Christians and the peace sign???

[Koala]

So my daughter (like many other 8 year olds) loves all things that have the peace sign on them. T-shirts, backpacks, jewelry, you name it. Anyway, she has a devoutly Christian friend and her family seems to distance themselves from anything that has a peace sign on it. Does anyone know why that might be? I've heard a lot of interesting things in my time, but this was a new one on me. Just wondering if anyone here might know the reasoning behind that.

[treehugger]

Well heaven forbid you see or own anything that would interfere with your exclusive rights to own a weapon, the military, any and all invasions of other countries, your need for dominionism, etc... etc... etc.... :roll:

[Trynn]

The peace sign is an upside down cross. Upside down crosses are used as a symbol by the church of Satan. Therefore a peace sign is a satanic symbol.

At least, that is what I was told when I worked in a Christian book store when we sold a stamp kit with 2 of them missing --the peace sign and the yin yang. The latter at least made sense to me then because other religions.

[Koala]

Thanks for answering guys! It has almost driven my crazy trying to figure it out :lol:

[salex]

The peace sign is an upside down cross. Upside down crosses are used as a symbol by the church of Satan. Therefore a peace sign is a satanic symbol.

At least, that is what I was told when I worked in a Christian book store when we sold a stamp kit with 2 of them missing --the peace sign and the yin yang. The latter at least made sense to me then because other religions.

That is what I heard here and there over the years.

"upside down, broken cross "Satanists"" etc.

[formergothardite]

I was raised being told it was a broken cross so it was worshipping Satan. Wearing one was giving Satan a foothold into your soul.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Found the answer (and some trivia about the origins of the sign):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbols

The original design was part of the nuclear disarmament movement, and was based upon the semophore (flag signals representing letters) for the letters N and D.

In June, 1970, in response to the growing peace movement, the John Birch Society published an article claiming that the peace symbol was actually an upside-down broken cross, linked to Satanic movements. That allegation had no basis in fact.

[jenny_islander]

What, this is still going around?

The worst part of this isn't that this is the 200 millionth stupid rumor (or outright lie--John Birch Society, I'm looking at you) that has gone around Christian circles without any fact checking. The worst part is that many of the Christians who pass this crap around have convinced themselves that fact checking is of the Devil. C.S. Lewis again: "Do remember that you are there to fuddle him. You junior devils seem to believe that your job is to help mortals think!"

[Koala]

I don't know why, but the "upside down, broken cross" got me to thinking about them seeing evil in random shapes and then I started thinking about Taryn taking a Sharpie to some kitchen appliance that had the word "magic" on it :lol: Good times.

[redcurls]

When I was younger, you weren't supposed to have peace signs, ying yangs, or the yellow smiley faces. It seems like there were a few other symbols that were nonos. We were told they were for drugs and satan.

Big Sis had a ying yang friendship necklace that she was allowed to wear since it was from someone else, but she had to take it off for church.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Yellow smiley faces? What is wrong with yellow smiley faces?

[doggie]

the peace sign has been better sign of peace then the cross ever has. pretty ironic.

[redcurls]

Yellow smiley faces? What is wrong with yellow smiley faces?

We were told they were hippy signs for drug users. Stupid, right? I think the popularity of Internet smilies And the Walmart symbol have made that a non-issue now. The problem with small, conservative, independent Christian Churches is that the preacher can make up whatever the hell he wants And no one questions his 'wisdom.' You take it at face value and there is no one to keep him in check.

[FlorenceHamilton]

Totally off topic, but when I was a kid in the 1970's, I lived near "Spains". We went there nearly every day and had smileys on everything.

Nobody could ever convince me that the smiley face was anything but happy. Love Spains! Northeast Philly Represented!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley

[Miggy]

I was taught that it was the hippy sign and that it was the symbol you supported legalising drug use. I knew nothing about anti-war protests or disarmament until I was well into high school but I knew about the drug sign in infants.

[clone]

LSD was sometimes printed on sheets with stickers of things like smiley faces, so the drug thing isn't completely inaccurate, but it's not likely it's an exclusive trademark of drug users. ^^

[church_of_dog]

I grew up in the 70s in California and I remember at about age 9 or 10 having a smiley-face coin purse, a smiley-face wastebasket in my room, things like that. I was aware it was trendy and corny and silly, but I never thought of it as having any drug connotations -- that was reserved for this symbol -- (minus the face part, lol)

On the other hand, if I had been 17 instead of ten, maybe I would have had a different interpretation! :lol:

[redcurls]

Maybe I should clarify- I don't think smilies were widely regarded as a 'bad' thing. I think my childhod preacher just wanted to be dramatic. He was a good guy but had an occasional drama llama moment. It was just an example of crazy, not a story of a widespread belief.

[OkToBeTakei]

Wow the things you learn..

Also it was Forest Gump who invented the smiley face :lol:

[Arete]

I never realized that evangelicals had it out for the peace sign. Satanism?

I think I'm going to draw a permanent "X" on one of my walls so I always have a special place to bang my head when I find read stuff like this. :evil-eye:

[Mrs Ms]

I never realized that evangelicals had it out for the peace sign. Satanism?

I think I'm going to draw a permanent "X" on one of my walls so I always have a special place to bang my head when I find read stuff like this. :evil-eye:

But, but, but "X" is a cross tipped on its side, so clearly Satanism!!!11!!! (Would explain some of their issues with the word [and act of] sex :lol: )

[Cran]

Hm, Catholics are often accused of having their mind in the gutter all the times, especially the priests, but.... I was taught the X was the cross of St. Andreas and the upside-down cross the cross of St. Peter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_St._Peter

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreaskreuz

Guess fundies need paranoia to keep their respective churches together, if they didn't nobody would bother to stay.

[Patsy]

Hm, Catholics are often accused of having their mind in the gutter all the times, especially the priests, but.... I was taught the X was the cross of St. Andreas and the upside-down cross the cross of St. Peter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_St._Peter

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreaskreuz

Guess fundies need paranoia to keep their respective churches together, if they didn't nobody would bother to stay.

We got St Andrew's Cross spiders here, which are basically little fatties who weave webs in conspicuous places and then sit with their legs spread in an X, so the association is reinforced :)

[ThatSnark]

UGH. You all brought up a childhood memory I'd nearly forgotten! I was at VBS in my church one summer, and the church lady teaching us let us all know that peace signs, smiley faces, and any of the popular 70s symbols of the time were all part of the "drug movement." We were even told not to do the two-fingered peace sign, because that was anti-Christian, too. One delightful child disobeyed on the playground by raising his middle three fingers (W?) so he was giving everyone the peace sign and the middle finger. Brilliant!!

[kthomp38+]

My Mom doesn't like peace signs and she doesn't want to buy them for my eleven year old niece. I asked her why and she said because it was a broken cross, nothing about it being upside down. I googled it and told her that it had nothing to do with that. She went to a pretty strict non-denominational Christian school in the the 1970s maybe that is where she got the upside down cross idea.