What Christ looked like

By: Overtime Staff
Topics: 60 Rewind

You know those religion-neutral "holiday greetings" aired by network TV every December? Back in the 60s, there wasn't any tip-toeing around the C-word. On Dec. 24,1968, "60 Minutes" aired this story about Christ's physical appearance, and correspondent Harry Reasoner dove right in with the opening line: Tomorrow is Christmas.

Reasoner mused on the question, What did Jesus Christ really look like? He searched for the answer in paintings, poems, and letters. For Christians who are dismayed by holiday tidings that "take the Christ out of Christmas," we present this classic piece, just in time for...(yes, we're really going to say it) Christmas.

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by Faithfulwatcher December 26, 2011 4:01 PM EST

As can be found in the word of God in the Bible at Exodus chapter 20 and also Deuteronomy 4:11-19, we are to make no images to inspire worship. True worship is done in spirit and in regard for the truth. See John 4:24. As for Jesus having long hair,"Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him?" 1st Corinthians 11:14. So much falsness in images.

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by expatriate2 December 26, 2011 5:18 PM EST: So I guess you believe that Michaelangelo's La Pieta is a offense to scripture, right? It's an image. Where you make your mistake is to assume that images in churches "inspire worship" or are worshipped themselves. They are no more worshipped than is the crucifix in your church that is also an image.

by erichsh December 26, 2011 1:53 PM EST

It must be very liberating to be an atheist.

You can openly mock and condemn the good Christians who try (and sometimes fail) to live up to the high moral standards of the Ten Commandments, yet feel free to live your lives unconstrained by such an annoying code of ethics.

You can justify your unbridled hatred of Christianity from the comfort of your easy chairs by citing centuries-old events, and therefore not have to associate with those clueless idiots volunteering at the church soup kitchens, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and countless other faith-based organizations today.

But if by any chance you do feel like contributing to a cause, there's always an atheist legal fund somewhere trying to eradicate all traces of Christianity you can throw a few bucks to.

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by Kristoffer212121 January 2, 2012 12:14 AM EST: The skill in which you weave fallacy into your comment is really entertaining to read. I guess your main point, though not specifically mentioned, is that all Christians are good and that all Atheists are devoid of goodness. Well, anyone with half a brain knows that just proclaiming your faith, or lack of, has absolutely nothing to do with what kind of person you are. You can be the most devout Christian and also the most wretched human being at the same time. You can also be a non-believer and selflessly devote your life to helping others.

The very real and very ugly aspect of Christianity is that many, dare I say most, Christians believe that just by being a Christian, you have already reached the goal of being a good person. Prayers become spiritual currency to help the needy instead of time and money. "Oh, you are in desperate need of food and shelter friend? I will certainly be praying for you tonight."

I have been an Atheist my whole life who is also highly educated in the bible. I also have volunteered my time to the Red Cross in disaster areas, given to many charities over the years, and help out with a local homeless shelter as often as I can. Normally, a faceless person praising his righteousness and condemning Atheists online wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I see it all of the time. I do congratulate you though for being so concise in your own self-righteousness and your disgust for those who do not share your views.


by expatriate2 December 26, 2011 1:51 PM EST: by hblakemk December 26, 2011 9:15 AM EST
You do still have freedom of speech. If you didn't, you would have been arrested by now. Love your country, or leave.
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I cannot love a nation. I can love the people within it but disapprove violently with the powers that govern them. To assume that I must be reduced to a robotic puppet programmed to be patriotic to countless international crimes only gives evidence to the fallacies of the concept. Children are taught patriotism and a host of historic lies so that their allegiance is imbedded just as it is to the children of China or North Korea. They are taught the manifest destiny of America but not the genocide of the American Indian. They are taught about Texas' War of Independence but not about the intrigues that stole it from its rightful owner, Mexico. They are taught about the Mexican War but not how the conspiracies of the Polk Administration planned to force Mexico into conflict to steal more than 50% of its territories.
In years to come they will not be taught about the criminal invasion of Iraq or the 110,000 innocents who died there. They will not be taught about why the political infrastructure insists on maintaining the Electoral College so that elections can be controlled in spite of a popular vote.
The American people are good and noble. They deserve better and when they try to demand it in their Occupy movement, the police resort to violence and the system ignores them. Never has the world seen a more generous people than Americans. For all the generations prior to World War II, Americans represented the best in the human character and held the respect of a grateful world. The war mania that followed through Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Grenada, the Gulf War, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan to mention the most intrusive, created a new character for the nation and one administration taught the world to despise America and Americans.
The end result of the education and a controlled media development of citizens is that some will say, "Love it or leave it." For those of us who truly could not continue to be part of the aggressions and criminality on an international scale and did leave, it was the best decision of our lives. So love it or leave it? I loved it when I was lied to and told I was defending my nation as good, young men fell around me at Dong Ha. I loved it in spite of its intrusions into the affairs of Latin America and put people like Agusto Pinochet into power. But the romance ended when the greatest tragedy to occur on American soil was manipulated into a political ploy to invade an independent nation and to lie about its possession of WMDs.
No, my friend. Your comment is worn out and without significance. It is really "Conform or be criticized."; Reply to this comment


by morris2196 December 26, 2011 12:21 PM EST: It is reasonable to believe that Jesus looked like the other Semitic men in the area. The people today who are genetically largely Semitic are probably a good approximation. But this is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Jesus offered - and still offers - salvation to anyone, regardless of their ethnicity.; Reply to this comment


by AnnieDanny December 26, 2011 8:39 AM EST: Very nice for Christmas. Thank you for offering this special video. Very peaceful.; Reply to this comment

by phwtb100 December 26, 2011 8:27 AM EST

To HappyHolidays1:

While I agree with your comment, "it's sad that so few actually even bother to even TRY to follow Christ's teachings.", an even sadder thing is the balance of your comments.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, YOU have NO right deliberately posting offensive comments to, or about, the Christians in this world and telling me I have NO RIGHT to my own beliefs. Unfortunately for YOU, you won't really discover that fact until you face Christ, face to face, just like Steve Jobs has now had to do...

Lift your face, HappyHolidays1. Judgement is coming and you are going to be standing in the lime light right along with the rest of us.

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by Happy_Holidays1 December 26, 2011 11:44 AM EST: I never said you have no right to your beliefs. But I do have the right to make fun of them, just as if you believed in the Tooth Fairy as real. Don't try to tell me that I don't have my 1st Amendment rights - THOSE are actual rights.

And no, I won't be "facing Jesus", nor being judged. Your religious beliefs only apply to those who share them.

by phwtb100 December 26, 2011 8:06 AM EST

What a beautiful story. Wouldn't it be nice if we STILL HAD freedom of speech?

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by hblakemk December 26, 2011 9:15 AM EST: You do still have freedom of speech. If you didn't, you would have been arrested by now. Love your country, or leave.

by Zechariah12-8 December 24, 2011 6:46 PM EST

Although, the late Mr. Reasoner's script was at-times contrary to
various verses in Holy Scripture, what a beautiful piece.

May You and Yours, have a Happy and Most Blessed CHRISTmas!

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by Happy_Holidays1 December 26, 2011 11:45 AM EST: Zec - depends which translation of the bible you use.


by longtree-2009 December 24, 2011 6:36 AM EST: does anyone really know based on facts what jesus looked like back in his day? did any artist ever paint jesus while he was alive? are there any factual documents describing what jesus looked like back in his day? not sure but think the bible describes jesus in revelations but that book, part of the bible, was like someone's vision, dream quest. there are no recorded history documents of what he looked like and the debate continues, with various christian denominations publishing drawings, paintings of jesus as that specific denomination wants to view jesus. nothing is based on historical fact. if it were, it would long have ended on the senseless debate of what did jesus look like.; Reply to this comment


by D-Waarheid December 24, 2011 2:02 AM EST: What Jesus looked like 2000 years ago was like any other ordinary human,
What he looks like when he comes back will frighten many humans to death !
Especially the mockers !; Reply to this comment

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