I can only speculate and make an educated guess as to the true reason; christianity in general, except for missionary conversions in other lands, has always been predominantly a product of Europeans...from the Roman times, spreading northward as the Gauls became French, Saxons became English, etc. Thus it is probably simply traditional, from a time when most people had never even encountered a person of color, and thus could not even imagine one. In other words...they simply couldn't think outside the box, to put it in modern vernacular. Ermm...though it does seem odd that since most of the "classical" artists were of Mediterranean descent (ie Greeks and Italians such as Michelangelo), they wouldn't have at least given their depictions of heavenly beings a tan. Meh...I've been drinking tonight, I'll just shut up now before I end up rambling off incoherently.
Why are angels always white?
by slimboyfat 52 Replies latest jw friends
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nvrgnbk
Why are angels always white?
WTS: Who cares. there's only one color we see- GREEN!
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dh
"Did you ever notice how in the Bible, whenever God needed to punish someone, or make an example, or whenever God needed a killing, he sent an angel? Did you ever wonder what a creature like that must be like? A whole existence spent praising your God, but always with one wing dipped in blood. Would you ever really want to see an angel?"
From the movie The Prophecy
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gaiagirl
Angels are shown as white, not to elevate one race over another, but because the brightest light which we can see is white, the apparant color of the Sun. A fire would be almost white when burning very hot, and gradually become yellow, then red before it died, leaving black embers. Black is the color of darkness, such as found deep inside a cave. The dualism in Christianity AND in other dualistic belief systems such as Mithraism links forces of Good with Light and Knowledge and forces of Evil with Darkness and Ignorance. Gods sword which kept Adam and Eve from returning to Eden was "burning". The Bible warns that evil people will be cast into darkness, where they will weep and gnash their teeth. Other deities, such as Ahura-Mazda, are represented as a burning flame which dissipates darkness. This is why one brand of light bulb is called "Mazda" (don't know if this is connected to the automobile company or not). Further, in the ancient world, the natural color of a woven cotton or linen garment would have been almost white when clean, growing gradually darker as it became dirty. Wool could be more colors because it comes from the hair of sheep, so might naturally have grey, brown or black fibers in it, but an all white wool garment would have been very special, and therefore expensive. Early tires for automobiles were white rubber, and were observed to pick up dirt from the road, developing a black band around their circumference. Since there was no way to prevent them from picking up dirt, eventually they came to be made of black rubber, with the white sidewall becoming a special, extra-cost decoration which implied that the car, and therefore the owner, was a person of importance. The idea continues in the raised white letters seen on some tires. In modern times, light is still associated with knowledge and safety. Cartoons often show a light bulb over someones head when they have an idea. Advertisements for Ford used to show a brightly lit bulb, with the expression "Ford Has A Better Idea". The symbol for the Unitarian-Universalist church is a flame burning in a chalice, dispelling ignorance through study and knowledge. Lighthouses save lives because of their bright light warning ships of dangers which await in the darkness. Children often sleep better if a small night-light is left burning, rather than allowing their room to be completely dark/black.
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nvrgnbk
Angels are shown as white, not to elevate one race over another, but because the brightest light which we can see is white, the apparant color of the Sun. A fire would be almost white when burning very hot, and gradually become yellow, then red before it died, leaving black embers. Black is the color of darkness, such as found deep inside a cave. The dualism in Christianity AND in other dualistic belief systems such as Mithraism links forces of Good with Light and Knowledge and forces of Evil with Darkness and Ignorance. Gods sword which kept Adam and Eve from returning to Eden was "burning". The Bible warns that evil people will be cast into darkness, where they will weep and gnash their teeth. Other deities, such as Ahura-Mazda, are represented as a burning flame which dissipates darkness. This is why one brand of light bulb is called "Mazda" (don't know if this is connected to the automobile company or not). Further, in the ancient world, the natural color of a woven cotton or linen garment would have been almost white when clean, growing gradually darker as it became dirty. Wool could be more colors because it comes from the hair of sheep, so might naturally have grey, brown or black fibers in it, but an all white wool garment would have been very special, and therefore expensive. Early tires for automobiles were white rubber, and were observed to pick up dirt from the road, developing a black band around their circumference. Since there was no way to prevent them from picking up dirt, eventually they came to be made of black rubber, with the white sidewall becoming a special, extra-cost decoration which implied that the car, and therefore the owner, was a person of importance. The idea continues in the raised white letters seen on some tires. In modern times, light is still associated with knowledge and safety. Cartoons often show a light bulb over someones head when they have an idea. Advertisements for Ford used to show a brightly lit bulb, with the expression "Ford Has A Better Idea". The symbol for the Unitarian-Universalist church is a flame burning in a chalice, dispelling ignorance through study and knowledge. Lighthouses save lives because of their bright light warning ships of dangers which await in the darkness. Children often sleep better if a small night-light is left burning, rather than allowing their room to be completely dark/black.
Very informative post. However, the purity of a white linen garment must never be confused with the different colors and tones of human skin seeming to act as an indicator of varying degrees of purity in people. The artists' deliberate decision to render all of the angels as caucasian is simply an example of White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ( WASP) ethnocentricity.
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Jeffro
Obviously they are white so they can see each other in space. Duh.
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veradico
I think the Western obsession with white and light is unbalanced. I'd prefer, for example, the 28th chapter of The Tao Te Ching any day. The angels are old white men because old white men have most of the power. Again, this is unbalanced and arbitrary, but so is much that we find in religion.
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slimboyfat
All this emphasis on light and purity and stuff is a diversion. Let's face it, they are not "white" in the sense that snow is white. They are caucasian. I should really have asked:
Why are angels always caucasian in the literature?
Slim
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nvrgnbk
The artists' deliberate decision to render all of the angels as caucasian is simply an example of White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ( WASP) ethnocentricity.
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slimboyfat
I know why angels are presented Caucasian historically. That's not what I am asking really. I mean it makes sense in Renaissance Europe for angels to reflect what the artists saw around them - of course it does. And artists are still influenced by archetypal images of angels from that period.
But for a worldwide Society of the 21st century that prides itself on racial equality and integration, should it not raise eyebrows now?
Not least when you consider that 40% of American Witnesses are black.
It simply never occurred to me before that, when such Witnesses look at portrayals of heaven in the literature, what they see is a reflection of someone else looking at themselves! How do they negotiate that in their own self-understanding?
I find it fascinating the more I think about it.
I really wonder how the Society would respond to a short and sweet question from readers:
Why are angels always portrayed as Caucasian in the literature?
Slim