Image of Man

[godslanguage]

A couple of days ago, I scanned through radio channels and noticed a conversation about a black american pastor screaming the bible verses about how Adam and Eve, and even Jesus was black. It was pritty interesting, but it sounded more discrimatory towards white people, applying the bible verses in Genesis and other chapters and stating that it was impossible for adam and eve to have been white.
Ofcourse, I believe whether they were black or white makes no differance, God is the definiton of equality for me.
My question is:
If God created man in his image, what image in the bible is God referring too? Not only in the scope of black people, but the whole world. Every continent has differant types of people, they are all still human, for God, they're human physical appearance does not matter, but they're human spirit which does. If so, why does a black pastor have so much contempt towards this issue, is this such a problem in most black-american religious groups.

(Note: my post with absolutely no racism intended)

[bluesman]

When I think of created in his image I think of the spiritual, emotional and mental aspects. Having a soul/spirit, the ability to Love, and the higher reasoning abilities for example.

As far as appearance no man on earth has seen Gods face, because we couldn't look upon him and live. Jesus who always was, took his human form
through Mary and the virgin birth. The Holy Spirit "who is a person" doesn't seem to have any form or "image".

I think the black American preacher was more reacting to the conservative white "christians" who abused the bible for their own racist agenda.

Jesus we know was Jewish and would have had the skin-tone of a jewish man in that point in history.

Adam and Eve since the Garden of Eden was probably in modern day Iraq/Iran would have had a skin-tone suited to that area. Although I have read that possible they might have coated their skin with the red dust/mud of that area. No real proof about that as far as I know though.

So where did black people come from according to the Bible?
That a question I can't answer at this time.

Michael
Thomas

[Canuckster1127]

A couple of days ago, I scanned through radio channels and noticed a conversation about a black american pastor screaming the bible verses about how Adam and Eve, and even Jesus was black. It was pritty interesting, but it sounded more discrimatory towards white people, applying the bible verses in Genesis and other chapters and stating that it was impossible for adam and eve to have been white.
Ofcourse, I believe whether they were black or white makes no differance, God is the definiton of equality for me.
My question is:
If God created man in his image, what image in the bible is God referring too? Not only in the scope of black people, but the whole world. Every continent has differant types of people, they are all still human, for God, they're human physical appearance does not matter, but they're human spirit which does. If so, why does a black pastor have so much contempt towards this issue, is this such a problem in most black-american religious groups.

(Note: my post with absolutely no racism intended)

That pastor was likely reacting to what is perceived within the black community at times as Jesus being portrayed as a white man. If you go through the art of the renaissance in western culture, most of the artwork and icons represented Jesus as looking as a white European. This was a not so subtle means at times of elevating white's or one's own culture as more reflective of God's favor. It is so deeply rooted in human nature to do this, that many don't even realize when it is being done. As this type of reasoning has been used in the past to rationalize and justify racism and slavery, it is understandable that it is reacted against very strongly by people of cultures that have experienced this.

In reality, as has been mentioned already, Jesus was Jewish and probably looked just like the average Jewish person in Palestine which was probably not black, but certainly much darker and swarthier than the average caucasian today. He probably was not black. I draw this from the account of the crucifixion where a man named Simon was used to help carry Christ's cross, and it was noted that he was black, which would not have been mentioned as a note of interest, if Jesus and all the other Jews were black too.

That having been said, there is a tendency for all of us to cast Jesus into an image that is familiar and comfortable and above all, similar to ourselves.

What I think you are hearing in the words and tones of the pastor you mention is a reaction within the black community against the image of Jesus portrayed to them which at times in recent history has been used to justify and support slavery and discrimination.

Frankly, this is a legitimate complaint.

I believe it needs to be balanced as well with the fact that much of the abolitionist movement found its roots in the church and a belief that slavery was wrong. Even with that, however, there still remains the fact within the US that even after the Civil War and emancipation, real equality was not achieved and there still remains a very real sense of exploitation and discrimination within the black community that expresses itself in many ways, including, what I think you heard with this black preacher.

Some within the black community have rejected Christianity altogether as they see Christianity as part of the culture that enslaved them. This explains some of the black islam movement.

Interestingly, Rich Deem just posted an article on the Biblical view of slavery which you might find interesting.

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetic ... bible.html

I'm becoming more familiar with this in a personal way. I am a lily-white Canadian who emigrated to the US. I've had some interaction with other races and cultures but not in a setting where I myself have been a minority.

The Master's program I am involved in now, has me in downtown Washington DC beside the Capital building 2 evenings a week. I am working on my degree with 9 other fellow students. I am the only white person in the group. The rest are all black of African American or Caribbean descent. I have to confess, that this is a new experience for me and I have already had to interact with very different political and social views.

I frankly think it is a good thing for me and I am growing for the opportunity. I feel accepted and a part of the group and further accept and am glad to be working with my classmates. I've definitely found among some, some strong emotions still reflecting the outrage of slavery and discrimination. It is much more difficult for me to try and dismiss that when I see it in terms of an individual whom I interact with regularly.

Two other articles that you might find interesting include:

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/racism.html

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/ar ... apter6.asp (Note: Although this is a young earth site, this is an area in which YEC and OEC really has or should have no difference, so I am referencing their article on this while recognizing AIG is not in agreement with our site on many issues.)