2023-12-29 18:18:50
To magazine Christianity Today recently published an article stating that Jesus was Asian, and pastor Franklin Graham publicly disapproved of the article and questioned the reason that led the company to publish such an unfounded statement.
Billy Graham, Franklin’s father, was one of the founders of the magazine Christianity Today in 1956. In recent years, the publication has adopted a more politically correct tone and has moved closer to the left wing of the Democratic Party, of which Franklin Graham is a strong opponent.
The newest controversy involves an article called “How Asian artists portray the birth of Jesus from 1240 to today,” written by the magazine’s art curator, Victoria Emily Jones. In the text, she states “Jesus was born in Asia” and emphasizes that “he was Asian”.
The article’s author’s allegations are, in fact, an endorsement of initiatives to challenge the graphic representation of Jesus as a white man, with European features. Although it is not a direct statement of support for the theological lines that try to impose Jesus like an Africanit adds to the criticisms made of the way in which the Son of God is represented in the West:
“Yet the preponderance of Christian art that shows him at home in Europe means that he is deeply rooted in the popular imagination as a Westerner,” the author wrote. Indirectly, the article tries to question the tradition, something that has been done emphatically in relation to the doctrines by liberal theologians. One of the main targets of this movement is precisely the teaching about the sin of homosexuality.
Disapproval
On social media, the son of the magazine’s founder said that it was “being criticized for the article about artists representing Jesus as Asian”, and added: “I also question why they would publish something so baseless”.
“We don’t need to wonder or speculate about this – the Bible gives us very specific details about Jesus’ earthly lineage and where He was born and raised. We know that Jesus was Jewish. However, if you do not believe in the Bible or do not accept it as the Word of God, then everything can be questioned. Guess what: we can’t make God in our own image. He is who he is! We must be alert against anything or anyone that tries to undermine the authority of the Word of God”, he added, anticipating the automatic speculations that would arise with the repercussion of the article.
In the comments, many users of X accused the Christianity Today – which in Brazil is called Christianity Today – to adhere to progressive ideologies (woke, In the USA). Franklin Graham himself had already done a similar reading in 2019, when the magazine asked for the impechament of then-President Donald Trump.
“It is obvious that the Christianity Today moved to the left and represents the elitist liberal wing of evangelicalism”, the pastor summarized at the time.
.@CTmagazine is being criticized for their article about artists depicting Jesus as Asian—and I also have to ask why they would publish something so far off base. We don’t have to wonder or speculate about this—the Bible gives us very specific details about Jesus’ earthly lineage…
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) December 27, 2023
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