Deseret News | 'Undiscovered Christmas' — BYU display offers a look at other cultures

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'Undiscovered Christmas' — BYU display offers a look at other cultures

Anonymous | 8:47 a.m. Dec. 15, 2007

What on earth does "Cultural Diversity" have to do with the REAL meaning of manger scenes?
The DEPICTION of Christ`s birth is a "lesson" in a TRUTH: Jesus Christ WAS BORN in the culture,time
and place HE was born. Period.
Persons (including children) from ALL cultures are capable of understanding that! Perversions of a truth do not have to be done in a "sick" attempt at over-zealous pandering of other cultures.
Hispanic, Native American and any other peoples can "deal with" the TRUTH (not the pandering) of Christ`s actual birth, location, dress and culture.
This latest excessive "intellectual" nonsense is disgusting! And the people responsible for this nonsense are obviously turning themselves "inside-out" and truth "upside-down"! Sad.........

Anonymous | 9:40 a.m. Dec. 15, 2007

True, Jesus was not born in Mexico or South America. But please read the following, as quoted in the BBC News, and attributed to New Testament scholar Dr Mark Goodacre, of the University of Birmingham:

"There is absolutely no evidence as to what Jesus looked like," he says. "The artistic depictions down the ages have total and complete variation, which indicates that nobody did a portrait of Jesus or wrote down a description, it's all been forgotten."

Therefore, in my mind, the "truth" spoken of in the first post, is not actually known. There are claims that Jesus was black, which I'm not sure can be completely discounted with available documented evidence (excluding "revealed"/"supernatural" information/belief! though I don't think it likely.

Therefore, the important thing is for us as individuals, families, and communities, to be able to relate to Jesus. Truths come line upon line, and sometimes it takes breaking down barriers to begin the process.

Also, the images of Jesus portrayed in Western society are likely no more "truthful" than those in the scenes described in the article. Opening your eyes, heart and mind to what others see may actually help us discern the truths which have real meaning!

Conejo | 12:50 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

I would like to see baby Jesus laying in a bed at Holiday Inn and surrounded by people eating hamburgers listening to Hip Hop music on their I-Pods. That way it would reflect our society instead of the old fashioned way of looking at him as if he were born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Lets modernize everything!

Comments continue below

*sigh*....... | 5:48 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

Does everything have to be "politically correct"?!!?

JCNY | 6:17 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

I'd say this is a mediocre attempt at being culturally diverse, I definitely donï¿½t think this is a "disgusting" display. I do believe that this is a first step for Utah to become just a tad bit more P.C. when it comes to religious holidays.

GENUINE HEBREW! | 6:27 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

I "KNOW" for a true fact that Jesus was Hebrew! And that is that, and no two ways about it! My ancestry is Hebrew and I as well know this as fact! So please quit with all the different little manger scenes and cartoon characters. It never happened.

We are talking HEBREW here!!! You guys are spewing false doctrine to everyone in the world and that really boils my HEBREW blood. Where are your loyalties to Jesus Christ. He wasn't Mexican, Indian, Oriental or any thing else but only HEBREW!

By the way ...I am "HEBREW" my last name is "HEBREW" and my HAIR is DARK BROWN, and I have very LIGHT SKIN and my EYES are BLUE....AND I AM HEBREW!!!!!

How we celebrate today | 7:40 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

I wonder if they have the latest nativity scene. Hand carved in Bethlehem, it includes a replica of Israel's security fence separating the wise men from the manger.

To- How we celebrate today | 8:00 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

What you said is sarcastic!

I was born in England , but am very Jewish, and a convert to the LDS church. My lineage goes back through Abraham, Isacc and Jacob. I am a English Israelite. My name is also Hebrew like the other person who posted on here. I too find the Nativity scenes to be very offensive and sacreligious. We all know Jesus Christ was a Jew (HEBREW). Like my Hebrew brother above on here- I am also fair skinned with blue eyes.

Lets not separate the truth from facts!

Rebecca | 9:38 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

It's nice if it is politically correct. Especially the true religion of God. I'm not impressed with nativity manger stuff. Not true!

Dorothy | 10:43 p.m. Dec. 15, 2007

Why can't all ethnicities enjoy the nativity as they might see it through their native eyes? It doesn't mean they believe the event to only be true if depicted that way. It just means we can all be accepting of how we see the world through our own eyes. How about extending some kindness, especially in this season?

Sponge Bob | 11:02 a.m. Dec. 16, 2007

My Son is eleven years old and he was wondering why they don't make a Sponge Bob manger scene? After all most kids love sponge Bob. Lets get real here.

Not A Good Tradition | 1:04 p.m. Dec. 16, 2007

Thats about the size of it, Sponge Bob square pants. Lets not all jump in and play this game follow the leader on manger scenes. This is really not a very good idea to get people started on.. Jesus Christ was definitely a Hebrew. Lets honer Christ as a Hebrew Savior, Son of God, and not something he was not.

To Dortohy | 2:29 p.m. Dec. 16, 2007

If people see it like that through their native eyes, then they have been deceived. Christ was a JEW and I was raised to believe this. This all just goes to show you how humans can change the truth. I say keep the little brownish, blondish redheaded, baby Jesus. With Jesus's blessed mother, and fair complected Mary, as the scriptures mention. Lets not get FAKE here. No more plastic people please! Anyone can make a wooden figurine. Doesn't mean it resembles the Savior. definitely NOT! This is all starting to look just a bit paganistic to me. Pretty soon we have bloody Jesus back on the cross.... Show some respect for our SAVIOR!

Dorothy | 11:01 p.m. Dec. 16, 2007

It's sad that something like this causes such grief in a person's heart. There's no deceit involved, just a pure love for the story of the nativity.

veedub | 3:12 p.m. Dec. 21, 2007

I'm surprised so many have expressed anger at representations of the Nativity that don't fit with their preconceptions of what it was really like.

It may seem a little odd for Kachina dolls and Indian chiefs to be part of it. However, who is to say that our traditional scenes are any closer to the truth? Was the stable a wooden building, or a cave? Did the wise men show up with the shepherds? (Most unlikely). And what about our Christmas symbols that we borrowed from pagan traditions? Mistletoe, Christmas trees, holly, even exchanging gifts, for example. Even the day we celebrate as Christmas was probably not near the actual time of year he was born.

So does historical reality truly matter? Wasn't Jesus born for all races and all cultures? And isn't a Nativity scene symbolic of what the Savior's birth meant to all the world? So why shouldn't there be depictions in each culture's symbols and people as to what that means to them?

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