The Faces of Jesus: 3-10-09

When -- and if -- you think about the face of Jesus, what comes to mind?

For many people, it's the standard "Head of Christ" by Warner Sallman, even though that European-looking face with light-blue eyes almost certainly looks nothing like the Semitic Jesus. (The Sallman portrait is shown at the left here.)

Still, you can find a copy of that painting in the amazing display at the Broadway Church in Kansas City at 39th Terrace and Broadway.

The collection is called "The Faces of Jesus," and includes dozens and dozens of works of art (about 200 in all) depicting Christ. They line the halls of the church (as shown in the photo above), one corridor after another, and represent what the co-pastor, Paul Smith, has gathered over the years from countless sources.

This is not a museum collection, though there are copies of works of art you will find in a museum by such well-known names as Rembrandt and Dali and Warhol and da Vinci and Raphael and Picasso. Rather, it's simply an amateur collection of old and modern depictions of the face of Jesus of Nazareth. My, what a range.

You see traditional Christs, like Sallman's, along with almost wildly non-traditional Christs -- as, for instance, a man with close-cropped hair in a coat and tie. You see Jesus as black, as Asian, as Navajo.

You see the baby Jesus, the adult Jesus and the Jesus on the cross. One crucifixion painting shows Jesus as a female -- and if you look at it sideways you realize the cross is a birthing table and she is giving birth there.

You see a weeping Jesus (done by a 13-year-old church member), several laughing Christs and some you would be hard-pressed to recognize as Jesus at all.

Religious art has had a famously mixed history, with fights over icons in the Christian Orthodox tradition, the removal of nearly all art in some forms of Protestantism and brutal battles over depictions, such as cartoons, of the Prophet Muhammad.

But in all of this, century after century, people have sought to understand Jesus better by imagining his human face. Paul Smith's collection offers a representative sample of all that, and even if you aren't Christian, it's worth seeing as you think about your own images of God.

The link I've given you to the church will provide you with contact information so you can arrange to go see the display. And if you have a chance while you're there, also look at the angel art displays done by the church's other co-pastor, Marcia C. Fleishman. You may not think of angels in the same way ever again.

 

* * *

GOD'S SENSE OF HUMOR?

Wide receiver Terrell Owens says "God has a place for me." And what place would that be? Buffalo, N.Y., it turns out. (Insert your own God-Buffalo joke here.) I used to live an hour from Buffalo. I won't call it God-forsaken. Nor will I call it the end of the world, but you can see it from there.

* * *

TODAY'S RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY: Purim (Judaism)

Comments

[Dolores Lear]

This week's Daily promise: God protects His people
Have you ever been rescued because God gave you foresight?
"The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves." Proverbs 14:8 NLT.
Victorious foresight
Wouldn't it be great to see into the future? To have the ability to bypass future mistakes? In a way, Christians have this ability. God has given us a precious gift—the gift of sight.
This "sight" is not like the false sight of fortune-tellers or magicians. It is the spiritual ability to see who is in the future, instead of merely what is in the future. So, we no longer blindly grope around in this life as those who are lost. Christ is our future and our hope. - The Christian's race is already won through Christ's victory on the cross. And when we cross the finish line of life, we will be in Christ's presence."
WISE WAYS The next time you feel fear or persecution regarding your faith, remember that Christ has already won the victory."

Me:
Humans have the High Tech "sight" to work High Tech Science Knowledge, into our Lifestyle.

Purebred Human Male and Female Clones, in Spaceships, did Colonize Earth.

Jesus did show the Way, to Overcome Death, when he went Physically Alive, into 'the doors of Heaven' a Spaceship, with the Human Father/Mother of Life on Planet Earth.

To Be in Jesus' 'sight' is to be Alive in a Physical Body, not Dead.

Our High Tech Peace Human Ancestors did Colonize Earth, made the first Human Clone Colony, by High Tech Reproduction, in their High Tech Lab, in the 'Garden of Eden'.

Humans can Know, the Original Peace 'Clone' Colony, reverted to Natural Body Birth, and to the Generation Birth, Death, and Rebirth Lifestyle of GODs Elements ever since.

[adam harrison]

Following up on the discussion of the Holocaust and abortion, it is fair to point out that if you were born after 1973, or know someone who was, you or they are Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.

1/3 of your, or their, generation has been killed by abortion.

http://www.survivors.la/

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

Iggy’s Jesus video yesterday was hilarious. People kept saying,” yeah it does look like jesus.” Could some one please tell me where I can find an actual photo or painting of jesus, so I can judge for myself.

My grandmother said I looked liked paul when I was in high school, with long hair, then the next year I looked like jesus. It amused me of all the fancy framed pictures of Cheesus on her walls. When I was alone downstairs with my Mother, I said, Hey Mom, next year I’ll look like god.” I had to step wide so her hand didn’t reach my face.

People get this in their mind with photos and other religious art and become brainwashed. This seems to be a weakness in humans.

Every time you read it or say it you make another copy in your brain, Every time you read it or say it you make another copy in your brain. Repeat it to yourself. Every time you read it or say it you make another copy in your brain. That is how religion has flourished. Repeating the memes.

This is 2009. I think it is time to begin living in the real, natural world. And time, for some, to stop with the intolerances.

In Rick warrens purpose driven life: He said, “Obey the bible even if it doesn’t make sense.” Millions bought this book. And at least thousands are adhering to this, if not millions.

This is spooky, for people to limit learning and teach children in Sunday school classes under the instruction of unqualified teachers. I find it interesting in public schools you are required to have a degree, but in church, Sunday school teachers so often know very little. I was there and have seen it. I know more than most I have been around and I’m an atheist. This promotes to teach without a degree. This promotes a fantasy world.

Heaven help us! Amen

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

[Lynne - www.kcfreethinkers.org]

Of course what adamh and co. don't tell you is that with illegal abortions like the coat hanger method, you get two deaths for the price of one. That's the sort of thing that happened before abortion was legalized. That's WHY it was legalized. But they don't care about women and young teenage girls bleeding to death, apparently. After all, they don't have the potential to grow into boys.

If you really want to reduce the number of abortions, what you do is support comprehensive sex education, access to birth control and social programs (yes WELFARE) to help turn an "unwanted" pregnancy into an unplanned but cared for baby. Of course that won't eliminate all abortions but neither do laws banning them. Laws banning abortion do NOTHING to significantly reduce the number of actual abortions, so why rely on such draconian government measures unless you just get a kick out of the government telling us what to do?

[Dolores Lear]

'Sight' as to how Jesus looks, works with being in Jesus' 'sight', with Humans Alive, literally at Judgment Day.

When Jesus returns 'Alive' to Earth, to the Humans Reborn at that Time, what will Jesus look like?

The Same Elements are on Earth, that made the Adam and Eve Original Clone Colony, and all the rest of the Life on Earth. Earth's Atmosphere is enclosed, and GODs Elements are used and reused.

There are High Tech Humans that do Have Eternal Physical Life After Birth, on their Planet and in Spaceships.

Religion says, All that Died 'in Christ', will be Reborn, before his Return to Planet Earth. Jesus is Alive in the Same Resurrected Regenerated Body, in which he left Earth.

From the 1 Billion Humans on Earth in 1900, 7 Billion Humans in 2011, will be the population on Earth, since the Planetary Flood.

Will that be all the Humans that have lived since the Planetary Flood, be Reincarnated for the Judgement Day?

The Living Process of Generation Birth, Death, and Rebirth of Earth's Enclosed Elements, continues until the Earth Dies.

Will Humans return to the High Tech Purebred Reproduction, of Equal Male and Female Clones like Adam and Eve, and Escape their Planet before it Dies.

Or, Until Our High Tech Clone Ancestors, that started the Colony 'in the beginning', rescues a new Colony, to go with Jesus to a New Planet?

Will Biblical Prophecy for the Last Days of Life on Earth, come to pass?

Eternal Physical Human Life After Birth, is Possible on Planets and in Spaceships.

High Tech Science, Religion, and Myth tells us so.

Adamh.
What Would Humans do with 1/3 more Humans, than we have today? Abortion and War are the Only Birth Controls, Body Birth Humans have that works, to control Population on a Planet.

[Will Graham]

Lynne's suggestion that were MORE abortions before abortion was legaized is a lie, and a preposterous one.
She knows this, but I will say that it is interesting that liberals are having fewer children while the conservatives are having more.

If murderous mothers want to sacrifice their own offspring, give them all DARWIN AWARDS and be done with them. Let them decrease there representation in the gene pool.

[Will Graham]

Delores, your remark that Abortion and War are the Only Birth Controls that work, is one of the most truly EVIL remarks I have seen here.

[Red Biddy]

Will G.
Read Lynne's post on abortion again and stop twisting the meaning and lying about what you think you've read.

Lynne did not in any way suggest "that there were MORE abortions before abortion was legalized" - but more DEATHS from abortions before it was legalised. QUITE TRUE. Access to SAFE abortion procedures was the whole reason for Roe vs Wade - to save lives.
Good posting Lynne.

[Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

Faces of Jesus

Revealed on dog's butt too! - http://yoism.reality-movement.org/images/Penn&Teller/DogButtJesus.gif

Jesus and dinosaur http://www.religiouspeoplearefunny.com/?tag=/coloring+book
_______________________
Re: YESTERDAY's STUDY ON DROPPING NUMBERS OF CHRISTIANS AND INCREASE OF NON RELIGOUS PEOPLE.

It had a margin of error of 0.5%

KS showed drop of 5% in Christians.

This is an interactive graphic of the results:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-ARIS-faith-survey_N.htm

And this accompanying story says that the study concludes that the challenge to Christianity does not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion.

It appears that BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF RELIGIONS (i.e. higher education and comparison study/exposure to different religions) indicates will lead to lower religiocity

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm

[Red Biddy]

Good for you Dolores for your Abortion/War remark. Dont' let Will G bully you.
You could, however, have added to your man made "birth controls that works" remark, God's own special Population Control Methods to the mix, starting with the Biblical Flood: earthquakes, famines, tsunamis, plagues, volcanoes erupting and other natural phenomena. And now we have global warming which (depending on your point of view) is largely due to human activity or God playing dice with the universe - for fun of course.

[Susan]

Will Graham said, "If murderous mothers want to sacrifice their own offspring, give then all DARWIN AWARDS and be done with them. Let them decrease there representantion in the gene pool."

Yesterday Will said these women were victims. And today they are suddenly "murderous mothers?"

Will asked me last night why I'm "making excuses" for murder. I feel I've taken a lot of time here, and on the Kansas City Freethinking forum, to explain why I no longer identify myself with the Pro Life movement. And why I think these kinds of decisions are best left to the women themselves.

I guess I just need to get used to the idea that people like Will are going to keep monotonously droning about abortion, and looking for some way to relate it to every discussion. They think it will get the rest of us so disturbed, that we won't be able to think about anything else.

But at this point, I feel ready to move on from this issue (for people who aren't, I guess you'll keep making your comments, not realizing that everyone else has moved on). I have no plans to ever have an abortion -- but, if one of my girls were raped and became pregnant with twins at age 9 (as in the article Iggy cited yesterday), you can bet I'd go along with anything that would save my child's life.
_____________________________________________
Cole, I agree with you that it's scary that so many people are willing to "obey the Bible even if it doesn't make sense." It's especially scary when you consider that different Christians have different interpretations for practically everything.

Bill, I'd like to go see all those pictures of Jesus sometime. I especially like the concept of Jesus being a woman in labor.

[Red Biddy]

Fascinating exhibit of the Faces of Jesus, Bill. Glad you pointed out that the depictions of a blue eyed, golden haired Jesus are not those of a Semitic Jesus. There have always been efforts on the part of some Xians (especially Catholics) to de-Judais Jesus especially in Europe. Guess portraits of someone looking like Yasser Arrafat wouldn't have as much curb appeal.
You were right to correct me about my "who built" the death camp remarks. Actually it was a huge railway hub in Germany which was chosen for transport reasons - it wasn't geographically within Poland at the time of 1941. It was originally a prison for dissidents, communists and other politicals. It was expanded as you rightly said with forced labour possibly POW's after the infamous Wansee conference (1941) when efforts by the Nazi Government to find a Final Solution were increased under direct orders from Hitler.
Certainly it is also true to say in fairness, that Poles have the largest representation as being among the Righteous - people who Israel memorializes as having helped save Jews from the Nazi persecution) Still inpite of their help, the death camps managed to exterminate 3 million Polish Jews nor does it excuse the Kielce incident, nor the lack of help given by Warsaw residents (who had their own uprising afterwards) to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews who fought back so bravely.
Looking forward to your book.

[Dolores Lear]

Red Biddy.

Thank You.
I have been saying for a long time, and on this blog, that war and abortion helped control the population. Why is our population exploding in 100 years?

The Sexual Revolution for the past 100 years? Sex enhanced gadgets, and pornography used to be kept on the back burner, for for Children.

War is the male way, and Abortion is the female way, to control the population, without being conscious of it. Why are our Brothers/Sisters of Life, our Enemies?

All the other Ways Population is Controlled as you listed, is not by God, but caused by Humans, not Taking Care of their Eco System, and blamed on God.

Human Pollution does cause these Catastrophes. Today We are setting up the Judgement Day Fire, like the Noah/Atlantis Society set up the Planetary Fire Judgement.

Humans have the Planet covered in all types of Pollution, and the Biblical Last Day Fire is all set, and ready again.

Humans also have the Last Days, 'Arm'ageddon Nuclear War set up. God does none of this.

We have Nuclear waste on land and sea, and all other types of pollution and oil spills to help burn off the whole planet. God does none of this. God does not Kill. Fallen Humans do.

The Bible is for Real, not some Religious book, for getting Humans to Heaven when you die. We now Know when we Die our Elements return to Elements.

So Sex for Lust and Reproduction, Killing and War, are all Fallen Human traits, not God's.

Life is for the Peace Purebred Living Humans, on Planets and in Spaceships. Time to put the blame where it belongs, on Fallen Misbred Killer Humans.

[Dolores Lear]

An e-mail I received today. No one claiming responsibility.

U.S.Government to Release New Dollar Coins

You guessed it
'IN GOD WE TRUST' IS GONE!!!
If ever there was a reason to boycott something, THIS IS IT!!!!

DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE

Together we can force them out of circulation.

Me:
I guess I missed a report that they were discontinuing 'In God We Trust' on our Money.

I accept this as one small step, to separating the Christian Religious Rites in Government, so All Citizens, in a Religion or not, can be Equal Citizens.

Especially, when so many Citizens are not observing Christians Rituals, or not in another Organized Religion, and are becoming Atheists.

I did not forward this e-mail.

[Will Graham]

The Dollar, which is the true god that Americans trust in, is being brought down.

Judgment is here! Its going to get worse!

[Will Graham]

Red, the claim that there were MORE deaths before abortion was legalized is pure balderdash.

And an outright lie! A MILLION and a HALF die every year due to abortion. The figures were NOTHING like that before Roe v. Wade.

And Delores, your remark tha Abortion and War are the only birth controls that work is pure idiocy, besides being evil.

[adam harrison]

Delores does not know what she is talking about; sure, abortion and war control population...mass murder always controls population.

The utter moral corruption of that attitude should be self evident.

As to the myth that more deaths occured from illegal abortions than after Roe v Wade...

http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/885/26/

[Joe Barone]

Delores,
"In God We Trust" is on the rim of the coin. You can check out the truth of the emails you receive by looking at the Snopes web site or going to factcheck.org.

The Snopes page about this is at--

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

[Dolores Lear]

Will:
"And Delores, your remark that Abortion and War are the only birth controls that work is pure idiocy, besides being evil."

Me:
I Know tying the male tubes works and for some female, if they remember to take the Pill, it works, but why has our population grown from 1 billion to 7 billion in 100 years?

Females cannot get pregnant by themselves. The male has to sow the seed. So the Male is the First Cause of Pregnancy for a female.

We Know how to make a fetus in the lab, but that was recently.

What is more Evil than Humans Killing Humans, All Life on Earth, Our Eco System, and Ozone Layer?

Males getting Females Pregnant, is the Root of All the Evil, for the Rest of the Misbred Humans on Earth.

If Humans are not the Killer Species on Earth, then is it God that is doing the Killing?

I do not think Fallen Humans can continue Blaming God, for all the Bad Things that Humans do, to Each Other and their Environment.

Why Humans Breed the Killer Species, and Make our Toxic Pollution and Nuclear Bombs?

The Humans that are the Result of Misbreeding, are fighting against the World, our Flesh, and Principalities, all non existent enemies.

Humans need to Know, is Humans, and the Enemy is Human Misbreeding, the Original Sin of the Original Colony.

Stop the Male seed, and start Reproducing Purebred Clone Humans in the Lab, like the Lord God made the Adam and Eve Colony. We do have that High Tech today.

Nothing is impossible in the minds of Fallen Humans. Humans do make Nuclear Bombs to Kill Each Other, and Kill their Home Planet with Pollution.

Eternal Life is for the Living Humans After Birth, on Planets and in Spaceships, not in Heaven After Death.

[Dolores Lear]

Thanks Joe.

Glad I posted it here, instead of remailing it. I will pass this on.

:)

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

Will Graham said yesterday: "He who does not remember the past is condemned to repeat it."

I say, “He who keeps repeating himself with out-dated material lives in the past.”

Just Thinking, Susan, yesterday, thinks you might be a woman. Are you going to tell her or do you want me to?

As far as stats yesterday we must keep in mind, how surveys are taken and studied. It’s all in how the questions are asked. It has been studied and shown a lot of people answer how they think they should answer. E.g.: Do you go to church weekly?” Some answer how they think they should answer -with god watching (even though god already knows-he knows everything) they still lie. Now if it is asked how often do you go to church you may get a different, maybe a more honest, answer.

I know a half dozen, perhaps more, people who go to church and don’t believe. How are they recorded? My guess is this: there are far more nonreligious, thus less Christians, than shown on studies. Some of this is because of family pressures and perhaps guilt, a big effort of god and church.

Do people who want “in god we trust” on currency also want mandatory prayer in public schools? How about creationism or ID taught as a fact in school? How about mandatory church and Sunday school, all business closed on Sunday and or Saturday? The bible contradicts itself on the holy day and I don’t need an answer from anybody on that because I believe the bible was written by humans.

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

Joe Barone, a man came into work two days ago complaining about the coin also.

Some post here whining about past unsuccessful atheist countries.

Somebody please tell me of a successful theocracy. Would that be in the middle east?

What we need is a secular constitution for a country. Wait a minute, we have one, in America, and in several other successful countries.

I wonder how America stayed together before “in god we trust” became our official national motto in 1956?

A Jesus Sighting A Jesus Sighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY_1WRp3cMg

Jesus Sightings - Documented sightings and re-enactments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1sdx4o_ONU

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

[Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

ATHEISTS HAIL STUDY FINDING RECORD NUMBERS
OF NONBELIEVERS IN US

An Atheist civil rights and advocacy group today hailed the findings of a national survey indicated that more Americans have "no religion." According to the latest American Religion Identification Survey, fifteen percent of those asked told researchers they had no religious belief, a rise from 14.2 percent measured in 2001, and up from 8.2 percent found in 1990. The report was released Monday by the The Program on Public Values at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Over 54,000 persons were surveyed.

"Non-belief is alive and thriving in America," said Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists. "The findings show that sectarian religion is clearly in decline, and that people are no longer afraid to admit that they embrace a secular philosophy."

Buckner noted that organized religion plays a diminished role in the lives of many people. "Thirty percent of engaged couples said they did not want a religious wedding ceremony," noted Buckner. Twelve percent said they believed in some vague 'higher power," but not the personal or sectarian God of Christianity or Islam.

Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, said that the growing ranks of non-religious Americans were becoming a significant force in politics. "Atheists, humanists, freethinkers and other non-religious Americans are making their voices heard at the ballot box and in our nation's capital," said Silverman. "We're slowly having an impact, and more people realize that you don't need to believe in a God or holy book to make positive contributions to our society."

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

Ladies, Will G will never shut up about abortions. And he will continue to twist everything around to fit his so-called reasoning.

With god on his side we don’t stand a chance anyway.

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

[adam harrison]

Delores, you ask what is more evil than Humans killing Humans?

And yet you seem to have no problem with abortion and war reducing the population, as you call it.

Well, isn't abortion and war HUMANS KILLING HUMANS?

And you are right, Cole, you are never going to shut Will, or any of us up.

Many brilliant men have tried to destroy Christianity; Voltaire, Hume, Paine, Marx Ingersoll, Nietzsche, Russell, Freud, Sartre and many others by force; Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, etc.

They all failed.

Even you and Iggy will fail! LOL!