Do images of Jesus influence people?

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marco
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Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #1

Post by marco »

We are all familiar with the bearded Jesus whose sad eyes appeal to us, thanks to the wonderful Renaissance artists. There's a Russian who resembles the Jesus artists have painted and he has quite a following.

Are people influenced today by images of: The baby Jesus in a poor manger;

the dead Jesus in the arms of his mother; Jesus hanging helplessly on the cross ?

Muslims forbid images of Muhammad - would this be a good idea regarding Jesus?

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JehovahsWitness
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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #2

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

Yes I think people are. I don't believe the answer is to censor artists but for religious publications to be more balanced as in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jesus was a baby and he also died an agonizing death and there's nothing wrong with depicting either of those things but in between we believe he lead a full and positive life. I personally can't stand long hair hippy effeminate looking Jesus because I don't believe he was any of those things and I'm glad the Jehovahs Witnesses depict him as I believe he was, namely as a physically strong and active man (that given the culture of his day probably wore his hair relatively short). Further Jehovahs Witnesses believe Jesus is presently a mighty spirit person in heaven and we don't hesitate to represent him as such in our literature.

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FURTHER READING What Did Jesus Really Look Like?
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/maga ... look-like/


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Willum
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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #3

Post by Willum »

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

Well, I have always had the problem with what you speak as being a violation of the Commandment against worshiping idols.

Jewish were not supposed to do this, but with Jesus they line the walls. In Acts, Paul tells people to desist, but here we are 2000 years later, still bowing to an image of Jesus or the cross.

I don't know how people rectify it, except perhaps, it is just another litmus by which we know that so few people are going to heaven.

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #4

Post by Tcg »

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

A few Easter seasons ago, I was talking with an acquaintance. He mentioned the "eye of God" constellation, which in many photos looks like an eye with a blue iris. He then referred to the blue eyed, long-haired, hippy looking Jesus image. He commented that it is quite a testament to the existence of "Our Lord and savior" that the "eye of God" is blue just like the eyes of Jesus.

He apparently wasn't aware that the image he referred to became popular in the 1940s and very likely isn't an accurate depiction of an Ancient Near Eastern man. In any case, this image of Jesus certainly did influence his view of reality. I was quite proud of myself for not laughing out loud.

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #5

Post by Willum »

[Replying to post 4 by Tcg]

Good point, if God is making images, of horses, eyes,hands and so on, he must be a sinner!
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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #6

Post by Jagella »

marco wrote: We are all familiar with the bearded Jesus whose sad eyes appeal to us, thanks to the wonderful Renaissance artists. There's a Russian who resembles the Jesus artists have painted and he has quite a following.

Are people influenced today by images of: The baby Jesus in a poor manger;
All the images of Jesus created by the church are obviously meant to influence people to see Jesus as a god. There is an obvious propagandistic agenda behind those images.
the dead Jesus in the arms of his mother; Jesus hanging helplessly on the cross ?
Those images have the particular purpose of making people feel guilty for the death of Jesus. We are to feel responsible for his presumed execution. The cure for our guilt is to convert to Christianity.
Muslims forbid images of Muhammad - would this be a good idea regarding Jesus?
Obviously it is not justified to forbid images of mythological figures.

It is important to understand that we have essentially no evidence for what Jesus really looked like. The church made up those images, and they may have made up Jesus as well.

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #7

Post by Jagella »

[Replying to post 2 by JehovahsWitness]
I personally can't stand long hair hippy effeminate looking Jesus because I don't believe he was any of those things and I'm glad the Jehovahs Witnesses depict him as I believe he was, namely as a physically strong and active man (that given the culture of his day probably wore his hair relatively short). Further Jehovahs Witnesses believe Jesus is presently a mighty spirit person in heaven and we don't hesitate to represent him as such in our literature.
So you admit that the Watchtower has stacked the deck depicting Jesus in the way they want people to believe he looked. It goes to show that people make up their own religions, gods, and saviors.

So here's what I believe Jesus looked like. If you can make up your version, then I can make up mine!

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #8

Post by Elijah John »

marco wrote: We are all familiar with the bearded Jesus whose sad eyes appeal to us, thanks to the wonderful Renaissance artists. There's a Russian who resembles the Jesus artists have painted and he has quite a following.

Are people influenced today by images of: The baby Jesus in a poor manger;

the dead Jesus in the arms of his mother; Jesus hanging helplessly on the cross ?

Muslims forbid images of Muhammad - would this be a good idea regarding Jesus?
If Jesus is considered to be God as Trinitarian Christians claim, then wouldn't any depiction of him be a violation of the commandment against graven images?
My theological positions:

-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.

I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #9

Post by Willum »

[Replying to post 8 by Elijah John]
If Jesus is considered to be God as Trinitarian Christians claim, then wouldn't any depiction of him be a violation of the commandment against graven images?
That seems like a "seconded," to me.
Can anyone explain how statues of Jesus don't the Commandment?

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Re: Do images of Jesus influence people?

Post #10

Post by Jagella »

[Replying to post 8 by Elijah John]
If Jesus is considered to be God as Trinitarian Christians claim, then wouldn't any depiction of him be a violation of the commandment against graven images?
Technically, yes, but the church had to advertise Jesus. The Hellenistic culture revered images of its pagan gods, and Jesus, the god of the Christians needed to compete with those other gods.

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