The latest claim from a dubiously-identifying Christian magazine regarding the “universality of Christ’s birth” met with serious backlash online.
“I’m an Atheist and even I think this is cringeworthy Wokism.”
If Christianity Today had aimed solely to get attention, the nearly 800,000 views of their post about depictions of Jesus Christ in Asian artwork suggested success. Though published on Dec. 18, the article, “How Asian Artists Picture Jesus’ Birth From 1240 to Today,” was shared to X on Christmas Eve, just in time to mark that birth with the claim, “Jesus was born in Asia.”
“He was Asian. Yet the preponderance of Christian art that shows him at home in Europe has meant that he is embedded deeply in the popular imagination as Western,” wrote Victoria Emily Jones in the photo essay that also spoke to Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist artistic renderings of “Asian Nativity imagery.”
“Some may object to depicting Jesus as anything other than a brown male born into a Jewish family in Bethlehem of Judea in the first century, believing that doing so undermines his historicity,” she contended. “But Christian artists who tackle the subject of the incarnation are often aiming not at historical realism but at theological meaning.”
“By representing Jesus as Japanese, Indonesian, or Indian, they convey a sense of God’s immanence, his ‘with-us–ness,’ for their own communities–and for everyone else, the universality of Christ’s birth,” the article asserted.
Requests that they delete their account were in abundance while The Babylon Bee’s managing editor Joel Berry made a mocking suggestion in line with his outlet’s own brand of satire, “Next can you please do an article with a bunch of AI images of Jesus if He were Rosa Parks.”
Next can you please do an article with a bunch of AI images of Jesus if He were Rosa Parks
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) December 25, 2023
Others couldn’t help but view the claims from the magazine as part of a broader commentary on the Israel-Hamas war where the religious significance of the dispute has often been sidelined by secular analysts seeking to limit the scope to strictly politics.
“Blasphemy,” charged Christian blogger Samuel Sey. “Jesus is a Jew. It’s necessary for our salvation that he is a son of David, from the tribe of Judah, and born in Bethlehem. Stop this nonsense. He isn’t European, Asian, Palestinian or black. He’s a Jew–the king of the Jews and therefore saviour of the world.”
Taking a page out of the leftist playbook on self-identification, Sey went on to add later, “After more careful thinking about the Christianity Today article about Jesus being Asian, I now realize that I’m actually European. So from this day forward, please stop calling me an African. Thank you.”
Blasphemy.
Jesus is a Jew. It’s necessary for our salvation that he is a son of David, from the tribe of Judah, and born in Bethlehem.
Stop this nonsense.
He isn’t European, Asian, Palestinian or black.
He’s a Jew—the king of the Jews and therefore the saviour of the world.
— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) December 25, 2023
After more careful thinking about the Christianity Today article about Jesus being Asian, I now realize that I’m actually European.
So from this day forward, please stop calling me an African.
Thank you.
— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) December 25, 2023
Challenges came in from across the spectrum of believers and non-believers with many suggesting the magazine now fell into the latter category.
“Just change your name to ‘Paganism Today’ at this point and stop with this utter garbage nonsense. Unbelievable,” wrote one as another offered, “In case any further proof is needed, here is your reminder that Christianity Today is not your go-to source for anything about Christianity.”
Still another couldn’t help but ask, “Did you guys read the Bible?”
Just change your name to ‘Paganism Today’ at this point and stop with this utter garbage nonsense. Unbelievable
— Fyreous (@fyreous) December 25, 2023
In case any further proof is needed, here is your reminder that Christianity Today is not your go to source for anything about Christianity https://t.co/yBQiXQ3a3g
— Sean Bannion (@SeanBannion) December 25, 2023
Did you guys read the Bible?
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) December 25, 2023
Within ten years Christianity Today will either shut down or be indistinguishable from an atheist blog during Christmas and Easter.
Either “We want to thank you for the many years of support and look forward to our new journey with hope and love” or “Did Jesus even exist?” https://t.co/olouzuoAst
— God Arguments (@ArgumentsGod) December 25, 2023
I’m an Atheist and even I think this is cringeworthy Wokism.
— George From NY (@GeorgeFromNY1) December 25, 2023
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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