Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Give Peace Some Peace


The Answer is A and C!
 I came across a peace symbol in an advertisement. I had always been curious about symbols, their origin, and how people will interpret them and how some people will advocate that interpretation over any other fact to push a point of view. It fascinates me how symbols can change over time and how any narrative can be forged regardless of facts. The peace symbol, after all this time has made a comeback. The children love them and they seem to understand the original idea behind it.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 Two Links with information I find very interesting:

The first is a classic example of creative interpretation without any substantive reasoning. Any facts will be burdened with hyperbole and selective inclusion. Perception is Reality to the subscriber of this viewpoint. It is hard to fathom. Perhaps they know better. Perhaps they are less ignorant they their writing suggests. Perhaps they are willfully misleading the reader.
 
WWJD do with Nukes?













Is Spock the Devil?












The second is as good as any explanation for the actual history behind the modern peace symbol. This very  brief writeup has some historical context to support interpretation of the era and the era being the late 1950s to support Nuclear Disarmament. Whether the iconic peace symbol is satanic, anti-christian, pro-Star Trek, left wing, free masonry, or a contrivance of the communist sympathizer is not substantiated. Nor is it horribly relevant. It is the creation of Gerald Holtom in 1958 when he was commissioned by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament by Betrand Russell, noted philosopher, pacifist and socialist.

So what?  Is the idea of peace so horrific it must be aligned with satanic ritual? Did not our beloved Ronald Reagan share such ideas to reduce nuclear arms in 1982? Granted, he was into Astrology, but I wouldn't refer to him as a left wing or a communist sympathizer. How does the evangelical reconcile all this?


Read more on the  Peace Symbol Origin



Semaphore? Don't get all sciency on me!
 I can easily envision in certain places in the United States, this work of a left wing artist to promote peace and nuclear disarmament is ironically misconstrued by those who would subscribe to the basic tenants of Christianity.