Changes

It seems, given the impossibility of knowing the true appearances one had not personally met, that physical appearance was far less important in earlier times than it is today. Notice that '''the [[Bible]] rarely describes people physically''', except where their physical attributes are important to the story, such as [[Goliath]]'s great size, [[Samson]]'s hair or [[Lazarus]]'s leprosy. For the most part, people are allowed to be depicted by their actions and their words, so that physical appearance is not considered. The authors of the Bible simply did not consider it at all important.

It seems, given the impossibility of knowing the true appearances one had not personally met, that physical appearance was far less important in earlier times than it is today. Notice that '''the [[Bible]] rarely describes people physically''', except where their physical attributes are important to the story, such as [[Goliath]]'s great size, [[Samson]]'s hair or [[Lazarus]]'s leprosy. For the most part, people are allowed to be depicted by their actions and their words, so that physical appearance is not considered. The authors of the Bible simply did not consider it at all important.

In fact, [[God]] as described in the [[Old Testament]] is notable for His reluctance to be seen. Idols are forbidden, and even [[Moses]] is only permitted to see God's back, not His face. Of course God could awe people with His appearance, but again he prefers to be known through words and deeds and not superficialities.

In fact, [[God]] as described in the [[Old Testament]] is notable for His reluctance to be seen. Idols are forbidden, and even [[Moses]] is only permitted to see God's back, not His face. Of course God could awe people with His appearance, but again he prefers to be known through words and deeds and not superficialities. Contrast this with other (false) gods such as [[Baal]], whose followers made [[idol]]s and graven images wherever they could, but whose deeds were paltry or non-existent, as proved by the [[prophet]] [[Elijah]] and recounted in 1 Kings 18.

Contrast this with the modern world, where jugements of those in the public eye are becoming ever more superficial. President [[William Howard Taft]] was a greatly obese man who was nonetheless able to be elected to high office and make not inconsiderable achievements; but it in the modern world it seems that any perceived physical defect would count against any candidate. Certainly it seems that politicians generally are becoming younger and more fresh-faced; the recent British Prime Ministers [[David Cameron]] and [[Tony Blair]] were both well below the average age for a Prime Minister, as indeed was [[John Major]], while older men such as [[Michael Howard]] and [[David Davis]] have been marginalised and even ridiculed despite their superior experience.

In the modern world, however, jugements of those in the public eye are becoming ever more superficial - contrary to the scriptural example. President [[William Howard Taft]] was a greatly obese man who was nonetheless able to be elected to high office and make not inconsiderable achievements; but it in the modern world it seems that any perceived physical defect would count against any candidate. Certainly it seems that politicians generally are becoming younger and more fresh-faced; the recent British Prime Ministers [[David Cameron]] and [[Tony Blair]] were both well below the average age for a Prime Minister, as indeed was [[John Major]], while older men such as [[Michael Howard]] and [[David Davis]] have been marginalised and even ridiculed despite their superior experience.

[[category:Psychology]]

[[category:Psychology]]

[[Category:Painting]]

[[Category:Painting]]