Jesus returns — and he's BLACK!

[zakur]

Thief returns icon of baby Jesus, says prank proves point (http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?SearchID=73158744196125&Avis=TO&Dato=20031230&Kategori=NEWS10&Lopenr=112300066&Ref=AR)A figure of baby Jesus stolen from a Maumee church is back in his manger, wearing a new coat - of paint, that is.

During his two-week absence, Jesus’ white skin was covered with dark brown paint, said the Rev. Roger Miller, pastor of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on East Wayne Street.

"Sorry I took your baby Jesus. It was a childish prank," the perpetrator said in a handwritten note. "As far as his new color, I thought I would point out that Jesus was not an Aryan but actually a man of color. Although you probably knew this but would rather not be reminded."

The thief added that the paint job was "not some sort of racial thing ... actually I’m white. But I know what color Jesus was."

Dr. Henry Bowden, executive secretary of the American Society of Church History, said the dark-skinned Jesus is probably more historically accurate than the light-skinned image commonly seen in the United States.

[...]

The decision on whether to alter Jesus’ skin color yet again is up to the statue’s owner, he added.

Mr. Stout, 70, said he is not sure what he will do.

"It was nice the way it was," he said. "I don’t know, we’ll just pray about it and see."Hmmm...how do you word the prayer?

"Dear God, should we leave the statue with its new paint job?"

[no answer]

"I guess that means we should change it back..."

[darling]

"Dear Lord, The gods have been good to me. For the first time in my life, everything is absolutely perfect just the way it is. So here's the deal: You freeze everything the way it is, and I won't ask for anything more. If that is OK, please give me absolutely no sign.

OK, deal.

In gratitude, I present you this offering of cookies and milk. If you want me to eat them for you, give me no sign.

Thy will be done."

Homer Simpson

[Walter Wayne]

Dark brown paint? Jesus was semitic. Shouldn't he be a middle shade.

Walt

[UnrepentantSinner]

Since he might be half-Roman shouldn't he be a little on the light side of tan.

[Walter Wayne]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner
Since he might be half-Roman shouldn't he be a little on the light side of tan. God is Roman? I must brush up on my theology. :p

Walt

[WildCat]

Funny, none of the Jews I know have brown skin.

Now, there's Ethiopian Jews. But they're from Ethiopia, not Judea.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Walter Wayne
God is Roman? I must brush up on my theology. :p

Walt

I was referring to the altnate theory of Mary being raped by a Roman solider... but given the stories told about Zeus, you might be closer to the mark. ;)

[Walter Wayne]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner


I was referring to the altnate theory of Mary being raped by a Roman solider... but given the stories told about Zeus, you might be closer to the mark. ;) Zeus was greek, now Jupiter on the other hand... (Is there a pedantic smiley face)

Walt

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Walter Wayne
Zeus was greek, now Jupiter on the other hand... (Is there a pedantic smiley face)

Walt

(we need a combined rolleyes and raspberry smilie)

I knew that, I was just more familiar with Zeus turning into a Bull or Ferret and seducing women. Are there any well known stories with Jupiter from Roman times?

[Matabiri]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner


I was referring to the altnate theory of Mary being raped by a Roman solider... but given the stories told about Zeus, you might be closer to the mark. ;)

On the other hand, Jesus was a member of the Roman Empire, and so, technically, Roman.

And I think there was a general tendency to put all kinds of people in the army, rather than just people from the white parts of Europe. So Mary could have been raped by an Afro-Roman soldier, making Jesus black.

[Gregor]

Oh contrar, Metabiri.

Simply living under the Pax Romana does not technically make one a Roman - far from it. Roman citizens had tremendous privileges that those curs in Judea did not. In fact, I think I recall that Paul - when purportedly chased by a group of disgruntled Jews - sought protection by the authorities by relying on his Roman citizenship.

Roman citizenship was either inherited or bestowed.

[Giz]

Originally posted by Gregor
Oh contrar, Metabiri.

Simply living under the Pax Romana does not technically make one a Roman - far from it. Roman citizens had tremendous privileges that those curs in Judea did not. In fact, I think I recall that Paul - when purportedly chased by a group of disgruntled Jews - sought protection by the authorities by relying on his Roman citizenship.

Roman citizenship was either inherited or bestowed.

True, citizenship was only confirred on everyone (well excepting slaves etc) in the Roman Empire around 200 AD (to create a larger tax base)!

[tonygraham]

We already knew he was back - but as to race........ (http://www.jesusisback.com)

[Matabiri]

Originally posted by Giz


True, citizenship was only confirred on everyone (well excepting slaves etc) in the Roman Empire around 200 AD (to create a larger tax base)!

Well, to play devil's advocate, if Jesus is still alive, he's a Roman now then...

[tonygraham]

Bum! The link I posted above is supposed to take you to Jesusisback.com, which you would have enjoyed, I assure you. However, he seems to have gone again.

[Matabiri]

Various bits of jesusisback are still in the Google cache... at least enough of it to make me want to see it properly.

Bum!

[neutrino_cannon]

As I remember it, Roman citizenship was not availible to former slaves (freemen are different than citizens), but it was availible to the children of freemen.

As for Jesus' color, I would assume he was pretty darned black afte being hung up there in the sun for a while. Not before turning red, of course.

Of course, assuming he was semetic (a resonable assumtion, says me) then the quibling is less over the exact color, but rather over facial features typical to people of the area.

You know, the sort of deatil that can't be seen in babies, or on statues, and definatly not in statues of babies.

[zakur]

The new face of Jesus (http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/12/25/face.jesus/)

http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/TECH/science/12/25/face.jesus/story.jesushead.cnn.jpg