Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: awmurray@eos.ncsu.edu (ALAN WAYNE MURRAY) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Peace Sign Message-ID: Date: 28 Feb 91 08:52:55 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: North Carolina State University Lines: 31 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , chuck@csn.csn.org (Chuck Luciano) writes: > The origin of the peace sign is of interest to me. I can't quote you references > for this but here is my hearsay: > > The peace sign is infact a broken cross as is the swastika. They are both > ancient (probably 1st century AD) symbols of satanism and witchcraft as is > the pentacle and the cross of confusion. I've heard the same things. The name of the book that I saw it in was : _Satanism:_The Seduction_Of_America's_Youth_ by Bob Larson (Larsen?) whatever. Anyway, its something (I think Bob) Larson. It's a recent book (pub. after 1989). It is a typical Christian book (as it knocks everything I like) but it does list the peace symbol and swastika as Satanic symbols. (There are two different versions of the swastika (AKA 'the twisted cross'). The Nazi swastika was borrowed from another symbol which was turned the opposite way but has nothing to do with Satanism.) As for the peace sign, it was originated by drawing a circle around a cross, turning the cross upside down, and breaking the arms. Larson goes on to list several more (around a dozen or so), and to tell us why not to play role-playing games(esp. AD&D) and why not to listen to heavy metal. There is such a thing as going overboard, I'm afraid... [Let me ask again, is there clear evidence that the people who advocate this as a peace symbol actually created it by mutilating the cross, or is someone simply making up an uncomplimentary explanation after the fact? The interpretations of the symbol given by those who use it are rather different. There should be fairly clear evidence before we accuse fellow Christians of being liars. --clh]