![\"Jesus](\"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Jesus-Fish.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis is the Ichthys. \u00a0It’s simple, and its old. \u00a0To Christians, the Greek letters that form the word for this symbol stand for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” The fish also has other meanings to Christians. \u00a0Jesus was the fisher of men. \u00a0At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus fed the congregation fish and bread. \u00a0There may be other connections\u00a0that I’m forgetting. \u00a0But the point is that to many Christians, this is a symbol of Jesus Christ, as important as the cross.<\/p>\n
Of course, the symbol itself is older than Christianity. \u00a0But in the US, if you see this symbol on a necklace or someone’s bumper, the person that placed it there probably did it because they want to express their faith.<\/p>\n
For a time, the Ichthys was gaining in popularity. \u00a0Then another symbol started to appear on bumpers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n It’s kind of cute. \u00a0But what does it mean?<\/p>\n I’ve met quite a few people that didn’t know anything about the Ichthys. \u00a0Those people didn’t\u00a0mean any offense.\u00a0 One woman I spoke to about the\u00a0Darwin fish on her car said, “I just like it. \u00a0The little fish evolved.”<\/p>\n Not all people display the Darwin Fish so innocently. \u00a0Some versions of the Darwin Fish are eating a Jesus Fish. \u00a0To them, the Darwin Fish represents evolution, winning out of creationism. \u00a0Taken a step further, the symbol stands for science and knowledge being superior to ignorance and superstition.<\/p>\n Whether it is intended or not, the Darwin Fish is an appropriation and mutilation of the Jesus Fish. \u00a0Understandably, folks that like their Jesus Fish might find the Darwin Fish offensive.<\/p>\n Should Christians\u00a0be upset? \u00a0What is the appropriate response?<\/p>\n Let’s look at another symbol.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This one evokes a different emotion than either of the fishes. \u00a0Atrocities were done under this symbol. \u00a0This one\u00a0reminds us of genocide. \u00a0It reminds us of hate.<\/p>\n If you see a swastika on someone’s bumper, what is the appropriate response?<\/p>\n Before you answer that, look at this symbol.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before the swastika became the symbol that it is today, it was something else. \u00a0It’s much older than the Holocaust. \u00a0It is a symbol central to some religions, predating Christ. \u00a0In Sanskrit, it means “lucky, or auspicious.” \u00a0It has represented the four seasons, or four elements (sun, wind, water, earth).<\/p>\n Before it became a symbol of hate, it meant other, more positive things, to a great many people.<\/p>\n I’m not going to tell you that the Darwin Fish is as bad as the swastika. \u00a0That’s ridiculous, and it’s not the point of this post.<\/p>\n The point is that you cannot\u00a0tell someone that they are right or wrong in the meaning they find in a symbol.<\/p>\n Let’s look at one more symbol, then wrap this up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This one has caused all kinds of a stir recently.<\/p>\n To some… perhaps most… it represents slavery and racism. \u00a0Others claim that it represents Southern pride.<\/p>\n People are taking strong stances for or against this flag. \u00a0It’s coming down off of public buildings. \u00a0That seems reasonable to me.<\/p>\n Some stores are no longer selling items<\/a> that feature this image. \u00a0That seems somewhat less reasonable to me, but okay.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n