Why, if Jesus was born in the middle east, is he always portrayed as a white man in western society?

Question

I'm an atheist, and i was just wonderin. its a bit strange, don't you think?

Answer 1

I used to wonder if people were telling the truth about other cultures making Jesus look like them. So, oneday I was passing a Chinese catholic church, and sure enough, it had a picture of a chinese Mary holding a chinese Baby Jesus.

So it's because of culture, nothing more. :)

Answer 2

because all of humanity is at least a little racist.

that coupled with the fact that we all identify with those of the same color more easily.

has resulted in different colored jesus'

the same thing has happened to santa.

Luzifer

Answer 3

I agree with Pauly - some paintings of Egyptians portray them as white.

It makes you wonder where people got the idea that Jesus was white from - was it just so the white culture could associate better with him - or was it true fact that has been passed down through the ages?

I don't think it means God's child was white - he sent men around the world through different times and cultures with the same message - look at Budda! He isn't white.

The message is to love one another for you all came from the same place and are going the same place.

You don't have to be an atheist just because you don't belong to one religion - I don't but I do believe the best way to live is to love!

Answer 4

Well, the obvious answer is racism.  Duh!

"I like to picture my Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt, cuz it says, Hey I'm formal, but I like to party. I like my Jesus to party."

Answer 5

Where ever in the world, Jesus will look like the dominate people in that area. For instance, it could be in the Netherlands, that he will be white and blond. Africa, he might be black with dark-brown or black hair.

Answer 6

what do you mean "always portrayed"? I don't think I follow... Most western society men don't wear their hair long ( facial as well ) nor do they were a robe.... he looks foreign to me! but really what difference does it make what he looks like? I thought Atheists said he didn't exist... so how can there be pictures of him?  

Answer 7

Because his portrayals are done by Westerners who are white.  I've seen South Eastern depictions of Santa Claus as well as black Santas, northern European, etc.  I do envision him as Middle Eastern and I have no problem with that.

Answer 8

So people in local areas could relate to him.

Answer 9

For one your an atheist so this question is pretty strange. Most atheist dont even believe Jesus is real or ever lived. Anyhow I dont care if Jesus is  blue. He died for me so I can live forever.

Answer 10

he is not always  but the famous  paintings  showed  him as  European  as  one of us.  colour  really is  not important  what maters  is accepting  him as lord and saviour.

Answer 11

Jesus looked like a middle eastern man, the people who decided to paint him white were wrong.

Good question have a star.

Answer 12

Jesus was and is still a Jew. He is also the Resurrected Christ, having kicked the end out of the tomb where He was buried.  

Answer 13

I think (white) people just wanted to relate more to him, so they picture him looking more like him.

In many black cultures, Jesus is portrayed as a black man.

I don't really think it matters what color he was. It's just a way of people trying to be closer to him.

Answer 14

Things change, all those years ago it was the white people who lived in the middle east to some degree, evan the egyptians were white, as time goes by different groups and races migrated in and mixed etc causing the population to change, thats why still today there are many arabs with blonde hair, blue eyes.

Answer 15

what i don't understand is why people are always battling over the fact that he was white, black, jewish. WHO freaken cares, hes God and nobody's race is going to win a big reward or get praised better if he was this or that. he is Jesus Christ, who got on the cross to save us all regardless of our color. we humans need to stop doing this to ourselves.  

Answer 16

Where do you see him portrayed as a white man?  We all know he was a Jew from the Middle East.  

Why does an atheist care?  I was just wondering, it's a bit strange, don't you think?  

Answer 17

He is generally portrayed as looking like whatever culture the artist belongs to.  Artists have always done this, not just with Jesus but with whomever they depict in their art.

Answer 18

Oh yes, I can't stand it when Jesus is portrayed as a white man, he was/is olive, brown or even black for goodness sakes!

Answer 19

At least He's not portrayed as a blond guy smoking a cigarette and wearing a cowboy hat.

Answer 20

For the same reason he's protrayed as Asian among many asian cultures and as black among africans, as indian among indians, etc.

Answer 21

He is portrayed the way European artists imagined He looked.  I mean, if you go by the old paintings.  

Since He was too busy to pose for portraits, there really are no actual images of Him. On the other hand, if you read about His description in Isaiah, you will see that He looked like all of the other Jewish men in His community in Israel.  Probably had unruly curly black or brown hair, olive skin... Isaiah says He wasn't going to be particularly attractive so that He would be esteemed of among men...  

  

Answer 22

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, painters, sculptors and other artists portrayed Jesus as white. My guess (and it's just a guess) is that they made Jesus in their own image. Many had not traveled to Jerusalem or the Middle East. So, they made him the way they saw each other- as white.

Also- patrons of the arts wanted their pieces done a certain way. The artists often complied as best they could. So, if the patron wanted a white Jesus, he got one.

Answer 23

Because the Church of England is racist so they have to have their hero as white.

I don't mean to be rude at all but I think this is true.

Answer 24

jesus ,when born as a human, was born a jew,

that's not too strange is it?

just because we may not agree on some things doesn't mean we

disagree on everything , we are both human

Answer 25

I read somewhere that people in the Near East had a lighter skin complexion two millennia ago than they do now.

Answer 26

Agreed. The obvious reason is racism. In reality, it wasn't "god created man in his own image", it was the other way around. If god created everybody in his image, why are there different colored people? Was god multi-colored? Black leg, white arm, muslim head?

Answer 27

Because there rasist, The so called Jesus, was in fact black, christians and followers of the kkk should face that :)

Answer 28

Because they were painted by Western artists.  

Answer 29

It's easier for people to relate to someone who looks like them. It's a lamentable fact, but undeniably part of our biology.

Answer 30

sigh

this is like shooting fish in a barrel

it has to do with opression

wanting people to forget he was a JEW

wanting people to forget he was middle eastern since that use to and still is in many ways be considered a negative thing.

and most middle easterners and north africans were dark and dark skinned people from the middle east were always pictured as muslim barbarians...still are.

and many many more reasons...

Answer 31

If you perhaps "create" a person in your mind, or if you try to picture someone you've never seen before, they're probably going to have the same skin colour as you or as the majority of people you see in your day-to-day life.

This is what happened with Jesus - we don't know what he looks like, so when imagining it, artists etc saw him as with the skin colour of them/the people around them.