What have poppies got to do with christianity?

Question

As every one knows there is a debate on whether to change the red poppy to white. Did the red poppy have anything to do with religion though, as I thought it was for rememberance of the people who died. If so, why change it for religious purposes which seem highly irrelevant? Are we all going to think of God and forget about the people who died?

Answer 1

i do respect religions... its a everybody's freedom what and where he wants to believe and practice... that makes his life complete...

Answer 2

The poppy of rememberance is the Corn Poppy Red,
growing as a common weed in Europe and specially Flanders,and in many commonwealth countries are worn to commemorate the sacrifice of life in WW1 and other wars, during the preceding weeks before Nov 11th.
They are also used on tombstones to signify eternal sleep . The white poppy was introduced as a symbol of better ways of sorting conflict than wars.
Both are symbolic not religeous
The only poppy symbol connected to christianity is that many years ago poppies were carved into wooden pews in Medieval
churches,representing the belief that we rest in anticipation of the last day.

Answer 3

My uncle died at 18 in WW1 before I was born. His body was never found and his name is carved on a memorial 'gate' in Chambray, France. Nobody has ever been there to see his name, but his name lives on in the memories of those who still survive - only one of his generation now. We wear a red poppy to remember he gave his life for our freedom.

The white poppy should be worn by politicians since they are the ones who have the keys to the gate of peace - but will they ever learn. Poppies are nothing to do with Christianity - they are sold to raise funds for The Royal British Legion who look after the wounded and widowed or orphaned of the results of war and 'peace keeping'.

Christians and many other faiths have remembrance services and wear red poppies. I am a Christian but of no religion any more - I just have a copy of the 10 commandments and try to live by those.

Answer 4

The connection to religion is just that most people who died in the World Wars were religious like most Europeans in that era. As the world fell apart around them people turned to God, as they say "there were no atheists in the trenches".
Although the British Legion and the Poppy Appeal are not religious in themselves they are connected to the church by the faith of the surviving veterans and the families of those who died in the war.

Answer 5

I totally agree with the person who said they should go get their own symbol. If the church wants white for the symbol of peace that's great but the red poppy is not for the future, it is remembrance of fighting, blood and lives that were lost in war.

Besides changing the red poppy after all this time will undoubtedly remove some of the strength of emotion that the symbol embodies.

Answer 6

This "debate" is not about religion, it's about attitude to war. The white poppy started in the 1930s as a response of the pacifist movement to the alleged glorification of war. The white poppy indicates remembrance of all people who have died as a result of war, including non-combatants. It is also an expression of a wish for peaceful resolution of international disputes, without the need to resort to war.
http://www.whitepoppy.org.uk/

Answer 7

Nothing - THEY SHOULD LEAVE OUR OF SYMBOL OF REMEMBERANCE DAY ALONE!

The poppy resembles what the poet John McCrae saw in the fields where thousands of serviceman lost their lives.

It should not be changed to white. I believe the red also represents the blood lost on bost sides. At the end of the day, we may fight one another in war, but we all bleed the same.

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Inspiration for the Poem
On 2 May, 1915, in the second week of fighting during the Second Battle of Ypres Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed by a German artillery shell. He was a friend of the Canadian military doctor Major John McCrae. It is believed that John began the draft for his famous poem 'In Flanders Fields' that evening.

Answer 8

Poppies don't have anything to do with religion it has to do with the poppy fields that the war took place on and that lots of soldiers died there. There is a poem of those poppy fields that it all started from. Flanders Fields

Answer 9

The poppie has nothing to do with God, Christianity, or any other religion

Answer 10

From what I could find the debate is in Canada - some activists want the color changed to white for peace.

The red poppy grew wild in battlefields in Europe and are used to signify remembrance to veterans - the color red for the blood spilled.

It is fine to want to have something for peace but let them pick their own symbol instead of trying to take over another.

Answer 11

Some politically correct do gooders. think that wearing poppys will offend anyone.

This is that state of our society today.

It's about time we all said if you dont like the way we do things in this country you can always leave no one invited you to come here!!!

This is England and our national religion is the Church of England.
If you dont agree with our laws " Clear off "