The Contested Color of Christ

[Kawazu]

"White Jesus" in Mormon theology?

I am posting this NPR piece in Gospel Discussion because I am curious to know how accurately it describes the skin color of Jesus Christ in relation to LDS doctrine. It seems to me that the article contains some common misconceptions:

'Color Of Christ': A Story Of Race And Religion In America

NPR - November 19, 2012

What did Jesus look like? The many different depictions of Christ tell a story about race and religion in America. Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey explore that history in their new book, The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. The book traces how different races and ethnic groups claimed Christ as their own — and how depictions of Jesus have both inspired civil rights crusades, and been used to justify the violence of white supremacists.

The Ku Klux Klan could not rely on Christian doctrine to justify their persecution and violence, so they had to turn to religious icons. "The belief, the value, that Jesus is white provides them an image in place of text," Blum tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "It gets them away from actually having to quote chapter and verse, which they can't really do to present their cause."

If Blum had to paint a realistic portrait of Jesus, he says he wouldn't be white: "I would probably paint him darkly complected, not pure black, more in a kind of light brownish ."

Up until the late 1800s, Blum says Americans were comfortable with Jesus' Semitic roots and depicted him with brown eyes. But as waves of Catholic and Jewish immigrants came to the United States, some Americans "became concerned that it was changing the face of America too much, changing it racially, changing it religiously." In the early 20th century, there was an attempt to distinguish Jesus from his Semitic background. Religious writers and artists who were advocating for immigration restrictions began to depict Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes.

Interview Highlights:

On how slave owners presented the image of a white Jesus

"When slave owners try to Christianize their slaves, they bring Jesus in two forms — one is as a servant, and that's to say, 'Hey look, service is good, service is godly, so your work service is good.' But they also present Jesus as master ... You have to follow his lead to not lie, not steal. But when slaves take this Jesus, how they reconnect the dots is to say, 'OK, well if Jesus is master, then my earthly master isn't my only one, he's not my most powerful one, in fact I have a master above my master ... and that master can challenge the slave owner, can teach a higher law.' And then when we get to service, when slaves hear that Jesus was a servant, they say, 'Hey, wait a second, he also suffered, he was crucified, but that wasn't the rest of the story. The rest of the story was he was resurrected, and not only was Jesus resurrected, but he resurrected his friends in the story of Lazarus.'

"So for African-Americans who have death all around them — and not just literal death, but also the death of families, you know, when you see your wife or child sent away ... Jesus has resurrection power for him and his friends. So what slaves do is they basically take those models of master and of servant, and they just connect them differently than the way the slave masters intended, and they create basically a wholly new form of Protestant Christianity."

On how Mormons claimed a sacred America with the image of a white Jesus Christ

"Geographically, one of the problems Americans had had before Mormonism was they wanted to stake their belief on Jesus, but a Jesus who never lived here, never lived in this space. So when the Book of Mormon has prophecy of [Jesus] and then [has] Jesus here on the American continents, all of a sudden America is sacred. ... It precedes Columbus, and the fact that this Jesus is white with blue eyes — it gives Americans long history; not theft from the Indians, but a reclaiming of the land. So the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they're reclaiming the faith, they're reclaiming the land, and they're doing it through a white notion of the sacred."

How Joseph Smith explained race in America

"In Mormon theology — and Smith himself would claim he's not explaining any of this, that these are revelations to him from on high — that basically physical distinctions like light skin, white skin, dark skin, black skin, that those are made by God in part from the Book of Genesis, where after the flood, Noah curses his grandson and, supposedly, his son and grandson then go to Africa. So it seems that Noah's curse is actually from God, and so people of African descent are cursed. But also in Mormon theology, there is a sense that one's skin tone reflects one's pre-this-life sinfulness.

"For Mormons, one's body existed before in a pre-life state, and it'll exist after our lives — our literal bodies will — and so when Joseph Smith looked around him and saw Native Americans, when he saw black Americans, when he saw white Americans — the revelation told him the lighter the skin, the more blessed one and the less sinful one was in the past. And he actually thought that societies would lighten. So the more Native Americans, for instance, would join the church and be good Latter-day Saints, they would actually lighten over time as part of becoming more sacred. But the curse of those [of] African-American descent is intense. Brigham Young, for instance, would say that if a white man was caught having a sexual relationship with a woman with any African descent, he should be executed, perhaps even beheaded on the spot. So while Native Americans could be redeemed more with time, Africans-Americans, people with African descent, were seen really as the ultimate other."

On when the image of a black Jesus emerged

"During the 1920s and 1930s, we see people out of W.E.B. Du Bois' circle drawing Jesus as a Southern black man who is lynched, basically. And then the second time we see it is during the civil rights movement, during the mid- and late-1960s and the 1970s ... that Jesus is more Africanized. He might have an Afro, he might wear a dashiki. ... We see the rise of identity politics, and so making a Jesus who looks like you as part of an expression of power, it becomes important — and that's exactly the same time that African-Americans are quote unquote 'discovering their roots,' as Alex Haley put it. And so going back to Africa, looking more ... 'African' becomes important culturally, and so doing that to Jesus happens at the same time." [Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]

Questions:

What are the sources for the idea that Joseph Smith taught righteousness had to do with skin color? Doctrine and Covenants?

Is the LDS Jesus Caucasian? (I know there are paintings to that effect but I never really took them as historically or theologically accurate.) Realistically, Jesus would have been more Middle Eastern, in appearance, correct?

[Guest]

What are the sources for the idea that Joseph Smith taught righteousness had to do with skin color?

That's an excellent question. I've never seen such sources.

Is the LDS Jesus Caucasian? (I know there are paintings to that effect but I never really took them as historically or theologically accurate.) Realistically, Jesus would have been more Middle Eastern, in appearance, correct?

I would say that's completely a matter of speculation. There is no LDS theology that states either way, that I've ever seen. I agree that Jesus is obviously Middle Eastern, but not all Middle Eastern people have the same color or features. So, again. . . speculation.

[skippy740]

Questions:

What are the sources for the idea that Joseph Smith taught righteousness had to do with skin color? Doctrine and Covenants?

Is the LDS Jesus Caucasian? (I know there are paintings to that effect but I never really took them as historically or theologically accurate.) Realistically, Jesus would have been more Middle Eastern, in appearance, correct?

Start here: In The News | BlacksInTheScriptures.com

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/45876-scriptures-church-history-racism-blacks-scriptures.html

Edited November 21, 2012 by skippy740

[NeuroTypical]

What are the sources for the idea that Joseph Smith taught righteousness had to do with skin color?

I'm guessing the main source would be the art hanging on our walls. Never confuse framed stuff hanging on the walls as "doctrine".

Is the LDS Jesus Caucasian?

There is no such thing as "the LDS Jesus". Jesus Christ lived, and he was whatever color he was, and it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

I'm guessing his hair, skin, and eye color are not all that important to most christians either. Maybe it is to folks who struggle with racism. I guess a relevant question would be: When you die and go to meet the Master, and he's a different color than you always imagined, are you going to get all ticked off and ask to be sent to hell instead?

[pam]

I'm with LM. It makes no difference to me what color Jesus is. He could be black, yellow, white, pink or purple but that doesn't change who He is to me.

[Dravin]

What are the sources for the idea that Joseph Smith taught righteousness had to do with skin color?

You'd have to ask the author if you want to know what his sources are (or look in the book if it is a properly cited work).

Is the LDS Jesus Caucasian?

Inasmuch as Jews qualify as Caucasian, yes. Inasmuch as he looked like Tomas Kofod, no. At least not in my opinion, I think a lot of depictions are playing off tradition and/or the thread of white/bright/shining/lightening we see used in the scriptures describing individuals such as the resurrected Christ, angels, and Moses when he came off the mount.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Dravin

[Just_A_Guy]

I think there was a prevalent belief in early Church times that the Lamanites would, indeed, "whiten" over time; because one of Joseph Smith's contemporaries (can't remember who at the moment - maybe W.W. Phelps) recalled asking Smith how it would happen; and Smith replied that the elders would have to take wives from among the Lamanites. (This was back during the Kirtland era and, in retrospect, was seen as a precursor to polygamy.) I think there are also some observations out there from Spencer W. Kimball, during his work with the Navajo as an apostle, observing that often the children of the Navajo seemed noticeably whiter than their parents.

But the idea that an individual accepts the Gospel and somehow miraculously "turns white" is, IMHO, nonsense; and I don't think Mormonism ever embraced such a view--officially or otherwise.

[Dravin]

I think there was a prevalent belief in early Church times that the Lamanites would, indeed, "whiten" over time; because one of Joseph Smith's contemporaries (can't remember who at the moment - maybe W.W. Phelps) recalled asking Smith how it would happen; and Smith replied that the elders would have to take wives from among the Lamanites. (This was back during the Kirtland era and, in retrospect, was seen as a precursor to polygamy.) I think there are also some observations out there from Spencer W. Kimball, during his work with the Navajo as an apostle, observing that often the children of the Navajo seemed noticeably whiter than their parents.

But the idea that an individual accepts the Gospel and somehow miraculously "turns white" is, IMHO, nonsense; and I don't think Mormonism ever embraced such a view--officially or otherwise.

FAIR has an article about this: Mormonism and polygamy/Lamanites to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage - FAIRMormon

[prisonchaplain]

Isaiah tells us that Messiah was not physically attractive. Beyond that, we might guess that he looked like a typical Middle Easterner of 2000 years ago. Dark-skinned, dark hair, dark eyes. Interestingly, none of the gospel writers, nor the Apostle Paul, thought it important to give us a physical description of him. So, as others have said, it is not all that important.

The OP might be right that our depictions of Jesus tell us more about ourselves than him. Once, I was escorting a large group of volunteers in to provide religious programming at the jail. The officer processing us decided to put me on the spot. He was African-American, and he says, "Hey chaplain, do you think Jesus was black?"

Without missing a beat I responded, "Probably."

His eyes got a bid wide as he smiled. The volunteers looked a bit surprised. Somehow I did not find it necessary to explain or elaborate. :-)

[Vort]

Typical NPR crap.

Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, and apparently not so different from those around him that his un-Jewish appearance would have raised question among Jews. At least we never hear of any such thing. And Palestinian Jews had a range of skin and eye colors, including light skin and blue eyes. I have no idea what color Jesus' skin and eyes were. Little would surprise me, least of all NPR screwing up yet again and butchering (perhaps intentionally) the actual doctrines and beliefs of Latter-day Saints.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

FAIR has an article about this: Mormonism and polygamy/Lamanites to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage - FAIRMormon

I read that Dravin, thanks. Yay again for FAIR!

Start here: In The News | BlacksInTheScriptures.com

Yay for Blacks in the Scriptures! This is such a wonderful and informative site.

The Ku Klux Klan could not rely on Christian doctrine to justify their persecution and violence, so they had to turn to religious icons.

I don't think this is correct. From what I learned recently (even before this thread :)) is that among the Christians for the time period of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young was that blacks were under the curse of Cain, and therefore inferior....they used this to justify their belief in Christ and their beliefs about slavery.

The doctrine of the LDS church does not support any belief that black people are inferior in any way.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The Book of Mormon states, “black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church’s official teaching.

People of all races have always been welcomed and baptized into the Church since its beginning. In fact, by the end of his life in 1844 Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opposed slavery. During this time some black males were ordained to the priesthood. At some point the Church stopped ordaining male members of African descent, although there were a few exceptions. It is not known precisely why, how or when this restriction began in the Church, but it has ended. Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members. The Church immediately began ordaining members to priesthood offices wherever they attended throughout the world.

The Church unequivocally condemns racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church. In 2006, then Church president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that “no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church. Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.”

Recently, the Church has also made the following statement on this subject:

“The origins of priesthood availability are not entirely clear. Some explanations with respect to this matter were made in the absence of direct revelation and references to these explanations are sometimes cited in publications. These previous personal statements do not represent Church doctrine.”

Race and the Church: All Are Alike Unto God

If Blum had to paint a realistic portrait of Jesus, he says he wouldn't be white: "I would probably paint him darkly complected, not pure black, more in a kind of light brownish ."

If I were an artist, I would as well. Considering first that Christ was Jewish, which I think of as a darker (and more beautiful actually) color than my own pasty white, LOL. And then on top of that think about how much time He was outside walking, sitting with people teaching...

"Geographically, one of the problems Americans had had before Mormonism was they wanted to stake their belief on Jesus, but a Jesus who never lived here, never lived in this space. So when the Book of Mormon has prophecy of [Jesus] and then [has] Jesus here on the American continents, all of a sudden America is sacred. ... It precedes Columbus, and the fact that this Jesus is white with blue eyes — it gives Americans long history; not theft from the Indians, but a reclaiming of the land. So the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they're reclaiming the faith, they're reclaiming the land, and they're doing it through a white notion of the sacred."

That is a huge jump the author made there with no explanation. Poor journalism in my view. The Book of Mormon does talk about Christ coming to visit the Nephites, but no where does it describe him as being white with blue eyes.

I need to read 3 Nephi again, but if it mentions "white" at all, I believe that would be in reference to purity as in when Isaiah said "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." No one assumes from this scripture that sins actually have a color, or that we change color when we repent.

"In Mormon theology — and Smith himself would claim he's not explaining any of this, that these are revelations to him from on high — that basically physical distinctions like light skin, white skin, dark skin, black skin, that those are made by God in part from the Book of Genesis, where after the flood, Noah curses his grandson and, supposedly, his son and grandson then go to Africa. So it seems that Noah's curse is actually from God, and so people of African descent are cursed. But also in Mormon theology, there is a sense that one's skin tone reflects one's pre-this-life sinfulness.

Again the quthor is making huge leaps and assumptions here without giving valid references. It makes me question his integrity/honesty.

I have never heard of Joseph teaching any such thing. At Blacks in the Scriptures, I recently listened to a wonderful lecture about the descendants of Ham and all the places they went, and all the scriptural events they were involved it. They were just regular people sometimes making good choices, sometimes bad.

"For Mormons, one's body existed before in a pre-life state, and it'll exist after our lives — our literal bodies will — and so when Joseph Smith looked around him and saw Native Americans, when he saw black Americans, when he saw white Americans — the revelation told him the lighter the skin, the more blessed one and the less sinful one was in the past. And he actually thought that societies would lighten. So the more Native Americans, for instance, would join the church and be good Latter-day Saints, they would actually lighten over time as part of becoming more sacred. But the curse of those [of] African-American descent is intense. Brigham Young, for instance, would say that if a white man was caught having a sexual relationship with a woman with any African descent, he should be executed, perhaps even beheaded on the spot. So while Native Americans could be redeemed more with time, Africans-Americans, people with African descent, were seen really as the ultimate other."

I don't believe that Joseph or Brigham ever taugh any such thing, if I am proven wrong, then I would say that they were speaking as men...products of the time they lived in. Prophets do not suddenly become perfected when they receive the calling, they are human and as such they can make mistakes.

In February an Institute teacher shared his PERSONAL views about blacks as doctrine to a reporter from the Washington Post. They were along the lines of what is quoted here, basically that blacks are inferior because of something they did in the pre-exsistence. The church was quick to explain that this man's opinions are NOT the doctrine of the church.

Here is a portion of it:

For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent. It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago. Some have attempted to explain the reason for this restriction but these attempts should be viewed as speculation and opinion, not doctrine. The Church is not bound by speculation or opinions given with limited understanding.

We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church.

Church Statement Regarding 'Washington Post' Article on Race and the Church

[john doe]

I'm guessing the main source would be the art hanging on our walls. Never confuse framed stuff hanging on the walls as "doctrine".

Do you mean that Jesus really doesn't want me to be a Sunbeam? Becuase that always disappointed all the Moonbeams in the world.

[john doe]

On a more serious note relating to the OP, I think there has been a misconception and/or misinterpretation of things. Instead of people actually getting whiter in color, I believe that people who find joy and happiness through living the Gospel show it in their countenance. You can usually tell a person is happy and confortable with who they are before God by how they look outwardly, and you could say that some people are positively glowing. That does not mean that a dark-skinned person actually turns white, but that they have that 'glow' of the Gospel about them. That glow comes from within.

[Just_A_Guy]

FAIR has an article about this: Mormonism and polygamy/Lamanites to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage - FAIRMormon

I appreciate FAIR, but they're answering a very narrowly crafted question here.

Say what you want about Phelps' memory (he certainly suffered from dementia towards the end of his life; though the Church has had no problem in relying on other memories of Phelps recorded more or less at the same time); but the fact is that by the mid-1850s it is reasonably well documented that Brigham Young and Heber Kimball, among others, were encouraging intermarriage among the Indians for the express purpose of "whitening"; and several such marriages did in fact occur.

Blame it on Young or blame it on Smith; but the fact is: the idea was out there, and it influenced the action of 19th-century missionaries to the Indians in southern Utah.

[circusboy01]

I agree with everybody that Jesus could be any color and he would still be Jesus, and I would still love and worship Him.

But here's a thought. Maybe I'm way off base. Please let me know. Years ago I read an article saying that jesus had to be dark skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed. Because thats how everybody looked in the area where he was born. The first thing that came to my mind was Genes. We get our looks through our parents Genes, and also from the Genes of uncles, great Aunts, reletives in general

One or the other parent has the strongest, or dominant Genes, and that is the parent you will favor. I believe Jesus looks like His Father because His Fathers (GOD) had the dominant Genes Brother Ray

Edited November 22, 2012 by circusboy01

[annewandering]

I agree with everybody that Jesus could be any color and he would still be Jesus, and I would still love and worship Him.

But here's a thought. Maybe I'm way off base. Please let me know. Years ago I read an article saying that jesus had to be dark skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed. Because thats how everybody looked in the area where he was born. The first thing that came to my mind was Genes. We get our looks through our parents Genes, and also from the Genes of uncles, great Aunts, reletives in general

One or the other parent has the strongest, or dominant Genes, and that is the parent you will favor. I believe Jesus looks like His Father because His Fathers (GOD) had the dominant Genes Brother Ray

hmmm now theres an obvious but hidden in plain sight observation!

Edited November 22, 2012 by annewandering

[bytor2112]

How did Joseph Smith describe the Father and the Son?

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air

Edited November 22, 2012 by bytor2112

[Guest Thinker]

On a more serious note relating to the OP, I think there has been a misconception and/or misinterpretation of things. Instead of people actually getting whiter in color, I believe that people who find joy and happiness through living the Gospel show it in their countenance. You can usually tell a person is happy and confortable with who they are before God by how they look outwardly, and you could say that some people are positively glowing. That does not mean that a dark-skinned person actually turns white, but that they have that 'glow' of the Gospel about them. That glow comes from within.

I appreciate you pointing this out.

Unfortunately, many have misinterpreted scriptures in the Book of Mormon to justify racial prejudice.

God is love & "no respector of persons."

If we want to become more god-like, we need to learn to see through spiritual eyes & not judge based on appearances. People tend to portray Jesus as they want to - in whatever way makes it easier to love him, but this might be cheating & not truly loving as God & Christ would.

Currently, there are diverse-looking people in the middle east and especially Israel, however this is after many years of interbreeding. Many in the US do not look Native American, even though their families have lived in the US for many generations.

"...Forensic anthropology uses cultural and archeological data as well as the physical and biological sciences to study different groups of people". Using these techniques along with forensics, some have put together a model of what would be a typical man in Jesus' place and time...

The Real Face Of Jesus - What Did Jesus Look Like? - Popular Mechanics

Edited November 22, 2012 by Thinker

[pam]

Considering this picture is from Popular Mechanics..I'm surprised they didn't put a wrench in his hand. :)

[annewandering]

It is pretty hard to base a projected image of what Christ would look like only knowing the moms genetic background. And that is a very broad ethnic background. Circusboy certainly got me to thinking on this. We are told that if we see Jesus we see the Father. We can guess God is not of middle eastern extraction.

So anyway if we wanted to guess well that is all we can do.

[bcguy]

I once remember seeing a cartoon where a black hand of God reached out of the clouds and with his index finger held back by his thumb, was ready to flick the body of the KKK standing on a hill into the next county. So, does this mean god and Jesus are white or black? does it really matter?

But a few years ago, Forensics used evidence of skeletons in the region where he stayed, and best guessed, was conceived a image of what he may have looked like. Found the link from Popular Science.

The Real Face Of Jesus - What Did Jesus Look Like? - Popular Mechanics

Looks like some one beat me to it.

Edited November 23, 2012 by bcguy

[volgadon]

I appreciate you pointing this out.

Unfortunately, many have misinterpreted scriptures in the Book of Mormon to justify racial prejudice.

God is love & "no respector of persons."

If we want to become more god-like, we need to learn to see through spiritual eyes & not judge based on appearances. People tend to portray Jesus as they want to - in whatever way makes it easier to love him, but this might be cheating & not truly loving as God & Christ would.

Currently, there are diverse-looking people in the middle east and especially Israel, however this is after many years of interbreeding. Many in the US do not look Native American, even though their families have lived in the US for many generations.

"...Forensic anthropology uses cultural and archeological data as well as the physical and biological sciences to study different groups of people". Using these techniques along with forensics, some have put together a model of what would be a typical man in Jesus' place and time...

The Real Face Of Jesus - What Did Jesus Look Like? - Popular Mechanics

Personally, I think this reconstruction is not a very good one, to put it mildly. The reconstruction is a somewhat exaggerated stereotype, depicting Jesus with broad, bovine features, one wearing an expression of stupidity on his face.

Here are images closer to the times of Jesus showing a fair amount of diversity.

Mosaics from Sepphoris which was only several miles from Nazareth.

Note especially the figures from the synagogue mosaic.

Mosaics of Sepphoris

Mosaic of Abaraham from the Beit-Alpha synagogue in the Jezreel Valley.

richard mcbee - Beit Alpha Mosaics of The Akeidah

Beit-Shean in the Jordan Valley.

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4947736-Travel_Picture-Tel_Bet_Shean.jpg

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Beit+She-an+-+A+Biblical+City+and+Scythopolis+-+A.htm?DisplayMode=print

King David from the synagogue at Meroth in Northern Galilee.

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/israel/images/dss721a.jpg

The burial caves at Tel Maresha in the Shephelah.

Tel Maresha - Beit Guvrin

Madaba in Jordan.

Home Page

Madaba - Jordan

Jerash in Jordan.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/-h1L7IO_VOXM/TIUBoXTLH6I/AAAAAAAADZ4/kgSFKwO6fig/8-30-2010_006.JPG

http://yachtquovadis.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DSC_6003.jpg

Mount Nebo in Jordan.

This one is particularly relevant because it shows not only that the ancients could depict very dark skin, but that it was found somewhat rarely in the region.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/jordan/mount-nebo-photos/mosaic-floor2-cc-templar1307.jpg

The Jordan Archaeological Museum.

Museums - tour

[Irishcolleen]

At some point we will know! And when we see Him it will be amazing, no matter what color His skin is!

[Guest Thinker]

Volgadon,

Thank you for so many interesting links to ancient images of Jesus - they all look similar - including the one done by forensic anthropologists.

It's interesting and encouraging how although derived through different means, they look similar.

The image done by forensic anthropologists provides the most science-based detail of a typical man during the time and place of Jesus.

The links of ancient images of Jesus look similar to the more current model, only less detailed - more primitive (& thus seemingly authentic) representations.

At some point we will know! And when we see Him it will be amazing, no matter what color His skin is!

Christ - the light of Christ - is in everyone.

Mother Teresa chose to work in the most extreme condition of poverty, helping those with leprocy. Someone asked how she could stand such disgusting conditions - how she could treat people who smell, who have sickness -like that.

She responded by saying that she imagined that she was caring for Christ... and she was.

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me."

Edited November 23, 2012 by Thinker

[Kawazu]

Thanks, everyone. Mainly, the person who sent me the article was concerned about the idea that skin color was thought to have signified righteousness. I sent him excerpts from an apologetics website as well as the 30 minute video lecture by Darius Gray from Blacks in the Scriptures for some historical context.