1.) There are plenty of denominations outside the Catholic Church that depicts a European Jesus. I can't think of one that doesn't.
2.) You have got to be kidding me. Jesus's ministry composed of curing countless people of all types of illnesses, raised people from the dead, "driving demons out", etc. He turned water to wine, walked on water, fed 5000 people with a loaf of bread and some fish. He preached to thousands audibly on hillsides, angered old school thought to the point of getting stoned to death, etc.. HE CLAIMED TO BE THE SON OF GOD and you're telling me this would be hardly noticed? This wouldn't be escalating news and gossip? It's laughable how there isn't a shred, not a single account written about this anywhere else that confirms the Bible.
3.) can't comment on 3, don't know where you're comming from here.
4.) Funny how "stories past down" are worded with such volume of detail as if it were yesterday. I am having a real hard time believing that such dialog can be passed with such accuracy, with multiple points of view and narration. It reeks of a made up story.
I was just giving some possible explanations...
Here's what i think, sorry if it pisses anyone off.
1. Beucase the Roman Catholic church did that for political and racial reasons. Until the 1500's i believe, it was only the roman catholic church. Not until Martin Luther seperated from the church did other denominations start popping up. (Lutheren Church) By then the white Jesus was accepted becuase all the paintings from the chruch made him white with blue eyes.
2. Beucase the story of Jesus as we know it was really a political struggle between the house of david and house of herod. Read the new testiment with that pardigm and it will make some sense. The house of David was trying to get back into power. Becuase of this a historian wouldn't write about it in the religous sense. If you view the new testiment as a historical record you have to accept the idea that it's one sided.
3. I don't think he was crucified by romans. I think it was a purely Jewish doing with Roman support for fear that if the house of David came into power it could start a revolution. And the house of Herod wasn;t willing to give up their power.
4. Jesus had a message. In a time of savageness, suffering and Killing. Jesus preached tolerence, fogiveness, and love as the path to heaven. Whether he died ont he cross or not there was a story of a ressurection. As you said, rumor and gossip, ran rapid through the people. This message and the story of his ressurection gained a following. At some point someone decided to write the stories down and there it may have got exaggerated. Remember most of these gospels were written 40 to 60 years later. Also at that time the gnostic gospels were written. Then 250 years after that, when christianity was a very large movment it was adopted by Constantinople at the concil of Nicia. And the story was really perverted to allow those in power to control the masses.
Now, with pure respect to other people's faith. And the fact that i really don't truely know what really happened, I tend not to try and ram my theory down people's throats too much.
