Comments on: The Re-birth of Jesus

By: Peter Perrson

Peter Perrson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:53:55 +0000

Sorry Daniel, the scientific and historical evidence does not support an asiatic or black Jesus. However, to me it is not a big deal. I will just stay with my original point that Efrem is mistaken and it was incorrect for him to accuse Europeans of hijacking the portrayal of his physical image. Besides tracing language trees has nothing to do with appearance.

By: Daniel Schmitz

Daniel Schmitz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:37:52 +0000

The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. They constitute a branch of the AFROASIATIC LANGUAGE FAMILY. The most widely spoken Semitic languages today are Arabic[1] (206 million native speakers),[2] Amharic (27 million),[3][4] Hebrew (about 7 million)[5] Tigrinya (6.7 million),[6] and Aramaic (about 2.2 million). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_languages

Good Buddy Jesus
http://kiddmillennium.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jesus-thumps-up1.jpg?w=510

Blonde Jesus http://ecx.imagesamazon.com/images/I/51DW0yRV%2BVL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/images/Artists/Masaccios%20600th/Masaccio-Madonna-BAR700.jpg

Jesus in european landscape
http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Rome%20&%20Central%20Italy/Rome/Rome_Churches/Santa_Maria_del_Popolo/Images/800/PintNativity-May05-DC0491sAR700.jpg

American Jesus
http://daybreaksdevotions.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/american-jesus.jpg

http://totalobscurity.typepad.com/flagorama/pics/jesusflag.jpg

By: Peter Perrson

Peter Perrson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:42:29 +0000

Daniel if you read Efrem’s blog again, you’ll see he is scolding white people, because the Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are depicted as “white.” I don’t care what color Jesus is, but I do have a problem with people using their position in God’s church to be devisive, especially when they are absolutely ignorant of basic historical facts. There are even ancient drawings done by the Egyptians depicting various national groups (Nubians, Libyans……..and, yes, Jews), prior to the time of the Exodus. And, the Jews are always depicted as a pale race with light eye color, not as Black or Asian in appearance. As I stated, I think Efrem had a good point, but scholarship is everything! If I were 100% White and criticized Efrem for his faulty reasoning, I guarantee you would be calling me a racist! And, I’m not sure what you mean by Jesus being depicted wearing “European” dress? And, no, you are absolutely incorrect in your statement that First Century Jews spoke an “Afro Asian” language.

By: Daniel Schmitz

Daniel Schmitz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:07:17 +0000

Whether or not genetic evidence “proves” anything is beyond the point. Jesus is presented by the white majority culture in ways that meet their cultural needs. The Jesus we white people lift us is practically obsessed over our our individual needs, He is not just European, but northern European. His dress is European. The American Jesus wants to protect us as a white christian nation. If you do not believe me listen to Rick Perry, the most outspoken of the GOP candidates about his faith when he talks about Obama and his war on faith. Here is his quote…“As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.” Obama has done nothing to fight churches. I think these attacks are because his is liberal and he is black.

I do not tend to think that Jesus was black, but that he was asian is just a fact of geography. The Semetic language he spoke is considered afro-asiatic. The point we need to keep in front of us, though, is that Jesus came for all of us, black, asian, white, native, all of us. If one group tries to suggest that they are better in God’s because of their ethnicity or the color of their skin, they are both misguided and insult God. The sorry fact is that white people and the white church has not only suggested that this is so, but have acted out of this belief. They have acted hatefully toward minorities and have discredited the message of Jesus and the church itself by their actions. I should be saying “we” not “they” since I am white. We should do a better job taking responsibility for our actions.

By: Peter Perrson

Peter Perrson — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:24:31 +0000

While I think it is correct to encourage us to reexamine how, as Christians, we may have contaminated Christmas with our own cultural beliefs, it is ironic and a bit disturbing that you once again have stretched your academic credentials to claim expertise in an area in which you have very little knowledge. As you know, I am part African American and would be just as happy to adopt the image of a “Black Jesus”, but it just isn’t so. While a hundred years ago it was popular to fantasize the racial make up of what first century Jews may have looked like, it is now believed through significant scientific study with genetic markers, that first century Jews were very similar in appearance to Those Jews located in Eastern/Northern parts of Europe. Yes, a predominantly white looking race of people, with a large proportion having light colored eyes, brown to light brown wavy and straight hair and white colored skin, similar to those in central Europe, prior to the invasion of the Moors. Your idea that the “re-birth” of Jesus, making him look like a European is both scientifically and historically inaccurate. If you placed this idea, with all of the recent research, before any serious academic, they would strongly disagree with you and wonder where you have been the last three decades. You have a good point, but once again your understanding of history is flawed. You are basing your understanding of what Jesus should look like after 2000 years of invasions and conquests of the middle east. This is similar to your misunderstanding of the history of the Palestinian conflict, which we discussed several months ago. You really need to do some scholarly research before you attempt to teach others about things you know very little, if anything, about.

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:03:28 +0000

My use of the un-enlightened is too harsh especially considering I was once counted among them. A better term would be “those being wooed”.

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:01:29 +0000

Praise God for your sharing the truth about our Lord and thank God for being taught the truth from the pulpit long ago.

I concur, the image we have of Jesus has been wrongly perpetuated in a pagan and Western civilization perspective. However, the greater ill may be the way that we have lost the reason why He came. To reconcile His creation unto Himself. As Christians we must not embrace Christmas when the advertisers prompt us. Rather, we must live out Christmas everyday as we celebrate His love.

Like so many other divisive issues we must be careful not to alienate the unenlightened. We must love gently, perhaps even slowly in order that the world may come to know and accept the greatest Gift ever.

By: Tony Fair

Tony Fair — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:59:28 +0000

For “those of us that still keep Christ in Christmas,” how should this (“…present[ing] the gift of the real Jesus to the world…”) be done in a way that is different from what churches, who teach and preach “the real Jesus [which] calls us beyond consumerism to a life of truth, transformation, compassion, mercy, and justice” are doing now? And how is that message, the “real Jesus”, relevant to the discourse between the Afro-Asiatic Jew vs. the European Jesus?

By: Julia Chavira

Julia Chavira — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:16:25 +0000

Thank you Efrem for your dedication in guiding us all to enlightenment during these dark times and major change. Keep up Gods’ good work(: peace