The Fishy Origins of the Ichthys

Some time ago, i looked at the origins of the Star of David (Magen David) and found that there are indeed possible pagan origins for the star as well as a possible Jewish origin. To be fair to our Jewish friends, here's a look at the Christian Ichthys.

So, first off the ichthys is a popular symbol adorning many cars. It does not adorn mine because if i cut you off i don't want you to associate my (sometimes inadvertant) jerky driving behavior with my faith in Christ. Also, i was quasi-aware of pagan origins for the little fishy.

I don't know exactly where or when i had heard this, but somehow i tied the ichthys to the pope/cardinal hats and the pagan god Dagon. There may be some truth to that.

This article gives us a look at the various pagan origins, including a tie to dagon, but also to Venus (ishtar).

http://www.albatrus.org/english/religions/pagan/origin_fish_symbol.htm


The fertility motif is expounded on in this article, wherein we see that the fish was actually symbolic of a vagina. Yeah, that's right.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19909_6-famous-symbols-that-dont-mean-what-you-think.html#ixzz20S5TT9FZ


Despite this unapologetic evidence of pagan origins, Christians still think it's OK. "Christianity Today" basically says that we can take it over for our use.

"I don't find the pagan argument compelling. No symbol means the same thing to all people at all times."

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/asktheexpert/oct26.html


But if so, then we cant bag on Jews using pagan symbols for using the Star of David. Really, reclaiming a pagan symbol "for Jesus" is idiotic. That's like taking a pentagram and using it for Christian ends somehow and saying its now a Christian symbol. Maybe we can slap angels, saints and Jesus on a tarot deck, and do Christian fortune telling. (I'm sure someone has done that).

The persecuted Christians had a good reason for using it, but that doesn't mean we should use it 2000 years after the fact when persecution isn't prevalent (yet).

We shouldn't be using pagan symbols. In the Old Testament, God always commanded pagan paraphenelia be destroyed. Personally, I don't think the demons attached to that symbol care so much about what you call it since they originated it, and use it to serve their ends. You really can't change the meaning of a symbol. Well, perhaps you sort of can.

The Nazis coopted the swastika from buddhism (personally i would say the same demonic spirits at work) but in both cases it was still a pagan symbol for all purposes. Good luck changing the swastika back into a buddhist symbol. It's also the same reason no one grows a Chaplain mustache anymore. Hitler wore it, now its forever stigmatized.

The fish symbol is pagan, and using it to represent the body of Christ is sending mixed messages to the unsaved. (See the cracked article.