Religious Symbolism

Akrasia

Does symbolism have any effect on whether or not God accepts people into heaven, If it doesn't, why bother with all the churches and crucifixes, prayers, sacraments and rituals.
Are there any symbols that really offend god? (like symbols of false gods or satanic symbols)



The last supper was deeply symbolic, and every mass includes a recreation with every believer encouraged to accept the body and blood of Christ. That implies that Jesus attached a lot of significance to symbolism (or was it just a teaching tool he used to communicate meaning in an abstract way)

Sunn

Akrasia wrote: »

Does symbolism have any effect on whether or not God accepts people into heaven, If it doesn't, why bother with all the churches and crucifixes, prayers, sacraments and rituals.
Are there any symbols that really offend god? (like symbols of false gods or satanic symbols)



The last supper was deeply symbolic, and every mass includes a recreation with every believer encouraged to accept the body and blood of Christ. That implies that Jesus attached a lot of significance to symbolism (or was it just a teaching tool he used to communicate meaning in an abstract way)

well, what if the whole notion of christ is just a concept anyway and was misinterpreted (on purpose or not)

Its interesting to note that because of mans dominance over women for thousands of years. The only way for man to 'give' blood back to the earth was through injury self inflicted or not, unlike women who give blood through the menstrual cycle.

Much of the symbolism within the church is based on pagan artifacts which were based on the cosmos.

Akrasia

Sunn wrote: »

well, what if the whole notion of christ is just a concept anyway and was misinterpreted (on purpose or not)

Its interesting to note that because of mans dominance over women for thousands of years. The only way for man to 'give' blood back to the earth was through injury self inflicted or not, unlike women who give blood through the menstrual cycle.

Much of the symbolism within the church is based on pagan artifacts which were based on the cosmos.

Yeah, most of the simple geometric symbols are far older than christ, and are often shared amongst many different religions and cults (and often given very different meanings)

The swastica for example was used by hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism before the Nazis sullied it forever.

The Celtic cross is now going through a similar process. It was initially pagan symbol until it was appropriated by the early christian church, and now it's being taken by White Supremacist organisations as a symbol of hatred and racism.

Religious symbols are used in ceremonies like Exorcisms to drive out evil spirits and to summon good spirits. is this just primitive superstition that has survived through tradition, or do the symbols actually exert a power in these circumstances.

On a personal level, I happen to have a tattoo on my left arm of an inverted pentagram. This is a satanic symbol (its also a pagan symbol and an astrological depiction of the movement of venus). If I find some day convert to christianity and find god, would the fact that I etched a symbol of satan onto my flesh be some kind of barrier to my entry into heaven? (what about if I tattooed the 'mark of the beast' onto myself?)

StormWarrior

I read somewhere that if you convert to Islam you should have your tattoos removed if you can afford to.

wolfsbane

Akrasia wrote: »

Does symbolism have any effect on whether or not God accepts people into heaven, If it doesn't, why bother with all the churches and crucifixes, prayers, sacraments and rituals.
Are there any symbols that really offend god? (like symbols of false gods or satanic symbols)



The last supper was deeply symbolic, and every mass includes a recreation with every believer encouraged to accept the body and blood of Christ. That implies that Jesus attached a lot of significance to symbolism (or was it just a teaching tool he used to communicate meaning in an abstract way)

The only Christian symbols are the bread and wine of the Lord's Table and the act of Baptism.

The former are symbolic of Christ's body and blood given for His people. They are only symbolic, not actually the body and blood of the Lord.

Baptism symbolises in a physical way the actual spiritual event that has happened to the believer: our dying to our old life and being resurrected to our new life in Christ. It also conveys the truth that we were washed from our sins at conversion.

All the other symbols commonly associated with Christianity are either convenient badges we have invented to identify ourselves, or pagan symbols incorporated by a corrupt church.

PDN

Akrasia wrote: »

Does symbolism have any effect on whether or not God accepts people into heaven, If it doesn't, why bother with all the churches and crucifixes, prayers, sacraments and rituals.
Are there any symbols that really offend god? (like symbols of false gods or satanic symbols)



The last supper was deeply symbolic, and every mass includes a recreation with every believer encouraged to accept the body and blood of Christ. That implies that Jesus attached a lot of significance to symbolism (or was it just a teaching tool he used to communicate meaning in an abstract way)

The first symbol of the early church was a fish, rather than a Cross, since the Greek word for fish - ichthus - used the initial letters of Jesus Christ - God's Son and Saviour.

There was no inherent value in the symbol, just a convenient badge to be recognised by fellow believers when a more open profession could cost you your life.

TravelJunkie

Akrasia wrote: »

Does symbolism have any effect on whether or not God accepts people into heaven, If it doesn't, why bother with all the churches and crucifixes, prayers, sacraments and rituals.
Are there any symbols that really offend god? (like symbols of false gods or satanic symbols)


QUOTE]

I wouldn't say God is offended by symbols such as pentagons or whatever or neither denies entry, etc.

Christian people might feel offended however.

I agree with PDN about his definition of a Christian symbol being the fish(made up by man, note) and with wolfsbane about bread and wine... it is quite clear he instructed this was to be symbol and act of remembrance.
I'm not too sure about the baptism bit tho.