Symbolism in religion...?

Question

...Religions have many symbols. Tell about a symbol in your faith and what it means. Try to describe one that people of a different faith might not be familiar with so that they can understand it.

Spooky -- that's the symbol for the Goddess: a waxing moon, a full moon, a waning moon = the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone, the three aspects of the Goddess. I have one tattooed on my ankle with the Unitarian Universalist flaming chalice within the full moon.

Answer 1

In Christianity, the dove represents hope and the holy spirit. Hope because of the Noah story when he hopes to find land and sends out the dove, and the Holy Spirit when a dove decends on Jesus and the voice of God says "This is my Son in whom I AM well pleased."

Oh, and wrong on the cross thing: The cross represents the suffering that Jesus bore on our behalf for the sins of the world. It's not to make us feel guilty. If Jesus is still on the cross, as we see in most Catholic churches (not to generalize), then it's emphasizing the suffering. If it's an empty cross, it represents the resurrection, hope, and gift of God's grace.

Answer 2

The symbolism comes from far more ancient sources than Christianity. The fish for example is the symbol for the age of Pisces. Before that it was the goat (capricorn), before that is was the bull (taurus). The old testament is an artificially created set of ancient documents that are not necessarily anything to do with religion. And the new testament is a complete work of fiction. The machinations of a mad despot, the last emperor of Rome in his attempt to keep control of the slave classes after the plague in Constantinople. He was a complete lunatic and ordered the burning of the libraries at Alexandria. This is the man who invented the bible as we know it. Practicing Shaman.. .quantum physics rocks.

Answer 3

I don't have a symbol. Sorry.

Edit: I'm curious about a symbol Epona Willow ends her posts with. Chicky, would you happen to know what this symbol means? )o(

Edit: Chicky and Jewish Girl....Thank you for the info. I was thinking along those lines, and I appreciate the clarification.

=)

Answer 4

The fat Buddha statues are not accurate representations, in Japan fatness symbolized happiness. In reality Buddha was slim.

The Lotus symbolizes openess and acceptance, and the fact that such a beautiful flower growns out of mud show that each human has the ability to improve themselves

Answer 5

I am drawn to the symbol of a four-spoked wheel which is found often in Celtic statuary and coins. It is found with the God Taranis whom I honor. It is also found in other cultures and with different numbers of spokes. It has many meanings to me: sun, thunder, passing time, wealth, sky, travel, and communication---as well as being a symbol for one of my deities.

Answer 6

Sad that no one gave you a real answer.

I'll give you one:

Christianity. Symbol: Cross. Meaning: Torture device used to make people feel guilty for Jesus' executation by the state.

Answer 7

The midget in a forest of trees at the base of a mountain. I will continue to learn about this symbol for the rest of my life:

Answer 8

I have no symbol

Answer 9

SPOOKY, the )O( symbol is a picture of the full moon between the two crescent moon phases. its a symbol of the three phases of the goddess - maiden, mother, crone.

my favourite jewish religious symbol is the hamsa... the evil eye nestled in the palm of a hand. it provides protection against the evil eye. http://www.jewishstore.com/Judaica/Products.asp?ProdID=IGD-WP737

Answer 10

Joseph (in the Bible - who went down into Egypt) is symbolic of Jesus Christ in many ways:

Joseph was the favored son of his father, as was Jesus.
Joseph was rejected by his brothers, the Israelites, as was Jesus.
Joseph was sold by his brothers into the hands of the Gentiles, as was Jesus.
Judah, the head of the tribe of Judah, proposed the sale of Joseph. Certain leaders of the Jews in Jesus' day turned Jesus over to the Romans. Judas (the Greek spelling of Judah) was the one who actually sold Jesus.
Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver, the price of a slave his age. Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave his age.
In their attempt to destroy Joseph, his brothers actually set up the conditions that would bring about their eventual temporal salvation. Jesus, by his being given into the hands of the Gentiles, was crucified and completed the atoning sacrifice and became the Deliverer for all mankind.
Joseph began his mission of preparing salvation for Israel at age thirty, just as Jesus began his ministry of preparing salvation for the world at age thirty.
When Joseph was finally raised to his exalted position in Egypt, all bowed the knee to him. All will eventually bow the knee to Jesus.
Joseph provided bread for Israel and saved them from death, all without cost. Jesus, the Bread of Life, did the same for all men.

Joseph is what is known as a "type" of Jesus Christ...many other prophets and the things they did in their lives also are types ex: Jonah being in the great fish for 3 days and coming forth= Jesus being in the grave for 3 days and coming forth, or Abraham offering his son Isaac = symbolic of Heavenly Father offering His Son Jesus Christ, or Moses led his people out of Egypt to the promised land = Jesus leading His people to the promised land (heaven).
etc...there are literally too many to mention (you could probably do for each prophet what was done for Joseph) but it is very interesting to me to see the depth of things that were prophesied in the Bible and things that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.