[mnehring]

The nativity has caused heated reactions in the rich northern town, where resentment toward foreigners has spread as the number of immigrants, particularly from north Africa and eastern Europe, continues to rise.

So they (for the lack of a better term) whitewash the fact Jesus was from the Middle East?

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Methinks they have the obama nativity confused with the jewish one. Its a common mistake lately.

[rjsimmon]

"History teaches us that baby Jesus and his parents were very probably dark-skinned," Schinaia told Reuters.

Yeshua ben David was neither white nor black. He was as olive skinned as any of his kin from the tribe of Judah.

[Paratrooper]

Verona is a beautiful city, However, I was robbed when I was at the airport leaving. My son dropped me at the entrance to the airport at 0600 and I was pulling a check-in bag and a carry-on. I had a pouch I carry when I travel sitting on top of my carry on. It was dark and I thought it strange that a group of 15-20 people were standing at the entrance of a small airport at 6 AM. Well as soon as I went in the entrance I looked down and noticed that my pouch was gone, I immediately went back out the door and the 15-20 people were scattered into the parking lot, not a soul at the entrance. It was then I noticed that some of the people were Muslim(some women in traditional dress). Lucky, I had my passport in my pocket, lost my BB and Cell Phone and Mark Levin’s book Liberty and Tyranny.

[SoftwareEngineer]

Wow! We have done it..

I actually for once agree with the PC crowd.

Jesus was NOT white. He was brown (probably) or olive skin or tanned whatever we want to call it

However he was not white or blonde or blue eyed nor did he shop at Nordstrom’s or Macy’s

Jesus is and FOREVER will be for all people of all color. He is not an exclusive preserve of the West.

He is of all people for all people.. and forever will be..

[AppyPappy]

Oh boy, are they in for a surprise. Here’s a hint guys. He was born in the Middle East.

[NurdlyPeon]

What exactly does “dark skinned” mean? I doubt that Jesus looked like a Scandinavian, but I also doubt that he looked like someone from deepest darkest Africa either. What does your average Israeli look like today? Do we have any reason to believe that they have undergone any radical evolutionary change in skin color over the last 2000 years? We don’t have to get all PC about this one way or the other, just show him as he probably was.

[TigersEye]

The Christmas scene -- featuring a dark-skinned baby Jesus dressed in a red shirt with a hammer and sickle and lying in a manger --

It's little baby 0bambi!

[SnakeDoctor]

He was from the Middle East -- no way he was white.

I think there is actually a significant problem with the generic European/ American visual depiction of Christ -- almost to the point that it can distort interpretation of Christ's personality.

Christ is almost uniformly pictured as a thin, meek, soft-spoken, pale, flowing-haired, gown-wearing hippy. If images are to be believed, He was perpetually solemn, silent, contemplative, gentile, and always cuddling with lambs and children.

This is a man that convinced people, by sound and sight alone, that He is the Son of God. He was a carpenter (in a time before power tools), and must've had a booming voice to command such respect. He was gentile when called for -- but this was not a meek person, and not the type of guy you'd have to check for an Adam's apple to verify His gender. He didn't look like one of the BeeGees.

Christ was a man. He was a carpenter ... so probably a man of substantial size and physical strength. His hands were likely rough. His voice must've been commanding, otherwise no one would've taken Him seriously. He was of middle-eastern heritage ... so likely not pale-skinned, and likely not with brown, flowing hair. He likely had facial hair -- but not the BeeGee looking getup that's often shown.

If I had to pick a modern person that I though looked like Christ likely looked -- I think Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) has the look down pretty well ...

SnakeDoc

[raccoonradio]

Some cities have had “black nativity plays” for years

ALL IN THE FAMILY:
ARCHIE: Every picture ya ever seen of God he’s white

HENRY (brother of George) JEFFERSON: Well maybe you were looking at the negative...

---

The Kinks had a song, “Black Messiah”, with a reggae beat: “but if I told you that God was black, what would you think of that...” Ray Davies also sings “I’m the only honky livin’ on an all-black street...He said a black messiah/ Is goin’ to set the world on fire...Everybody gotta work it out, we gotta sort it out”

Because everything’s on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRdsI0FLPDY

[Titus-Maximus]

Tell those paisanos to switch to de-caf cappuchinos.

[smokingfrog]

So what colour was Jesus?

My best guess would be that he was "olive skinned." But definitely not skinny and frail. He was beaten mercilessly and carried his own cross, so must have been in very good shape. There's no mention in the bible that I know of of Jesus having ever been sick, so he was probably the perfect picture of health.

[Mike Darancette]

"History teaches us that baby Jesus and his parents were very probably dark-skinned," Schinaia told Reuters. "This nativity belongs to a universal Christmas tradition that brings together the whole of Christianity in celebration."

A Nordic looking Jesus probably wouldn't have fit in too well in the Israel of that day. Anyway in the day the Nordic types were busy burning each other's villages and worshiping multiple bloodthirsty gods.