Once again darn it, why the sexy Jesus?!

Cmass · Post by **Cmass** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 5:21 am

I have yet to get a decent, well thought out answer for this:

Why the sexy Jesus in nearly ALL Christian literature, artwork and movies?
I spent quite a bit of time in a Christian book store the other day and could not find ONE Jesus who did not look European, tall, long-haired and quite handsome. If he were not dressed in the pure white gown and Birkenstocks I'm am sure the ladies would admit their sexual attraction for him.

A recent study (with Christian participation) - which took into account the known realities of that time - indicates he was very likely short by today's standards, very thin, short wiry hair, very dark with leather skin and poor teeth. In other words, nearly the exact opposite of all Westernized depictions of Jesus.

So, why the sexy Jesus?

Chem · Post by **Chem** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:45 am

That was Oral Roberts.

What an unfortunate name

!

Thanks for the info.

It would be great to begin such a cult/religion/belief system just to p everybody off (especially the holier than thou crew)!

BTW if you do start one let me know and I can start the ball rolling this side of the pond. The only issue is that Europeans are not as susceptible to such change, I wonder why

.

Cmass · Post by **Cmass** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:44 am

BTW if you do start one let me know and I can start the ball rolling this side of the pond. The only issue is that Europeans are not as susceptible to such change, I wonder why

I'm sure this will get me into trouble, but no, it would be much more difficult to start over there. It would also be nearly impossible here in Washington State or Oregon. However, if I fly South to Texas or Alabama, it would be easy to start such a religion. That there is whatcha call "the bible belt" - or in proper English "Duh bable bet" Yup, thad 'bout doer.

Lainey · Post by **Lainey** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:24 am

Cathar1950 wrote:Nothing against gay but it seems our modern Jesus may be a form of homoerotic projection. The same goes with the “holy spirit” the third male in the Trinity. I hear men singing these love songs to Jesus and the spirit and I sometimes wonder why they want to be the bride of Christ. On the other hand they bash gays and say what worthless sinners every one is and unworthy of a bloody sacrifice God requires. It should make us wonder.

This reminds me of a Christian book I read. It was talking about the dynamics of the husband/wife relationship, and although my memory is a bit fuzzy on what the point of the book was, it did talk about how God is not only our Father, friend, and lord, but also our lover. Male and female--doesn't matter. It was written by a husband and wife, and spoke of how God does little things for each of us as a gesture of love--like every time you experience something in nature that you like, it's like God sending you his version of flowers and chocolates. The wife wrote of how she felt a bit jealous of an experience her husband had (I think he saw a whale or something) that they attributed to God's gesture of love, but she knew that she'd get something more suited to her soon enough.

Now this brought a few questions to mind for me: Didn't these two have enough romance in their own relationship? Could I respect a man who was looking for manifestations of eros from a (traditionally) male authority figure? Was it a homoerotic projection on the part of the husband? An unfulfilled secret desire? Did they ever think maybe that it just was what it was, and didn't have any grand design? Did they think everybody is God's paramour, or just Christians? Do they see God as a bigamist? Is that okay if he does it? Do they spend their days looking for signs of God's romantic love for them? Is this a normal Christian way of thinking?

You're right, Cathar--why do men want to be the bride of Christ?

As for the sexy Jesus, aside from the obvious (even if sleazy--but when is marketing not sleazy in some way?) marketing angle, people equate beauty and cleanliness with goodness. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness," right? If they portrayed Jesus as ugly, dirty, and smelly, people would be less likely to respect, let alone worship him. For people to see Jesus as worthy of worship, on some level, he has to be better than us in every way, including physical impressiveness.

Let's not kid ourselves--what religion is about is selling itself, through fear if necessary. They have to sell Jesus. Also, can anyone really say that worship doesn't have an erotic aspect to it? Giving yourself totally to one ideal, relying on that ideal for everything you need, being nothing more than a slave, really, though a well-kept slave if you're a good boy or girl...come on!

Cathar1950 · Post by **Cathar1950** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:37 am

Darn good points and observations Lainey.
I wonder how dense the wife is when she didn't get offended that her husband was having loving thought about her, from God no less, in the form of a whale?
"honey that whale reminds me of the grace God gives me to love you."
reply:
"Oh look hun that pile of garbage over there reminds me how much I love you"

Lainey · Post by **Lainey** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:51 am

Well, I think the idea was more that he saw a whale (I think they lived near a coast), and he thought it was neat. Because it was neat, God must have done it.

I love the smell after it rains in the small town I'm from. Were I to follow these people's way of thinking, I'd have to assume that every time I smelled that, God was courting me.

In this romantic gift from God that the husband got (the whale sighting), the wife wasn't thought of at all. She might as well not have existed. It was a romantic, intimate moment just between him and his male authority figure. Kind of sounds like God was trying to move in on her territory, to me...

Cathar1950 · Post by **Cathar1950** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:24 am

I know people that do that all the time every little thing is a personal gift of God. I some times personalize when I look at a beautiful meadow or flowers or even a pretty woman and the smell of rain or baking bread. I think it is a personal gift from God. But I am only enjoying it in a strange poetic way. But I have a hard time understanding a God that is not some how equated with the universe and creation. It is an aesthetic value in some ways.
But I can see what you mean if God was starting to become part of your love making in a highly personal way as an object of affection or erotica.
I could see God as lover as a metaphor but it is suspect if it is a substituted. I would be uncomfortable if every time some one made love to me they were thinking about God and wanted me to repeat the 10 commandments as foreplay. God also should not be on the nightstand.
I think I get your point.

Kind of sounds like God was trying to move in on her territory, to me...

It does sound a little creepy.

Cmass · Post by **Cmass** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 11:43 pm

like every time you experience something in nature that you like, it's like God sending you his version of flowers and chocolates.

Lainey,
I about fell out of my chair laughing at this.
I was also VERY impressed with the post in general.
5 tokens for you!

If they portrayed Jesus as ugly, dirty, and smelly, people would be less likely to respect, let alone worship him. For people to see Jesus as worthy of worship, on some level, he has to be better than us in every way, including physical impressiveness.

I think this is a big part of what is going on.....and yet so unlike what is publicly SAID about Christ's teachings: That what you look like does not matter, it is your spiritual health that matters etc.. I think my whole "sexy Jesus" subject turns many Christians away because there is simply no way to reconcile it. FiredUp4Jesus, is the one Christian in here who actually had the nards to admit that this part of Christianity was indeed out of line. I applauded for this and can only hope more Christians begin to see the light on this.

Why does it matter to me? Because I think by discarding the sexy Jesus dolls and the Jesus TV and all the other marketing BS, Christians will be left with a much more "real" religion that is also far less damaging to others. It won't require quite as much lying and manipulation to maintain. If you can't maintain a religion without $4.5 BILLION in sales then your religion has some serious problems.

Chem · Post by **Chem** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 5:12 am

Why does it matter to me? Because I think by discarding the sexy Jesus dolls and the Jesus TV and all the other marketing BS, Christians will be left with a much more "real" religion that is also far less damaging to others. It won't require quite as much lying and manipulation to maintain. If you can't maintain a religion without $4.5 BILLION in sales then your religion has some serious problems.

Very good point. I wonder do the people who support this industry actually think about the irony in what they do?

If memory serves me, I think that similar practices in the Catholic Church lead to Luther's Diet of Worms and the foundation of Protestant religions.

Has anybody thought how the formation of the various Christian Religions seems similar to the formation of various martial arts- someone has a better way of doing it or more insight so that "Hey Presto" a new religion is born.....

Cmass · Post by **Cmass** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 5:42 am

Chem said:
I wonder do the people who support this industry actually think about the irony in what they do?

Some of them know exactly what they are doing and see the Christian industry simply as a market to be mined - I've met them. However, the Christian-owned business are blind to it and really think they are doing God's work. Blindness easily comes when there is money and power involved. If someone offered you a few million to believe in Jesus but only if you passed a lie detector test proving it, I bet you would find a way to believe in Jesus.

Lainey · Post by **Lainey** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:05 pm

Cmass wrote:I think this is a big part of what is going on.....and yet so unlike what is publicly SAID about Christ's teachings: That what you look like does not matter, it is your spiritual health that matters etc.. I think my whole "sexy Jesus" subject turns many Christians away because there is simply no way to reconcile it.

How to put this delicately?

You see, like so many other things about religion, this claim is a crock. I strongly suspect that whether they admit it or not, most Christians think that what you look like on the outside is a reflection of your inner spiritual health. It's only human, after all. People size people up based on their appearance all the time. Why should they be any different? (Yeah, I know they think they're different, but reality shows us otherwise).

Cmass wrote:Why does it matter to me? Because I think by discarding the sexy Jesus dolls and the Jesus TV and all the other marketing BS, Christians will be left with a much more "real" religion that is also far less damaging to others. It won't require quite as much lying and manipulation to maintain. If you can't maintain a religion without $4.5 BILLION in sales then your religion has some serious problems.

I think you're right, and that's how it should be. Good luck with that...

If only...

Chem wrote:If memory serves me, I think that similar practices in the Catholic Church lead to Luther's Diet of Worms and the foundation of Protestant religions.

What's "Luther's Diet of Worms?" Never heard of that one before.

Cmass wrote:If someone offered you a few million to believe in Jesus but only if you passed a lie detector test proving it, I bet you would find a way to believe in Jesus.

Well, I'd certainly find me some way to pass the lie detector test!