Saturday, April 05, 2008

Peace Symbol Turns Fifty

This year the peace symbol turns fifty! Timeless & ageless... still looking good!

The 50th Anniversary Of The Peace Symbol - A Cultural Icon Dates Back Years Before Its Use Against The Vietnam War

A few years back I received an e-mail about my using the peace symbol on my old website. I was being exhorted by this brother that the peace symbol was "demonic" because the symbol was "representing the upside down cross". Below is part of my response...

I once thought that the peace sign was a satanic symbol too, but now I know differently. Originally the peace symbol was designed for a Nuclear Disarmament march in the mid 50's using the semaphore symbols for N & D which stood for nuclear disarmament.

I have often wondered, if the peace symbol is satanic because it is thought to represent an inverted cross, why then did Peter chose to be crucified up-side-down? Our cherished emblem of the cross was actually a cruel form of torture used by the Roman Empire, so why do we have them around our necks? And which of the four types of crosses used by the Romans did Jesus die on? Was it the Crux Commissa (Tau Cross) shaped like the letter T? Was it the Crux Decussata (St. Andrew’s Cross) which looks like the letter X? Was it the one adopted from the Greek Cross (Maltese Cross) that looks like a plus sign +? Possibly it was the Crux Imissa which looks like a small letter t? I do not see any resemblance between the peace symbol and any of the crosses that may have been used to crucify our Lord, inverted or otherwise.

The shape of the cross does not have any holy significance, only the fact that Jesus lived a perfect life and gave it to pay for our debt of sin. It does not matter how Jesus gave his life as a ransom for our souls, it only matters that he did it and that the Father approved of the ransom and raised Jesus from the tomb! It is the MESSAGE of the cross, not its shape that is important.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1Corinthians 1:18)

“And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:20)

-Kevin


I found a couple of websites that have a history of how the peace sign came about...

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - The Symbol


Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

thanks for some really good points I hadnt thought about Peter's request to be crucified upside down. I have always felt I was a hippie at heart and I am now growing my hair and choosing to me who God meant for me to be all along. The surprising thing is that no one at my church has said anything negative about my hair which is not long yet but is getting there. Thanks for this website. I hope to be a regular over here.

Hippie Christian said...

Thanks for checking out my blog. We are hippies at heart no matter how long our hair is, welcome home Bro!

Unknown said...

LOL. Sorry bout that, I dont always articulate myself as well as I should. I only meant that I have felt more free now than ever to let my hair grow out instead of keeping it short only because "Thats what a good Christian man should do". You know what I mean? But long or short I am a hippie Christian always. I really dig your blogs bro and thanks for the welcome, its good to be home. PS is there anywhere that hippie Christians gather?