Was Jesus Christ a Negro? A Rationalistic Review

[Im The Truth]

Was Jesus Christ a Negro?
A Rationalistic Review
by John G. Jackson (1933)
http://www.africawithin.com/jgjackso...st_a_negro.htm


"That an imaginative and superstitious race of black men should have invented and founded, in the dim obscurity of past ages, a system of religious belief that still enthralls the minds and clouds the intellects of the leading representatives of modern theology—that still clings to the thoughts and tinges with its potential influence the literature and faith of the civilized and cultured nations of Europe and America, is indeed a strange illustration of the mad caprice of destiny, of the insignificant and apparently trivial causes that oft produce the most grave and momentous results."

Eckler


A little over a half century ago Kersey Graves created quite a furor in the orthodox religious circles by writing a book which flaunted the sensational title of The World's 16 Crucified Saviors. One of the most interesting parts of the book is a section in which the author discusses the racial identity of Jesus and offers evidence that the Christian Savior was a black man. The passage referred to reads as follows:

There is as much evidence that the Christian Savior was a black man, or at least a dark man, as there is of his being the son of the Virgin Mary, or that he once lived and moved upon the earth. And that evidence is the testimony of his disciples, who had nearly as good an opportunity of knowing what his complexion was as the evangelists who omit to say anything about it.

In pictures and portraits of Christ by the early Christians he is uniformly represented as being black. To make this more certain a red tinge is given to the lips; and the only test in the Christian bible quoted by orthodox Christians as describing his complexion represents it as being black.

Solomon's declaration, I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem' (Sol, I, 5), is often cited as referring to Christ. According to the bible itself, then, Jesus Christ was a black man. Let us suppose that at some future time he makes his second advent to the earth, as some Christians anticipate he will do, and that he comes in the character of a sable messiah, how would he be received by our Negro hating Christians of sensitive olfactory nerves. Would they worship a Negro God?

The question might arise in the mind of the reader: "Well, the argument of Kersey Graves sounds plausible enough, but really we need a great deal more corroborative evidence before we can give his conclusions more than palling notice?" This question, the writer believes, is justified. In questions of historical controversy only the most careful consideration of evidence should satisfy us.

To say that the early pictures and images of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus represent them with black complexions is not enough. Our statement must be backed up by archaeological evidence. This evidence, fortunately, was collected by the Great British Orientalist, Sir Godfrey Higgins, and has been preserved for posterity in his monumental work, The Anacalypsis, or An Inquiry into the Origin of Languages, Nations and Religions.

Sir Godfrey Higgins informs us that "In all the Romish (Catholic) countries of Europe, France, Italy, Germany, etc., the God Christ, as well as his mother, are described in their old pictures to be black. The infant God in the arms of his black mother, his eyes and drapery white, is himself perfectly black. If the reader doubts my word he may go to the Cathedral at Moulins—to the famous Chapel of the Virgin at Loretto—to the Church of the Annunciata—the Church at St. Lazaro or the Church of St. Stephen at Genoa—to St. Francisco at Pisa—to the Church at Brixen in Tyrol and to that at Padua—to the Church of St. Theodore at Munich—to a church and to the Cathedral at Augsburg, where a black virgin and child as large as life—to Rome and the Borghese chapel of Maria Maggiore—to the Pantheon—to a small chapel of St. Peters on the right hand side on entering, near the door; and in fact, to almost innumerable other churches in countries professing the Romish religion.

"There is scarcely an old church in Italy where some remains of the worship of the black virgin and black child are not to be met with. Very often the black figures have given way to white ones and in these cases the black ones, as being held sacred, were put into retired places in the churches, but were not destroyed, and are yet to be found there…

"When the circumstance has been named to the Romish priests they have endeavored to disguise the fact by pretending that the child had become black by the smoke of candles; but it was black where the smoke of a candle never came and, besides, how came the candles not to blacken the white of the eyes, the teeth and the shirt, and to redden the lips? Their real blackness is not to be questioned.

"… A black virgin and child among the white Germans, Swiss, French and Italians" (The Anacalypsis, Vol. I, Book IV, Chap. I). My friend, Mr. J.A. Rogers, the well-known traveler and journalist, has seen quite a large number of these black images of the Madonna and infant in his European travels and has discovered that some of the images possess African features. Evidently early Christians must have thought that Jesus Christ was a member of the Ethiopian race or they would not have so stressed the dark hue of the skin of the Savior and his mother in their pictures and statues.

According to Christian dogma, Jesus is the Son of God. Since children are, as a rule, similar in complexion to their parents it is reasonable to assume that God also is black. This conclusion is both logical and scientific. "There is a strong reason the think," declares Joseph McCabe, "that man was at first very dark of skin, wooly haired and flat nosed." And since the bible tells us that man was created in God's image, then beyond all doubt God must be of dark complexion with unmistakably African features.

Some of my friends have suggested that should it be generally believed in these United States that either Jesus or Jehovah was of sable hue that the Christian church would soon go out of business. They reason that white citizens of the nation, on account of race prejudice, would have absolutely no use for a black God: and the colored citizens would not have any confidence in an Ethiopian God who had so long neglected his own race of people. However, I do not think such a situation will come to pass, for the overwhelming majority of people do not believe what is plausible or what is true; they believe what is comforting or pleasing.

[Mordecai_7]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

Was Jesus Christ a Negro?
A Rationalistic Review
by John G. Jackson (1933)
Was Jesus Christ a Negro?


"That an imaginative and superstitious race of black men should have invented and founded, in the dim obscurity of past ages, a system of religious belief that still enthralls the minds and clouds the intellects of the leading representatives of modern theology—that still clings to the thoughts and tinges with its potential influence the literature and faith of the civilized and cultured nations of Europe and America, is indeed a strange illustration of the mad caprice of destiny, of the insignificant and apparently trivial causes that oft produce the most grave and momentous results."

Eckler


A little over a half century ago Kersey Graves created quite a furor in the orthodox religious circles by writing a book which flaunted the sensational title of The World's 16 Crucified Saviors. One of the most interesting parts of the book is a section in which the author discusses the racial identity of Jesus and offers evidence that the Christian Savior was a black man. The passage referred to reads as follows:

There is as much evidence that the Christian Savior was a black man, or at least a dark man, as there is of his being the son of the Virgin Mary, or that he once lived and moved upon the earth. And that evidence is the testimony of his disciples, who had nearly as good an opportunity of knowing what his complexion was as the evangelists who omit to say anything about it.

In pictures and portraits of Christ by the early Christians he is uniformly represented as being black. To make this more certain a red tinge is given to the lips; and the only test in the Christian bible quoted by orthodox Christians as describing his complexion represents it as being black.

Solomon's declaration, I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem' (Sol, I, 5), is often cited as referring to Christ. According to the bible itself, then, Jesus Christ was a black man. Let us suppose that at some future time he makes his second advent to the earth, as some Christians anticipate he will do, and that he comes in the character of a sable messiah, how would he be received by our Negro hating Christians of sensitive olfactory nerves. Would they worship a Negro God?

The question might arise in the mind of the reader: "Well, the argument of Kersey Graves sounds plausible enough, but really we need a great deal more corroborative evidence before we can give his conclusions more than palling notice?" This question, the writer believes, is justified. In questions of historical controversy only the most careful consideration of evidence should satisfy us.

To say that the early pictures and images of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus represent them with black complexions is not enough. Our statement must be backed up by archaeological evidence. This evidence, fortunately, was collected by the Great British Orientalist, Sir Godfrey Higgins, and has been preserved for posterity in his monumental work, The Anacalypsis, or An Inquiry into the Origin of Languages, Nations and Religions.

Sir Godfrey Higgins informs us that "In all the Romish (Catholic) countries of Europe, France, Italy, Germany, etc., the God Christ, as well as his mother, are described in their old pictures to be black. The infant God in the arms of his black mother, his eyes and drapery white, is himself perfectly black. If the reader doubts my word he may go to the Cathedral at Moulins—to the famous Chapel of the Virgin at Loretto—to the Church of the Annunciata—the Church at St. Lazaro or the Church of St. Stephen at Genoa—to St. Francisco at Pisa—to the Church at Brixen in Tyrol and to that at Padua—to the Church of St. Theodore at Munich—to a church and to the Cathedral at Augsburg, where a black virgin and child as large as life—to Rome and the Borghese chapel of Maria Maggiore—to the Pantheon—to a small chapel of St. Peters on the right hand side on entering, near the door; and in fact, to almost innumerable other churches in countries professing the Romish religion.

"There is scarcely an old church in Italy where some remains of the worship of the black virgin and black child are not to be met with. Very often the black figures have given way to white ones and in these cases the black ones, as being held sacred, were put into retired places in the churches, but were not destroyed, and are yet to be found there…

"When the circumstance has been named to the Romish priests they have endeavored to disguise the fact by pretending that the child had become black by the smoke of candles; but it was black where the smoke of a candle never came and, besides, how came the candles not to blacken the white of the eyes, the teeth and the shirt, and to redden the lips? Their real blackness is not to be questioned.

"… A black virgin and child among the white Germans, Swiss, French and Italians" (The Anacalypsis, Vol. I, Book IV, Chap. I). My friend, Mr. J.A. Rogers, the well-known traveler and journalist, has seen quite a large number of these black images of the Madonna and infant in his European travels and has discovered that some of the images possess African features. Evidently early Christians must have thought that Jesus Christ was a member of the Ethiopian race or they would not have so stressed the dark hue of the skin of the Savior and his mother in their pictures and statues.

According to Christian dogma, Jesus is the Son of God. Since children are, as a rule, similar in complexion to their parents it is reasonable to assume that God also is black. This conclusion is both logical and scientific. "There is a strong reason the think," declares Joseph McCabe, "that man was at first very dark of skin, wooly haired and flat nosed." And since the bible tells us that man was created in God's image, then beyond all doubt God must be of dark complexion with unmistakably African features.

Some of my friends have suggested that should it be generally believed in these United States that either Jesus or Jehovah was of sable hue that the Christian church would soon go out of business. They reason that white citizens of the nation, on account of race prejudice, would have absolutely no use for a black God: and the colored citizens would not have any confidence in an Ethiopian God who had so long neglected his own race of people. However, I do not think such a situation will come to pass, for the overwhelming majority of people do not believe what is plausible or what is true; they believe what is comforting or pleasing.

If you mean was Jesus a Black man, then the answer would have to be "yes." He was indeed.

In the KJV bible, at Jeremiah 8:21, Jeremiah says: "I am Black." The statement is made between two semi colons. The semi colons isolate the statement, so that it means what it says regardless of what else is being said around it.

At St. Matthew 16:13-14, it says: " When Jesus came into the coasts of Ceasaria Philippi, he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that I the son of man am. And they said, some say thou art John The Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Jeremias is the Latin, or Roman pronounciation of Jeremiah. And Jeremias/Jeremiah has already told us that he was Black. If people mistook Jesus for Jeremiah as the scripture indicates (you would hardly mistake a White man for a Black one), then it stands to reason that Jesus was Black also.

[FreedomJournal]

Greetings Brethren,

It is a crying shame that many relish and wallow in a destructive discussion regarding the ethnic origins of Jesus and the Prophets. But those that offer the defense for a Black Or White Jesus distort the Bible and are not pleasing to God. Let it be written that the righteous come to please God. THEREFORE DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT GOD IS PLEASED WITH ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE RACE AND COLOR OF HIS SON THE SAVIOR OF HUMANKIND?

For the record Jesus came to save the entire world from sin. Jesus did not come bearing the fruits of Christianity and a way for the transition from the Old to the New for a certain race or color of people. The FreedomJournal hereby declares that race as it relates to Jesus is only of any importance in refuting the lies of a White Jesus.

For the sake of Peace and Harmony among all people Jesus is not Black nor is Jesus White. Also, why involve ourselves in an endless discussion of Black or White Jews. Although Jesus came as a human with Divine attributes, he must remain non-racial. Black people don't play the spite game because of White ignorance and racism. As we all know anyone can be ignorant and Blacks can also be racists.

Peace and Love,
Carl Patton writing for FreedomJournal August 28, 2002 in the year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

RACE & GOD
(BLACK NOR WHITE)

INTRODUCTION

In the name of Jehovah God, Master of the universe, Ruler of the earth.

My dearly beloved Brethren we greet you in the name of our Father, His Son our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We thank God today for His many blessings and the message that he has rendered to us and the people of God. In a humble and sincere manner we note at the outset of this discussion and/or Introduction that God is not concerned about Race. However man in his wickedness and economic greed is concerned about Race.

Therefore, the FreedomJournal will post a series of articles noting the reality of this question. Meanwhile simply man and not God has placed Race in the discussion of "Is Jesus Black?" Also man and not God has caused many to argue for the ethnic identity of the Great Prophets and Apostles. However, who raises these questions?

Bear with us Brethren as we move into this discussion. We do not want to insult anyone but the Truth often renders a blow that is a "Wake up Call" and sometimes a "Call of Denial." The godless raise questions about the race and color of Jesus. Also, many Afro-Centric scholars raise these questions. Confused Christians raise these questions and various other mis-informed people throughout this land and country and the world.

At this point we will note the second most important fact regarding this discussion (The first was God is not concerned with Race). Who is qualified to raise the ethnic question regarding things Spiritual? The Bible scholar and those that are truly saved and follow True Christianity. This last statement from the analysis of the FreedomJournal leaves the multitudes out of the sphere of arguing pro or con. Also there should be no argument regarding the race of Jesus etc. as we will note.

Those that follow the Truth of the Bible know that God is no respecter of persons. Therefore we are taught to love all people regardless of race, creed, color are station in life. This list also includes our enemies and those that attempt to refute Christianity and all things Spiritual. In this case those that argue that Jesus is Black or White and render long dialogues to support their statements are not of God.

For example many of these people are students of the Black Experience thus they have come to realize that God and Christianity have impacted greatly on the Black Experience. This is good but what is bad is that they are not qualified to discuss or write about the Black Experience as it relates to Religion and/or Christianity if they are not True Christians.

For example the FreedomJournal is on record noting that Muslims are best suited to critique Islam. Non-Muslims can note a superficial analysis of Islam but the devout and sincere Muslim has the tools necessary to bring up for review a more logical list of questions and concerns than a mere historian are so-called Afro-Centric Scholar or a European steeped in Imperialism and the mood of the Colonial Masters.

The same things holds true for Christianity. As Christians we also note that there are many people that ascribe to a man-made version of Christianity. These people are just as Foolish as the unbeliever when they attempt to speak or write on God and Race. These are the people that are most confused because they don't realize what the Bible teaches. Thus they move from a human understanding and a point of departure noted in the history of mankind and not the essence of the Bible and God.

For the record we have previously noted that the Bible does not support the use of images of Jesus, nor the Prophets or Apostles. However, many still are confused. We are not so naive to realize that many will forever be confused until the Day of Judgment when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. So for the sake of those that seek knowledge, and Truth we will render a more detailed discussion on this question.

We as always are bound by the Holy Spirit. But we hope to begin with a discussion on God the Spirit which is non-racial. What is the essence or importance of those once chosen as God's people? Was this a choice of race, religion, was it for a reason and a season? Ever present in the minds of the Blacks that pursue the ethnic origins of Jesus is that White people have promoted a White Jesus. Why the Black and Why the White? Just why did White people promote a lie and just why did Blacks come along and take a lie to justify things not of God.

There is also the question of White and Black Supremacy that rises up out of the various lies about Jesus and the Prophets. Just what is this Supremacy and why does it exist? Also a critical concern whenever there are questions on the Black and White side we see questions of Black Unity. Are the questions regarding God and Race raised by Blacks an attack on Unity? Who profits from the lack of Black Unity? Is it a possibility that someone or thing breeds questions of Black Dis-Unity? Do unbelievers actually know the power and mood of Satan.

Cont. Part 2: God The Spirit: Non-Racial
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