In a terrible segment (that must be a feast for new atheist dudebros) Fox News’ Megyn Kelly claimed that both Santa Claus and Jesus of Nazareth are white:
“Jesus was a white man, too. It’s like we have, he’s a historical figure that’s a verifiable fact, as is Santa, I just want kids to know that. How do you revise it in the middle of the legacy in the story and change Santa from white to black?”
No. It’s is a portrayal of Christ the majority of Western nativity scenes (and Cocal-Cola commercials) show, but is not based in more historically and theologically verifiable interpretations of reality. To insist that Jesus had to be white creates a version of the gospel that’s arguably going against the message of the New Testament. From an excellent article at The Atlantic:
If the Bible is silent on the matter of Jesus’ skin color, does it really matter that Megyn Kelly says Jesus is white?
Yes, actually.
As some historians and theologians have posited, the silence of the Scriptures on the issue of Jesus’ skin color is critical to Christianity’s broad appeal with people of various ethnicities. In a world where race often divides communities and even churches, the Biblical depictions of God’s son positions him as one who can bridge those divides.
The text also quotes a American Presbyterian minister in 1880 who warned his parishioners not to trust and rely on popular white depictions, as that would be a barrier in bringing everybody to the Lord’s table… Just to contextualize Fox News’ messaging here..
In addition, the modern gift bringing Santa claus s a fictional creation from the late 19th century popularized by commercials, but the figure is based on a saint, Nickolas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century – in the South of Turkey. So the historical Santa Claus wasn’t Nordic white, either.
Let me be honest: For me, insisting on this white-.centric (dare say supremacist) telling of the gospel is much more an attack on Christmas and Christianity than wishing happy holidays will ever be.
Thoughts?