Is God A "white Man" In A Robe?

[wil]

no robe

no gender

no long hair

no white man

no human features

no anthropomorphic being



is being...like that

is spirit

is love

G-d is

G-d is all there is...

my thoughts culled from others...

For years I couldn't even say or hear the word without conjuring up my embedded Sunday School version of a combination of Thor, Santa and a Genie that they gave me...whatta disservice we do to our youth..

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Will, I understand the the visions.
Personally it took time for me to wipe that image out of my mind too.

Talk about brain washing.. sheesh

[Dondi]

Originally Posted by YO-ELEVEN-11

Dondi, if there were more people on this planet like you, I would not be asking that question, but unfortunately there isn't.

Also the verse up there is a good starting point for those ,who like to (what I call) put GOD in a nice neat box (religion).

But, how do you feel about the images around the world showing GOD in human form, be it Black, white, asian, etc..Do you feel that it is wrong to do that?

I suppose some people need something to grasp, like icons. They need to identify with God in tangible ways, though God Himself is intangible. But I get the impression that God doesn't wish us to envisualize him in this way, according to this commandment:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." - Exodus 20:4

Granted, I think he was talking more about idols like golden calves, but to try and imagine God, IMHO, will be vain for He is so much bigger than we can think or know. He would have to be if He created the universe. I like to think of a boundless God.

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Dondi,
I could not agree more.
Will, brought up a good point though.
Could we be passively imprinting images of GOD in our children with those "innocent" childrens books?

[InLove]

Hi, Peace--

Originally Posted by YO-ELEVEN-11

Inlove, do you feel that images should be should be used in religion?

Directness. Gro-o-a-a-n, umm, I mean, I like it.

I am trying to decide whether I want to submit the long or the short answer here. This could take a while. Just wanted you to know that I am not ignoring the question. It is a very good question.

InPeace,
InLove

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

LoL...In Love,

Sorry for the repeat of should be should be....lol..

i am actually at work at the moment and my supervisor is walking around.

[InLove]

Originally Posted by YO-ELEVEN-11

LoL...In Love,

Sorry for the repeat of should be should be....lol..

i am actually at work at the moment and my supervisor is walking around.

Double LOL! Because I didn't even notice! I require sleep....

InPeace,
InLove

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Originally Posted by InLove

Double LOL! Because I didn't even notice! I require sleep....

InPeace,
InLove

After this day, i think i will too..

[Eudaimonist]

Originally Posted by YO-ELEVEN-11

My question: Is GOD a "White Male" with long hair and a white beard with Euro-centric facial and body features?

Yes, and his name is Zeus. At least, I'll bet that's where that image comes from.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Dondi]

Originally Posted by Eudaimonist

Yes, and his name is Zeus. At least, I'll bet that's where that image comes from.


eudaimonia,

Mark

You may be right, since Greek thought permeated the Christian church early on.

But I also think that people identify with the image in Revelation 1:

"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." - Revelation 1:13-16

[Eudaimonist]

Originally Posted by Dondi

"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." - Revelation 1:13-16

Even when I was a Christian, I never could identify with this image. At all.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[taijasi]

Originally Posted by Dondi

"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." - Revelation 1:13-16

Wow! I have never read this before ... that I'm aware of. It strikes me as a wonderfully, beautifully mystical presentation of God's macrocosmic Being (or Being-ness). Nothing about this is literal, imho, unless it might happen to be the reference to 7 Stars. But then, hmmm, there are the 7 Candlesticks - of the Menorah ... and Seven Spirits before the Throne. Could John be trying to tell us something, with this repetition of 7?

taijasi

[wil]

How about Ezekial's version...or the burning bush...and many others that were supposedly real time visions...

I still see revelation as man creating G-d in his image.

Seems our responses are decidedly Abrahamic...not seeing any multiple armed, mouse/elephant notions here....which I'd love to hear what one thinks v. the pictures in other schools of thought...

[neosnoia]

If I were to come from a place that knew nothing of GOD or any other diety, Would it be "ok" to present this image of GOD or any other diety as Euro-centric, Asian, or any other race?

No

My question: Is GOD a "White Male" with long hair and a white beard with Euro-centric facial and body features?

No

how do you feel about the images around the world showing GOD in human form, be it Black, white, asian, etc..Do you feel that it is wrong to do that?

Yes

Succinct enough?

[InLove]

Hi, and Peace to All Here—

I have a feeling this is going to sound like a bad attempt at a highschool essay, but anyway…

From the most ancient of times that we can document at this point, there has been imagery. Much of this imagery (much more than I think we realize) has to do with individual interpretation of that Entity which (for practical purposes here—I mean no offense) is often referred to as “GOD”. This imagery—or “artistic interpretation”—most certainly influences society (ies).

Art becomes history as soon as it is rendered. But it continues to influence thought, especially when the images become “famous”. So art is interactive, and subject to individual interpretation on the part of not only the artist, but anyone who studies the art. Take maps, for instance. Mapmaking is certainly a form of art in and of itself. Is it possible that without the various former renderings of what the earth, seas, and heavens “looked like”, then we would not have discovered so much about them? Mapmaking is, and I would venture to say that it remains, a part of the “technology” of any given historical period so far.

Did Michelangelo and the Pope (one of the “Leo’s,” wasn’t it?) go ‘round and ‘round over interpretation and presentation of GOD for the ceiling of the Sisteen Chapel? Did the artists of the 1960’s make us reconsider the Michelangelo’s interpretation? How did it make you feel the first time you saw GOD represented as an African?

Maybe artistic interpretation has it’s place in “The Big Picture”. Personally, I think that the symbolism of peoples such as the Hebrews, Mayans, and other ancient societies may have ironically been way more “advanced” in their artistic interpretations of GOD. Sadly, however, we all know that even symbolism can be misused. One example might be Hitler’s symbolism, borrowed from ancient Hinduism, and which the KKK appears to have embraced. And then there is the heartbreaking example of even the empty cross, which has been badly abused over and over throughout history. But even though I can see a vision beyond what I have seen before, I still find that I “cling to the Old Rugged Cross” and the Love I truly believe it represents.

Well, believe it or not, this is my “short response”. I could go on and on, but I think I will, for now, give someone else a turn. Anyone…please???

InPeace,
InLove