Ghandi was pretty darned good! Many people think he was divinely inspired. Well, he did say he loved Jesus, so, maybe, to some degree, he was divinely inspired.

Which is the other bit of it. God can give someone talent, and they can then misuse it. That is not exactly divine inspiration, then, but, it is a gift, all the same. However, someone with more heart and less talent, might grow in talent and blow them out of the water, vis a vis their belief in God and their asking for help. That would be divine inspiration.

But, by the same token, God can choose to use someone who does not worship him, for his own ends, by inspiring them.

But, by the same token, if one is not careful, so can other persons choose to inspire a person to their own ends. In which case, it is inspiration, but not divine, though definitely supernatural.

There’s some rambling for you.

Do not slap me! lol

lol Thank you, very much, Ma’am, for your lighthearted and non-slapping ways.

If more people spent more time reasoning things out a little, things would go much more smoothly. St.Bridgette springs to mind She was made a Saint, alright. You know why? I read the history of her life. She was a very loud woman who did not take know for an answer and she decided that she was going to be a Saint, end of story. Apparently she had hallucinations. Now, people would tell me they were not hallucinations, manifestations of a disorder mental or physical, because “the church” recognized them as something more.

Only, having read the history of her life, rife with quotations from historical documents, I know that the church in question punished her, more than once, for her disobedience, and admonished her to give her husband his due, etc. because they were already married, already had been together as man and wife, and then she decided she belonged to God and he couldn’t touch her ever again, and that was not very good for him – since, being married, he couldn’t legally touch anyone else either.

The Bible says that the man must have sex with his wife, and the wife must have sex with her husband, that each owns the others body in that way; so, unless, by mutual agreement, for a set time, they are not to cut each other off from sexual relations.

It also says that women must be obedient to their husbands.

St. Bridget (Briget, Brigette, etc.) was disobedient, and sexually dysfunctional; and, it is a matter of record that she was finally given Sainthood before her death – a very unusual circumstance- with the agreement, more or less, that she’d go away and leave the clergy alone.

If she had reasoned with herself, that what she was feeling was not what was actually taught by scripture, perhaps she and her husband would have been happier people; and, perhaps less people would be praying to a Saint that never should have existed.

Of course, the Bible also says only to pray to God, but, people still pray to Saints and angels all the time.

In the long run, a lot of people don’t want to reason things out. They’d rather be comfortable for the moment, than right with God. That’s their choice; sad, but their right to make it.

I feel like there are other things that should be said, or maybe said instead, but, It’s after midnight now, and I had better be getting to bed soon.

Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you and your son enjoyed the history lesson, such as it was.

Interesting! I cannot afford your book, you high priced fiend. lol But, it does sound interesting reading.

One thing about Jesus’ appearance, or alleged appearance, is that I heard the argument – from more than one source- that he must have been a black man (negroid) or close to, because of the description of him in Revelations with a wooly head and copper feet.

I’ve pointed out to people that this is obviously a description of attriibutes of personality, not actual physical appearance, as if he had a two-edged sword for a tongue and a voice of many waters, which he was also described like, none of his Apostles would have been able to understand him to begin with.

I think about such things all the time. Well, you know, “all the time”. I do watch movies, read books, and such. But, I do THINK about it. I’ve never just read something someone was teaching and said “Oh, now that’s convenient. That must be the truth.” or anything like that. Not even if I had every reason to believe the people were right about most everything they said, up to that point.

You know, I’ve had people stop me and ask ” What if Jesus were black?” Both black and white people. They were, as it turns out, trying to challenge me to think about my christianty. Which is funny, as, at the time, I was not a Christian or even considering it as an option. Now, I am, but I don’t like to use the word, because it’s so misunderstood and associated with some very wrong people and false teachings.

Anyway, their point, as it turns out, is.. while I may say that race doesn’t matter, etc., could I still worship a black man?

Well, taking it from the top: No, I couldn’t worship a black man, because I couldn’t worship a man, at all. Not in that sort of way they mean. Also, I don’t worship Jesus, because I don’t believe he is God. He’s the son of God. One should only worship the one true God.

But, to answer their question, as they probably actually meant it to be taken: BIG WHOOP!

Why would I care? How could that change anything he said or did?

Weird!

Oh no, I wouldn’t say that he couldn’t have blonde hair, or brown hair, or red hair, or be bald, for that matter. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible that the color of his eyes, skin, hair, are mentioned. Either is his height, breadth, or shape of his toes. I think that is what people should notice, and take a lesson from.

It doesn’t matter how some painter thought up their image of him. That is, it shouldn’t matter, not for or against anyone. Jesus is not for or against any “race”- his Father created them all.

Well, that’s pretty much what I said I’d think to. I mean, I would expect him to look like the persons who are Jewish and from around that area, that I’ve seen and known where they are from. But, that would be silly of me, because there are a lot of blond, and redheaded persons in Mexico, in Itally, in the Middle East, etc. More than most people who havent’ been there, think there are, anyway And, I mean ones of those ethnicities. At least, by now they are.

In fact, per historical research (for the fun of it, because I’m a nerd), I found out that the majority of persons of Jewish extraction, so to speak, back when the Romans were jumping about like mad beans, were predominantly light skinned.

So, yeah, it is quite possible that there is some truth to the rumor that Jesus was pale skinned. It’s even possible that the first two people ever on the earth were both very very caucasian looking.

ti’s also possible that they were not. It could be they were all a light and shiny orange color, and the fact that Jesus was a light and shiny orange color was what caused John the Baptist to say “Hey wait .. this might be the guy!” in his own head.

All that remains as a certainty is: if any of that were important, it would have been brought up.

The only mention that I can recall of any significance in regards to skin coloring was in the Song of Solomon, and then, it was as a compliment towards a particular person. Even then, I am not sure if it really meant what it sounds like, or if they are just admiring a nice tan, or being poetic in some other mind-boggling, love-sick fashion. I am pretty sure no one really looked like leaping hinds, or some of the other things they said lol But, boy, is it beautiful!

True. Unfortunately, many people think sitting and waiting for it to come to them, is seeking. If one wishes to know, I would say, one MUST seek. Even if the truth is handed to you on a silver platter, you won’t know it is the truth until you question it. lol