Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: amadeus@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Susan Harwood Kaczmarczik) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Peace Sign, Pentacles and Other Symbols Message-ID: Date: 6 Mar 91 04:06:10 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: The University of Texas at Austin Lines: 28 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Repeat: The peace symbol is a combination of the two semaphores for "n" and "d", and it originally stood for Nuclear Disarmament. It is *not* any kind of mutilated cross -- that is either made up after the fact, as the moderator suggested, or maybe someone was pulling's someone's chain ("Yeah, sure, it's a cross; lemme tell ya how they got it!"). This has happened once or twice in history, I suspect. The swastika was an ancient Germanic symbol for the Wheel of Life. It was used for centuries long before it became the symbol for Nazi Germany. The pentacle, or pentagram, is *very* old. It has been used by a number of religions besides Witchcraft and, unfortunately it has been adopted by Satanists and turned upside down (much like they also invert the Cross). The pentagram has been a sacred symbol for many, and was even used in the early Christian Church to symbolize the Five Wounds of Christ. Summary: Peace Sign does not indicate Satanism. Swastika does not indicate Satanism. Pentacle/pentagram does not indicate Satanism. Although Satanists and other miscreants may use and pervert them, they are not automatic signals of evil. -- -----Susan Harwood Kaczmarczik-------------------------------*<:-)------------- "The whims that we're weeping for our parents would be beaten for."--Kate Bush ----------amadeus@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu---------The University of Texas @Austin---