Why is this so difficult for many Christians to understand?

[Anonymous]

[jennifer_bloom]

Some people use religion to serve their ego instead of sacrificing their ego to serve their religion.

That is why the bible said the false prophets are so wicked, that even in the place of worship, they are greedy for gain and insatiable in their desire for attention and honour from others.

Their religion does not correct their bad behaviour because their bad behaviour is so deeply ingrained into their psyche and so overwhelmingly vapid in their unconscious minds.

[Anonymous]

It is sad that American Republicans have been tricked by the devil into worshipping a false idol. Worse is that Trump is not even a good Christian. They are a hate-filled people, which is very antithetical to Christian values. I pray they see the error of their ways before they reach judgement day.

[BarryLiverstone]

How so?

[patois]

Lentulus' letter was an official report to Emperor Tiberius. He describes Jesus as having: "... a noble and lively face, with fair and slightly wavy hair; black and strongly curving eyebrows, intense penetrating blue eyes and an expression of wondrous grace. His nose is rather long. His beard is almost blonde, although not very long. His hair is quite long, and has never seen a pair of scissors [...]. His neck is slightly inclined, so that he never appears to be bitter or arrogant. His tanned face is the color of ripe corn and well proportioned. It gives the impression of gravity and wisdom, sweetness and good, and is completely lacking in any sign of anger." (Holy Land Magazine, Franciscan Holy Land Press, Spring 1998).

In Rome "corn" was wheat... So this color skin:

He sounds pretty White to me according to the official archaeological records...

[lightbulb27]

some know, but they forget easily...

he was Jewish, and I've not seen many black jews. so he was probably tan, but I haven't seen many tan jews either. so he was probably light colored, not white.

love was the message and don't have a color.

[Skinhead-1979]

-'Jews' are the descendants of the Israelites; people in that region have an 'olive' skin colour.

Contrary to what the Bible claims, not all Israelite were being sent into Babylonian Exile; only their last king, nobility and priestly class. There is archaeological evidence of continuous Israelite habitancy within their former kingdom after their kingdom had been annexed and Jerusalem had been destroyed.

Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians and Cyrus allowed the, former, Israelites to return to Judah which had now been renamed to 'Yehud Medinata' (It is from this word that the English word 'Jew' originates). It was during this time that 'Judaism' really took shape; Judaism has been heavily influenced by the 'Persian' religion Zoroastrianism:

"Zoroastrianism is sometimes credited with being the first monotheistic religion in history, antedating the Israelites and leaving a lasting and profound imprint on Second Temple Judaism and, through it, on later monotheistic religions such as early Christianity and Islam. There are clear commonalities and similarities between Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity, such as: monotheism, dualism (i. e., a robust notion of a Devil—but with a positive appraisal of material creation), symbolism of the divine, heaven (s) and hell (s), angels and demons, eschatology and final judgment, a messianic figure and the idea of a saviour, a holy spirit, concern with ritual purity, an idealization of wisdom and righteousness, and other doctrines, symbols, practices, and religious features."

And the people formerly known as 'Israelites' became known as 'Yehudi' (=Jew).

[Skinhead-1979]

Over the next centuries 'Jews' started to fan out into every direction. Small Jewish Kingdoms were being formed (Hasmonean Dynasty and Herodian Dynasty in the Levant for example; client states of Rome), which generally didn't last for very long, or somehow Jews managed to convert existing kingdoms to Judaism (e. g. Himyarite Kingdom in Yemen, Khazar Khaganate in the South-Eastern section of Europe) and they kept fanning out until they reached Mauretania, Iberia and Europe as a whole ('Spanish Jews' are the Sephardim; Sepharad is the Hebrew name for Spain; Ashkenazim, German Jews, Ashkenaz/ Eretz Ashkenaz is the Hebrew name for Germany)

When Islam appeared in 610CE (the start date of the creation of the Qur'an), after initial opposition, many Jews converted to Islam and they have aided in the rapid spread of Islam... but there were also many Jews who stayed true to their religion. These Jews are now being called Mizraim - Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt. These Jews had, still do, an Olive skin colour.

The Mizraim have played a very important role in the creation of Israel. The Jewish State was meant to be for European Jews, but the Zionists had a problem after they had declared independence: They had a country, but no population to fill it with. The Nazis had almost completely annihilated the European Jewry. Israel has applied many tactics to 'force' these Mizraim to move to Israel: one of the most powerful tactics? The fear of Anti-Semitism (yes, there was of course some hatred towards the Mizraim in Arab countries, but nowhere near as bad as was being claimed); and up to date descendants of the Mizraim still play a very important part in Right-Wing Zionism (Think about an Itamar ben Gvir, but there are many others)

So there are most certainly many Jews who do not have a 'White', Caucasian Skin colour... but an Olive Skin Colour.

[Skinhead-1979]

-Beta Israel - Ethiopian Jews: Skin Colour Black

There are several theories as to how Israelites came to Ethiopia, but only 1 is plausible: That's the narrative that during the Israelite Civil War at the end of Solomon's reign between Solomon's son Rehoboam and Jeroboam that a Judean Battalion got lost and ended up travelling all the way down the river Nile to present-day Ethiopia.

There are 2 reasons why this one is the most plausible: The form of 'Judaism' being practiced by the Beta Israel is a non-Talmudic version of Judaism. There are 2 different Talmudic Versions, The Jerusalem Talmud written in 400CE and the Babylonian Talmud written in 500CE. Seeing that the Beta Israel follow a Non -Talmudic Version of Judaism, that has had to be introduced to Ethiopia prior to 400CE. This is not enough to exclude the other theories of how Israelites ended up in Ethiopia and that's where the 2nd reason comes into place.

During the Civil war between Jeroboam and Rehoboam, Egypt, led by Pharaoh Shishak invaded Judah to assist the Northern Kingdom in defeating the Southern Kingdom (926BCE). The Judeans defeated the Egyptians, but were forced to empty out their treasury and became a vassal state under the Egyptians. Seeing that the Judeans and Egyptians fought a war, it may well be that the lost battalion of Judean soldiers which travelled to Ethiopia had partaken in a battle near the Judean/ Egyptian border and then got lost.

So yes, they are most certainly Black Jews and most of them live in Israel now where they are being marginalised.

[Skinhead-1979]

Jesus was indeed most likely a Jew, but he did question Judaism and preached completely different teaching to the common people. This brought the eerie of the 'Pharisees' onto him, and, as the narrative goes, they are the ones who handed Jesus over to the Romans to be nailed to the Cross.

The Pharisees are the predecessors of the Rabbinical class within Judaism. They became the dominant force within Judaism after the 'Zealot Temple Siege' of 68AD which brought the Romans in leading to the first Roman-Jewish War in which Jerusalem got burned down and so did the 2nd temple.

However, it wasn't the Romans who set fire to the Jewish Quarters... that was the Jews themselves in an attempt to keep the Romans out. The Romans were too busy putting down the Revolt, and could not be bothered to put out the fires.

[Skinhead-1979]

Ever since, the Rabbis have had a stranglehold on Jewish societies... They have opposed any kind of integration into the European Societies which hosted Jews; they opposed any kind of criticism to Judaism or any calls for reforms (e. g. Baruch Spinoza in the 17th century; they excommunicated him); they were the ones who did their best to suppress 'Haskalah' (Jewish Enlightenment in the 18th century) and eventually they succeeded when they managed to reconcile the Secular idea of a Jewish State, Zionism, with Orthodox Judaism. The main ideologue of 'Religious Zionism' is Abraham Isaac Kook (1865 - 1935)... Though still Religious Zionism did not have a large following. Again a power struggle took place within Judaism between Orthodox Jews and Religious Zionists. In 1924, one of the biggest opponent and main organisers against Zionism, Jacob Israël de Haan , was being murdered on the orders of Haganah by Avraham Tehomi. Shortly after, de Haan's mentor, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, leader of the Haradi and Kook's rival, died in 1932. Britain appointed Kook as the main Rabbi of Palestine and any resistance against Religious Zionism got defeated. Though still World War 2 was needed to ensure Zionists would have as good as the full support of Orthodox Jews.

[Skinhead-1979]

I am amazed at the length of my 'essay' as a reply to the 4 sentences you had typed in your comment 🤣

My apologies for that, I hope you don't mind. Once I start writing about subjects like this, it is very hard for me to stop!

[Asker]

Plenty of black Jews in Ethiopia.

[Skinhead-1979]

Oh yeah, a lot of them still live in Ethiopia too.

I did say 'Most' and not 'All' 😉

[lightbulb27]

@Skinhead-1979 yes, that's more than I know or ever knew. I'm sure he could be quite tan. I don't see him as black or pure white as human. often depictions are showing "white light" or artistic. he sure didn't have blonde hair, nor was he gold, like my moms cross.
but I doubt he was black either. was king david black? bathsheba... there isn't much talk about his color in the Bible, and most Jews I see around and in history are light color or fair/olive toned. I'll assume that.
whatever color, I'll recommend those black jewish people see the light and turn to Jesus.

[Skinhead-1979]

I'd say the whole depiction of Jesus as a White, Blond Man with Blue Eyes comes from Colonial Times. The White Man saw himself superior to anyone else; Religion has been abused to enslave and pacify people from other cultures, and to make them inferior (Someone who feels inferior is more likely to 'accept' Servitude as someone who feels superior and confident)... and through displaying Jesus, and even God, as a White Man.

I've brought up the Stono Rebellion of 1739 the other day; American Slave owners and Slavers found out the hard way that if they would allow slaves to continue believing in the religion they chose (Catholicism in this case), they were more likely to revolt. Once the revolt was over, a memorandum got signed that for 10 years no new slaves were to be imported and the domestic slave was to be expanded and further indoctrinated. After the 10 years had past there was a ban on Kongolese Slaves (That's where the rebelling slaves came from) and Catholic Slaves. In 1842 Reverend Charles C. Jones went even further and wrote The Religious Instruction of the N******* in the United States. Against the laws of that time he taught his slaves to read and instructed them read his manual because he firmly believed it would pacify slaves even further.

It's also when the whole stupid concept of 'Gender' came to be (1477 is being mentioned); it was to display that men from other cultures could not be men because they behaved differently than men did in Europe. It's because of this that I am not going along in the They/ Them nonsense; instead of continuously feeding that Gender abomination, why not just get rid of the outdated term altogether? 2 Sexes, Male and Female; how you behave or dress has no bearing on that.

[Skinhead-1979]

[and through displaying Jesus, and even God, as a White Man] Slaves saw the White Man as Superior*

[lightbulb27]

@Skinhead-1979 interesting. i hadn't ever put much thought into it nor view it as relevant to me. churces I go to, had minimal imagery and I prefer that. maybe why I spent no time on it.

[Skinhead-1979]

That's a Protestant thing... Churches with minimal Imagery.

When the Reformation was in full swing in the 15th and 16th century, a lot of 'Iconoclasm' took place: Catholic Churches were being attacked and all statues, paintings and other 'bling bling' was being destroyed.

A Quote/ Event from the game 'Europe Universalis IV; comes to mind

"Jesus lived like a beggar, and so should you"

[strateguy632]

@Skinhead-1979 partly matched the end of book jeremia that jews stayed. but not opposed bible insted in it.

[Skinhead-1979]

@strateguy632 I am not overly familiar with all the various books.

I am interested in the Historical side of Religions, not the Theological one.

The only books which have caught my attention somewhat... are the Books of Deuteronomy, but I am not familiar with their contents.

They have been very significant, not because of their Theological significance to the Abrahamic Religions; they have significantly changed Israelite Society and Religion. It's was a very slow process, taking centuries... a millennium maybe even... to finished, but they are very important to understand the History, Society and Religion of the Israelites and their descendants: The People who are now known as Jews/ Yehudi.

The Books of Genesis are very interesting and important too; again not from their Theological significance, but again to understand Israelite History , Society and Religion,

[MisterWack]

A lot of people like to hold Jesus & God in a magic bubble that can never change / be incorrect when in reality, changing ideas is what makes humans human so to treat new ideas as “can’t be true because my God said so probably, maybe” isn’t human. Ideas can change, science can figure out what was there yet we couldn’t see or didn’t want to see, etc.

I don't know just a thought.

[NamerOfStars]

For the same reason that they don't understand that He carried a MESSAGE far more than a cross, which was only briefly, at the very end. If you think His time on Earth was defined by His death, rather than His life, you're kind of missing the point.

[Lynx122]

Most people only care about something if it relates to them in some way. That's just how it is.

[strateguy632]

your problem is: everything here is presented in "not" form. no claim and no basis.

I guess you saw a fossil of jesus with dark skin?

[DishLady]

What is WHAT difficult to understand? (I don't see a description of anything...)

[LiamJHayden]

Americans, not just Christian ones, are by and large very Amero-centric.

[BarryLiverstone]

Why ask anon?

[Asker]

Why does that matter? I don't understand why people have an issue with that. My experience is that when people ask a question like that, what they are really saying is they want to know who you are so they can personally attack you. Why can't people just answer the question and join the conversation?

[BarryLiverstone]

I would be happy to share why I have an issue with it. I’m not able to personally attach a gag user because you would be using a gag account and that’s like me using mine. Joining a good faith conversation is the point.

[BarryLiverstone]

My experience is people go anon on gag to break the posting rules. My gag account is open and you can see the questions and answers. I don’t go anon so we can have good faith conversations

[BarryLiverstone]

Do you better understand?

[Anonymous]

He would vote for Trump and that’s enough for me.