Why is there only "white" angels?

[daj]

Is anyone else bothered by the propaganda that is "Heaven" and it's angels. They are always seen as being blonde haired, blue eyed creatures of LOVE and LIGHT.

Why doesn't God have more flavor than that? Why isn't there asian or black angels? Dark haired angels? Dark skinned angels? Blue/Purple/Pink/Green Angels with pink/blue/purple/green wings? Why are they only perceived as being white, with blonde hair, and often blue eyes?

It almost seems to me like God is the American propaganda version of Hitler, who is said to have only wanted blonde haired, blue eyed people to rule the world.

Has anyone ever seen an angel of a different color (in your experiences/ not in artwork)? One that isn't white, didn't have blonde hair or blue eyes? You've gotta wonder...

[Michelle]

Angels don't have skin, but they come in all colours and sizes. For example, Raphael (green) or my fav Raziel (rainbow). Check out Doreen Virtue for more real angelic info.

[Angela]

Probably the same reason Jesus usually looks like he's from Orange County.

[Warping]

I think it's because Angels are a Judeo-Christian concept, which originated in the Greco-Roman society (yaay wikipedia), in societies where people were all predominantly white.

Other cultures do have concepts similar to angels, like helper beings and all, and I'm pretty sure they are represented/portrayed in different ways.

The ether is not culture specific. :P
All the same thing, interpreted in different ways.

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by Michelle

Angels don't have skin, but they come in all colours and sizes. For example, Raphael (green) or my fav

Hey, he said Angels, not Ninja turtles!

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by Angela

Probably the same reason Jesus usually looks like he's from Orange County.

Naw, that's Jesus, pronounced: "Hay-soos" .

[MillenniumMike]

The common image of angels and Jesus of being white and usually blonde does not come from Greco-Roman society, it comes after the fall of Rome during the Dark ages. During the Papal States and the Crusades. Look particularly at Jesus he was Middle Eastern, muscular (He was a carpentar before modern tools), and had short hair (it was inappropriate at the time for a guy to have long hair, Cor 11:14).

[MidasGirl]

Originally Posted by Angela

Probably the same reason Jesus usually looks like he's from Orange County.

Lmao.......classic!!

And here I thought he looked like he was from North Dakota.........

[MidasGirl]

Originally Posted by daj

Has anyone ever seen an angel of a different color (in your experiences/ not in artwork)? One that isn't white, didn't have blonde hair or blue eyes? You've gotta wonder...

Perhaps it stems from the perception that angels are actual real humans that once existed. I don't know any people of color that have claimed to see angels, and if I did, I'd be very curious to know if they too see blonde haired white angels. My take is that people already have a formed image of what an angel is supposed to look like, and as we know, from a subjective reality standpoint (which is obviously the only reality where angels exist), you see what you believe.

[aggie]

i've read about all the different angels and the descriptions of them never seemed to indicate color...i never perceived them that way...some artists like michaelangelo...i don't think his angels were particularly white bread...i guess i never thought about it...just kind of a commercialized look...the whole white purity thing...angels and their designated powers and that concept of them has nothing to do with some standard tangible look...imo...

[seeker5]

Probably because for 1500 years, Christianity was propagated and maintained only by white people in Europe. During that time I bet they weren't aware of Asian people's existence, and the black and brown people they were in contact were probably all Muslims considering all of Northern Africa and Middle east was (and still is) ruled by the Islamic faith.

So, white people getting in the habit of portraying the good guys of their religion as white doesn't seem that big of a stretch to me.

[Mynder]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Probably because for 1500 years, Christianity was propagated and maintained only by white people in Europe. During that time I bet they weren't aware of Asian people's existence, and the black and brown people they were in contact were probably all Muslims considering all of Northern Africa and Middle east was (and still is) ruled by the Islamic faith.

So, white people getting in the habit of portraying the good guys of their religion as white doesn't seem that big of a stretch to me.

Knowing people, I think that is pretty much spot on.

[bluedragon]

I thought angels were beyond physical appearance and that they appeared differently to each person, according to how they imagine love and light to be like. Maybe they are all white because nobody believes light is black, otherwise, they might be any color.

P.S. Question - in dreams or in the afterlife, do you think we can we experience colors that don't exist in this world?

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Probably because for 1500 years, Christianity was propagated and maintained only by white people in Europe. During that time I bet they weren't aware of Asian people's existence, and the black and brown people they were in contact were probably all Muslims considering all of Northern Africa and Middle east was (and still is) ruled by the Islamic faith.

So, white people getting in the habit of portraying the good guys of their religion as white doesn't seem that big of a stretch to me.

Historically speaking; you're not that far off. In fact, the pictures of Christ with long hair are reported to be inacurate as well. When the King James Version of the Bible was being written, the style of hair being worn in Britain was that portrayed in paintings of the Christ. The truth is, it was very common for Jews in the time of Christ to shave their heads as an act of atonement and short hair was reported to have been worn quite commonly.

The real Jesus probably looked more like "Yassir Arafat" (in skin tone) than the "Mel Gibson-ish" (from Brave Heart) portraits that we are use to seeing.

But don't worry, when HE comes again; there will be no mistaking HIM. (but I won't be around for that so someone will have to twitter it for me)

[OlderWiser]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Probably because for 1500 years, Christianity was propagated and maintained only by white people in Europe.

Well, not to be argumentative, but you might want to do a little more research on very early Christianity before you make statements like that. In fact, Ethiopia was one of the earliest adopters of Christianity, and Christianity was present in Egypt even from the earliest stirrings of the movement.

Not that this has anything to do with angels (I've never "seen" one, though I've experienced their presence a couple of times, and they didn't look like any race or gender or anything else, just pure energy). I'm just a history geek and fairly familiar with early Christianity.

[Mynder]

That doesn't change the point that the papal control over the church was exerted from Europe, where white skin was pretty much the only color really "known" by most inhabitants.

Or, if you want to have it that way, the pope and the high clergy was white, so of course they adopted the same imagery for their savior.

[OlderWiser]

Granted, most of Christendom, as it was known, was European. Yes, the usual image of Jesus and of angels and of pretty much every saint is European. I didn't say otherwise. I was just commenting on the historical issue, nothing more or less.

Sorry if it offended you. Being a history geek, I'm stupid enough to think that people might want to actually know things about history, especially when it comes up in a conversation. My bad, obviously.

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

Sorry if it offended you. Being a history geek, I'm stupid enough to think that people might want to actually know things about history, especially when it comes up in a conversation. My bad, obviously.

Don't apologize. Some of us here enjoy historical accuracy without the cultural rhetoric attached. "No Bad At All".

[Mynder]

Why would I be offended? I just wanted to emphasize the point why angels and jesus today "look" the way they do. Nothing more, nothing less.

And yes, I actually appreciate information. Thank you.