Is God A "white Man" In A Robe?

YO-ELEVEN-11

YO-ELEVEN-11

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Having been raised in america, every image that was presented to me as GOD and for that matter (Jesus) have been of a "White male" with long hair and a beard and Euro-centric facial and body features. :eek:


If I were to come from a place that knew nothing of GOD or any other diety, Would it be "ok" to present this image of GOD or any other diety as
Euro-centric, Asian, or any other race?:confused:


My question: Is GOD a "White Male" with long hair and a white beard with Euro-centric facial and body features? :eek:

Any thoughts?
:D
 
I can't effectively nor quickly answer the first part, but from what I can understand, there is the occasional "robe-wearing".:D

InPeace,
InLove
 
What color is God? As a very nice book by the same title answers, "the color of water."

YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
Having been raised in america, every image that was presented to me as GOD and for that matter (Jesus) have been of a "White male" with long hair and a beard and Euro-centric facial and body features. :eek:


If I were to come from a place that knew nothing of GOD or any other diety, Would it be "ok" to present this image of GOD or any other diety as
Euro-centric, Asian, or any other race?:confused:


My question: Is GOD a "White Male" with long hair and a white beard with Euro-centric facial and body features? :eek:

Any thoughts?
:D
Click to expand...
 
lunamoth said:
What color is God? As a very nice book by the same title answers, "the color of water."
Click to expand...

Yes, but does the water have Euro-Centric features, Asian Features etc..?

Or it GOD just like Water?
 
YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
Yes, but does the water have Euro-Centric features, Asian Features etc..?

Or it GOD just like Water?
Click to expand...

???

Water is a symbol, so no, God is not just like water. But, I also to not hold to a white-man-in-the-sky view of God. I don't view God as a being, God is Being, and in Him I live and move and have my being.

luna
 
Actually, Jesus ought to have features distinctive to the 1st century Jew. I imagine that if the indigeneous peoples of that time had the same characteristics of people that occupy the Middle East region today, then He might have looked Arab.

I've heard the argument that since from Adam all the races came to be, then Adam had to be black, for genetically the only way to obtain all the races from one common stock is for the parent to be black. All other colors are a derivative of that. It wouldn't work that way with a white man.

Sooo then....if God originally made Man in His image, then God must have been black.

Does that give you any comfort, YO-ELEVEN-11?
 
This thread reminds me of an icon I saw in my mother's church once. It portrayed Jesus as a black woman. :)

luna
 
Dondi said:
Actually, Jesus ought to have features distinctive to the 1st century Jew. I imagine that if the indigeneous peoples of that time had the same characteristics of people that occupy the Middle East region today, then He might have looked Arab.

I've heard the argument that since from Adam all the races came to be, then Adam had to be black, for genetically the only way to obtain all the races from one common stock is for the parent to be black. All other colors are a derivative of that. It wouldn't work that way with a white man.

Sooo then....if God originally made Man in His image, then God must have been black.

Does that give you any comfort, YO-ELEVEN-11?
Click to expand...



Dondi, if you notice below in one of my statements, that was not my intention to say that GOD is black, I was just wondering is it right to present that image or any other for that matter as the image of GOD in church's etc..

Please do not get offended if someone challenges the current image of GOD that is in so many forms of media and books. This question was not intended to ruffle any feathers. If I did offend you, I do apoligize, but my question still stands and I would really like a wide variety of thoughts from people of different ethnic backgrounds.:)


YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
If I were to come from a place that knew nothing of GOD or any other diety, Would it be "ok" to present this image of GOD or any other diety as Euro-centric, Asian, or any other race?:confused:

Any thoughts?
:D
Click to expand...
 
YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
Dondi, if you notice below in one of my statements, that was not my intention to say that GOD is black, I was just wondering is it right to present that image or any other for that matter as the image of GOD in church's etc..

Please do not get offended if someone challenges the current image of GOD that is in so many forms of media and books. This question was not intended to ruffle any feathers. If I did offend you, I do apoligize, but my question still stands and I would really like a wide variety of thoughts from people of different ethnic backgrounds.:)
Click to expand...

Nonsense. I was just demonstrating the absurdity of trying to envision God. Or Jesus, for that matter.

I personally think it matter how we see God. But what counts is how we see Him in our hearts and souls. All mystery will dissolve when we translate out of this abode and into the next. I hold to this promise myself:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." - I John 3:2
 
Hi, and Peace to All Here--

Having been privileged to direct a children's choir at a Christian church, I'd like to offer this. The key word here is "children".:)

Some Children See Him

Some children see him lily white
The baby Jesus born this night
Some children see him lily white
With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see him bronzed and brown
The Lord of heaven to earth come down
Some children see him bronzed and brown
With dark and heavy hair.

Some children see him almond eyed
This savoir born we kneel beside
Some children see him almond eyed
With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see him dark as they
Sweet Mary's son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they
And ah, they love him, too.

The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace
And filled with holy light.

Oh lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering
Come worship now the infant king,
'Tis love that's born tonight.

(Burt Hutson (1951), from Set II of "The Alfred Burt Carols")

I realize that this is, in a strictly historical sense, not a solution. And I realize it is coming from a Christian point of view. But I thought it might be relevant to the discussion.

By the way, some children see "Him" as Irish/Cherokee.:)

InPeace,
InLove
 
Dondi said:
Nonsense. I was just demonstrating the absurdity of trying to envision God. Or Jesus, for that matter.

I personally think it matter how we see God. But what counts is how we see Him in our hearts and souls. All mystery will dissolve when we translate out of this abode and into the next. I hold to this promise myself:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." - I John 3:2
Click to expand...

Dondi, if there were more people on this planet like you, I would not be asking that question, but unfortunately there isn't.

Also the verse up there is a good starting point for those ,who like to (what I call) put GOD in a nice neat box (religion).

But, how do you feel about the images around the world showing GOD in human form, be it Black, white, asian, etc..Do you feel that it is wrong to do that?
 
InLove said:
Hi, and Peace to All Here--

Having been privileged to direct a children's choir at a Christian church, I'd like to offer this. The key word here is "children".:)

Some Children See Him

Some children see him lily white
The baby Jesus born this night
Some children see him lily white
With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see him bronzed and brown
The Lord of heaven to earth come down
Some children see him bronzed and brown
With dark and heavy hair.

Some children see him almond eyed
This savoir born we kneel beside
Some children see him almond eyed
With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see him dark as they
Sweet Mary's son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they
And ah, they love him, too.

The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace
And filled with holy light.

Oh lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering
Come worship now the infant king,
'Tis love that's born tonight.

(Burt Hutson (1951), from Set II of "The Alfred Burt Carols")

I realize that this is, in a strictly historical sense, not a solution. And I realize it is coming from a Christian point of view. But I thought it might be relevant to the discussion.

By the way, some children see "Him" as Irish/Cherokee.:)

InPeace,
InLove
Click to expand...


That is a beautiful poem. :) Irish-Cherokee is also very beautiful:)

Inlove, do you feel that images should be should be used in religion?
 
no robe

no gender

no long hair

no white man

no human features

no anthropomorphic being



is being...like that

is spirit

is love

G-d is

G-d is all there is...

my thoughts culled from others...

For years I couldn't even say or hear the word without conjuring up my embedded Sunday School version of a combination of Thor, Santa and a Genie that they gave me...whatta disservice we do to our youth..
 
Will, I understand the the visions.
Personally it took time for me to wipe that image out of my mind too.

Talk about brain washing.. sheesh:)
 
YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
Dondi, if there were more people on this planet like you, I would not be asking that question, but unfortunately there isn't.

Also the verse up there is a good starting point for those ,who like to (what I call) put GOD in a nice neat box (religion).

But, how do you feel about the images around the world showing GOD in human form, be it Black, white, asian, etc..Do you feel that it is wrong to do that?
Click to expand...

I suppose some people need something to grasp, like icons. They need to identify with God in tangible ways, though God Himself is intangible. But I get the impression that God doesn't wish us to envisualize him in this way, according to this commandment:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." - Exodus 20:4

Granted, I think he was talking more about idols like golden calves, but to try and imagine God, IMHO, will be vain for He is so much bigger than we can think or know. He would have to be if He created the universe. I like to think of a boundless God.
 
Dondi,
I could not agree more.
Will, brought up a good point though.
Could we be passively imprinting images of GOD in our children with those "innocent" childrens books?
:confused:
 
Hi, Peace--

YO-ELEVEN-11 said:
Inlove, do you feel that images should be should be used in religion?
Click to expand...

Directness. Gro-o-a-a-n, umm, I mean, I like it.:)

I am trying to decide whether I want to submit the long or the short answer here. This could take a while. Just wanted you to know that I am not ignoring the question. It is a very good question.

InPeace,
InLove
 
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