Those who have long warned that far-left, so-called “liberals” would gut freedom of religion given the chance have now been proven 100% correct.
Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King is calling for any images of Jesus, Mother Mary, and the twelve disciples to be torn down if the images happen to depict these Biblical figures with European features.
King, who worked as a surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, claims that any statues, murals, or stained-glass windows that depict Jesus Christ as white are a form of white supremacy and should be destroyed.
The call for “white” depictions of Jesus to be removed follows a wave of vandalism targeting sites honoring America’s Founding Fathers, including statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others.
King kicked off the call for destruction on Twitter.
Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down.
They are a form of white supremacy.
Always have been.
In the Bible, when the family of Jesus wanted to hide, and blend in, guess where they went?
EGYPT!
Not Denmark.
Tear them down.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) June 22, 2020
The accusation is totally absurd when one considers a few basic facts. Granted, King is right to imply that Jesus was not European in appearance. As such, many images of him in Western churches may not be entirely accurate. If we’re going to be historically accurate, Jesus of Nazareth was likely Israeli or Middle Eastern in appearance — because he was an Israeli Jew. But, adapting his appearance to match the cultures that adopted him as a religious icon is not unique to Europe or North America.
Even a cursory look at Christian art clearly shows that cultures the world over have always depicted Jesus in a manner that fits with cultural expectations. In churches in Ethiopia, Jesus is shown as a black man. In Asian churches, Jesus is commonly depicted with Asian features. In cultures with a large population of white people (i.e. The United States and Europe), Jesus is frequently depicted as a white man. This does not constitute racism on the part of the artists, but rather a desire to help local populations better relate to their Lord and Savior.
It’s also worth noting that the statues, stained glass windows, and murals that Shaun King and his followers are railing against are, for the most part, located on private property. America is still a free nation with First Amendment rights and churches, religions organizations, and homeowners are allowed to decorate their properties in the manner they see fit. King is effectively advocating for private property to be vandalized. This is a crime.
Just a week ago, the news was up in arms after a white woman complained about a local black man who displayed the phrase “Black Lives Matter” in front of his house. And they had a point — the property owner is allowed to do what he likes with what he pays for. However, an unbiased news station would also apply the same criteria to religious images.
In a free country, people should be able to worship God as they please. If they want to use a traditional statue of Jesus or any other religious figures to decorate their properties, that is entirely up to them — not a “woke” mob.
The notion that depicting Jesus as a white male constitutes white supremacy is ludicrous. Jesus of Nazareth grew up under the rule of an oppressive regime and devoted his life to helping the poor and downtrodden. He is worshipped by more than one billion people the world over, and each culture tends to depict him how they wish.
