And, while you’re at it, toss the Virgin Mary, demolish stain glass windows of their friends, and rampage, rip, and similarly destroy murals.
Simply because the images of the religious figures depicted are white.
Here, according to Wikipedia, is what activist, writer and supporter of the Black Lives Movement, Shaun King, said June 22, 2020 as also reported in Newsweek:
“Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down. They are a form of white supremacy. Always have been. In the Bible, when the family of Jesus wanted to hide, and blend in, guess where they went? EGYPT! Not Denmark. Tear them down. Yes. All murals and stained glass windows of white Jesus, and his European mother, and their white friends should also come down. They are a gross form white supremacy. Created as tools of oppression. Racist propaganda. They should all come down.”
That King conveniently ignores what Jesus had to say (which is perhaps not surprising given King is himself a self-admitted disillusioned former pastor) and focuses instead on the common color given to the central figure of Christianity’s skin, is not dissimilar from “the failure of most rabbis, priests and pastors to speak out today”, to hear Dennis Prager tell it.
“Religion doesn’t have all that much impact on most religious people,” said Prager, conservative talk show host.
Whether a reference to his statue or to his stature, Jesus just isn’t relevant.
‘Tear it down,’ as much as says King.
‘Your place of worship is failing you,’ as much says Prager.
King advocates more thunderous demolition.
Prager decries the near total lack of thunderous sermon denunciation.
And in this, both appear to agree: “What use is religion?”
It’s a good question.
An even better question than what did Jesus look like.
King would take exception no doubt to the “long, blondish hair; pale, wrinkle-free skin; and a placid expression” of Ted Neely who was the lead of “Jesus Christ Superstar” as described by Meredith J.C. Warren – lecturer in biblical and religious studies at the University of Sheffield.
Prager would likewise likely object to the typical portrayal in churches of Jesus as “vegetarian, pacifist, tranquil” as described – and decried – by John Eldredge in his book “Beautiful Outlaw.”
“We project into the Gospel stories a pastoral back-drop, the quaint charm of a Middle Eastern travel brochure – picturesque villages, bustling markets, smiling children – and Jesus wandering through it all like a son come home from college,” bemoans Eldredge.
“The religious fog sneaks in to obscure Jesus with lines comparing him to, ‘a rose trampled on the ground.’ Helpless, lovely Jesus.
“Millions of people who have spent years attending church, and yet they don’t know God. Their heads are filled with stuffing about Jesus . . . with the result that they have been cheated, robbed, and plundered.”
Is there a statue of a white Jesus in your place of worship? ‘Tear it down,’ says King.
Is there a description of a wimp Jesus in your place of worship? ‘Tear it up,’ as much says Prager and Eldredge.
How ‘bout – white or black – a lamb?
No, not some white – or black – fluffy, black-button-nosed baby lamb cuddled close in a shepherd’s arms.
Rather the lamb as described in the book of how the story ends.
I may be the only one reading your message who doesn’t understand the intent of it; which may be due to some meds that are fogging my mind a bit.
Whatever the skin color of Jesus, it is the message He brings to us is what is important. One of these is: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6b.
Jesus did not build any statues to himself, nor did he direct anyone to do so. It is the messages He left with us that are important. There is not one image of Jesus made of metal or stone, or drawn on paper, that is more important.
Several years ago there was a question often asked: “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps it would be a good idea to begin asking that question again, and often.
I completely agree with you. First remove Our Lord & His Mother Mary from all places of worship, then move on to the Jewish synagogues, then the ? & then deny us freedom of our beliefs. We are being tested by G-d. Even the former atheistic Russia permits worship again. I suppose only the radicals are correct!
All freedoms will be dictated by these angry miserable people. G-d help us.
Jesus would have done precious little, that those who claim to speak and act in his name, mainly American Evangelicals. They have much much more in common with Benito Mussolini and Fascist parties that dominated much of Europe at its lowest most disfiguring points, than anything that can be likened to Christ. I pray daily that they die or fal by the wayside; that is how vain, distorted, and outright Evil, the actions and beliefs of ‘American evangelicals’ are to me.
If you travel to other areas of the world like Africa, Jesus is black, if you go to Asia, Jesus has an Asian look on their statues and paintings. If you happen to go to So, America, Jesus looks Hispanic and if you come to either No America or Europe Jesus is depicted as a white person. There is nothing racist about it, it is done all over the world. If you are only looking at the color of Jesus’s skin as Dave said above, you have missed the point of who Jesus was/is and what he stands for.
I posted a likewise message on our neighbors app, it was removed. No explanation, nothing. I was merely asking to let your pastors know if your church had anything that may become a target.
I’m happy to see suburban times supports Mr Andersons letter.
Brad
More destruction and hate has nothing to do with Jesus. I’m sorry that you cannot see through your own hatred, and accept that Jesus came to save you. His color is never discussed because that’s not what is important.
I will pray for you, because no one on earth can save you, no matter what color they are.
How sad when hatred rules. We all know the ancestry of the Living Christ was Hebrew, but color is not the issue since the Spirit of Born Again Christians indwells within the Spirit of those who have embraced and accepted Him. Yes, we should pray for this author. You are filled with hatred and shame on you for blaspheming Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You have the right to NOT believe, but you do NOT have the right to blaspheme and destory the valid beliefs of others.
Jesus was NOT white…period. You’re all missing the point. White people’s depiction of Jesus is a lie and a projection of white supremacy. Heaven forbid (no pun intended) that you worship the teachings of a man who was not white. As a result, white people created the blue eyed, blond haired version that better fit their need to retain their supremacy over anyone who was not white.
To complain or otherwise diminish Shaun King’s call to destroy statues that depict Jesus as white is a testament (again, no pun intended) to your white privilege. Check it.
Coming to my church to vandalize and destroy? You better come armed because we will be
I totally agree. You have the right in America to believe or NOT believe as you see fit. However YOUR RIGHTS STOP where MY RIGHTS START and I’ll be darned if I will let a twisted person like yourself come into my place of Worship and deface or defraud or destroy the symbols of MY WORSHIP and MY RELIGION. You do NOT have THAT RIGHT and you will find out if you TRY. Yes better bring an army because now you are crossing the line between State and Freedom Of Religion. If you have any sense at all, do NOT cross that line!
Jesus was the Beautiful Son of God, born to Jewish Mary and Joseph his stepfather (selected by God), all 3 Ancient Hebrews. His skin would have been somewhere between caramel & peanut butter, and darkened even more from the desert sun He grew up under. His hair would have been black; His eyes dark brown; and He would have had the handsome high cheek bones and angular face & nose of an ancient Hebrew man.
We are all descendants today of Noah’s 3 sons–Shem, Ham & Japheth. They can’t track DNA back that far YET; but if you want proof today, READ THE WORD OF GOD HIMSELF.
Get over this division — you are protesting against your own cousins! Property damage is against the law. So is slander. Both are against your Father in Heaven’s law.
True. There’s one thing I agree with the writer that Jesus is cheaply compared to a rose trampled on the ground, something I just find hard to even listen to.
As I read it, one of the ten commandments was “Thou shalt make NO graven image” of anything in Heaven, on earth, or under the sea. Statues and stained glass windows are beautiful, but they are not true depictions of God or His Son.
Very few Christians challenge their faith. Almost all were indoctrinated as children using fear as the foundation of their beliefs. Comply or burn for eternity. I was raised a catholic so subordination to authority is all that mattered and thousands were abuses. I studied the bible read everything by William Barkley. I detoured from religion to study quantum physics. When I return I was reading CS Lewis and Christopher Hitchens. I also lived in Saudia Arabia for a number of months. During one of my New Testament classes I asked the teacher (Student Teacher from Saint Martins) if there was valid historical published evidence to support the existence of a man born to a virgin and executed by Pontius Pilate. He said of course….the Bible. I said what else….he pause and said what other proof do you need. I have been looking for that other source for 21 years…nothing. While you can believe want you want I would hope that you believe based on something other than the willful suspension of critical thinking or faith. I was clearly looking for proof to support my childhood indoctrination and the countless hours I spent painfully kneeing in church and being terrorize by going to confession. Those who make powerful statements of fact require powerful evidence. The reality is, is there is more proof that Elvis is alive than there was every a Jesus, the son of God, who walked on the earth 2020 years ago.
“Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell. He also has a second volume, “More Evidence that Demands a Verdict.”
If you truly want more evidence, prayerfully read “The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. I bear witness of it truth and that it will indeed bring you joy and happiness and greater understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You have nothing to loose and everything to gain by reading it.
I bear this testimony to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Antiquities of the Jews- by Josephus Flavius circa 93 AD. DONE!
David, I agree with you 100%. I was also brought up in the church. When I realized at the age of 13 that there is no proof of a god I left the church. I will never return. Most people I have met throughout my lifetime that claim a religion do not act as if they are religious. I can count on one hand those who I would say acted as the bible tells them to act. Why, if there are so many religious people in this country, do we still have poverty, hunger, and the homeless? All I see is them using their religion to judge others.
Whoever said, “Jesus is not white, PERIOD! You’re missing the point!”…IS THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY MISSED THE POINT! YOU are right that it doesn’t matter whether Jesus was white or black, what matters is, this call by a BLM leader to destroy another person’s God because He doesn’t look exactly like their “god”, or isn’t a God they approve of, sounds so fascist and unAmerican, and nobody really ever calls it out! I mean, Hitler had bookburnings and BLM can have bookburnings of all the books with the “WRONG” Jesus or WRONG GOD in it! THEN, WHEN BLM IS ALL DONE BURNING UP ALL OF THE WRONG JESUSES, THEN they can either direct us all to the correct and right Jesus, or tell us what we needed to fix about our God so we can get it right this time! I mean, how do people seriously back these people up?!?!?! This is what they are saying. Your God doesn’t look enough like my “god”, so your God has to go! We will let you know when your God looks OK for you to worship, but for right now, your God is all wrong, and so He must go! That sounds so damn fascist and totalitarian. and Unconstitutional and UnAmerican, and brings up images of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and just ruthless and Godless or deranged religiously dictators!
I had to laugh at the original article as well as most of the responses. Mr. Anderson above all else is a “my way or your wrong” example of what laughably passes as Christianity. I have met very few Christians who actually follow the teachings of Jesus. The spend way too much time entrenced in the corruption caused by every organized religion.
Maybe, just maybe if followed the teachings of EVERY profit and treat others as we would wish to be treated the world would be a better place
The pyramids were constructed over 5000 years ago with slave labor. Let’s all go over and tear them down too.
Tom you are absolutely correct sir but I think we really need to spell out a few thing about the big picture…All this talk of taking down statues all started because of the murder of George Floyd by a horrible excuse of a human being and police officer… but BLM and the powers that be are trying to start a race war and keep us completely at each others throats and distracted while they destroy our country… so i would like to set the record straight with the facts on Slavery and who is accountable… I feel the need to point out that “White Men did not go on Safari with butterfly nets and round up Black Africans and bring them to the USA… STRONG BLACK African Tribes hunted & captured WEAKER BLACK African tribes and sold them like livestock, into slavery….. a practice that still goes on today, in many African countries….some of the largest slave exchanges were located in Haiti & Jamaica, owned by Black citizens, I believe the largest was owned by the great grand parents of a BLACK women Senator, who still holds a seat and has never once made any attempt to apologise for the thousands of slaves that her family bought and sold into bondage, making their fortune……. Also to be pointed out it was not just “WHITE Americans that bought the slaves but also many free BLACK Americans at the time…… I could sit here and bitch and cry about my ancestors, and the way they were treated…. They were Blackfoot Sioux… and it was both white and black soldiers that raped murdered & slaughtered them… to the point of almost extinction… Many tribes were totally lost……people keep asking my why I bring up about the Native Americans….. I say, Why is it that people only feel like the black man was unfairly treated by whites… when in reality it was just as much, if not more, the BLACK AFRICAN Tribes that sold them into slavery… to the highest bidder,,, Not saying that being bought was ok…of course not, it should have never happened and if there were not so many people/cultures ready to buy, there would have been no demand for slaves…Slavery is a stain on mankind and to deny it is to deny all of human history…not just the last 300 to 400 years… So all are ACCOUNTABLE, not just WHITES!! They bought and yes it was WRONG and UNFORGIVABLE… But the BLACK AFRICANS were the ones who slaughtered, captured and sold Their BLACK AFRICAN ancestors into slavery/bondage… we have agreed not all whites are racist and not all blacks are Criminals, both sides have their 10% that f*ck it up for everyone……. why is it no one has or ever did Protest the atrocities in Egypt??? MILLIONS of Africans were sold in such great numbers, that many generations were BORN into slavery for more than many, many, many a millennium.. MILLENNIUM’S +.. yet the pyramids, your people built still stand…….. oh no biggie that was 2000 years ago…….its a pass….. I could go on and on and on and on ….but I am about done watching all this stupid sh*t going on… I am sitting here watching complete idiots destroy the USA and do sh*t so unbelievable stupid… burning down places where people live, work, get their groceries… and these are not corporate areas… not white neighborhoods …. This is being done under the guise of BLM in BLACK neighborhoods …., THE WHITE LIBERALS ARE BURNING DOWN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS!!!!! people are being led down a path of destruction that very soon will not be able to recover from… burn it all down… I am done with the facts being ignored or excuses being made for the crap going on……….I fought for America as a Marine and watched alot of good men die, White, Black , Latino, Asian, And that blood was wasted…. to see all this crap now… you have got to be kidding me… I wish it was just about Racial injustice & bad cops ………but it is no longer… like it or not bigger powers that be,, are orchestrating this crap……….. this is beyond protesting the murder of an innocent man and way beyond the racial injustice that has been going on for the last 300 years …. everything I see shows it , … and i hope I am wrong but the way it is going it is not going to end well … the chess board is being laid out and in a couple of months…… Check/Check mate……..be safe….
I completely disagree with what you say. Trying to justify it is only showing you are a racist.
So if we don’t agree with you or have a different opinion of things we’re racist. Ok. You’re ignorant.
Thank you for all of your comments!! I 100% agree with you! Well said!!
I agree with everything you are saying, Shawn Crowley!
I support tearing down statues of confederate traitors and slaveowners.
Germany doesn’t keep up nazi statues or name military bases after them.
I haven’t seen anyone tearing down Jesus statues.
I Support us just focsing on Love which is the central message of Jesus ; either white or black Jesus. Let us love one another.
The United Nations will destroy false religion after the next proclamation of peace and security . 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
revelation 17:16
2 Timothy 1: 5
‘But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
Lynn, you are partially right. You paint a very accurate picture of how people behave right now. It has nothing to do with the end times though. There is no god, there will be no rapture, nor will people rise up to meet their lord. What will happen is many of those who claim to be religious and are pushing for the so called end times will watch as they, along with everyone else, see the world destroyed by their arrogance and the greed of those in power. Religion will not save the world nor anyone who is upon it.
If I gave you a six-inch paper ruler could you draw a six-inch square?
Before anyone comments on any post, I would greatly encourage that person to read the entire Bible prayerfully asking God for the meaning and interpretation of it. For at the end of the day, or when it all comes down to it, it only matters what He (God) says or thinks that matters at all!