Christians, what is with the fish?

[Tux]

I see little fish decals on cars everywhere. I wandered into LifeWay, a Christian store, and kept seeing that fish there too. I would ask the staff but I got enough weird looks since I wore my Buddha pendant. No one bothered me either. Also, is the RIAA influencing Christian music prices like they are secular music? $18 is too much for a CD of 10 songs.

[LiberalVoice]

1. ITs a symbol christians used

while hiding from the Roman govt. I think.

[Squeech]

6. Yup

The Greek word for fish is Ichthos, spelled Ypsilon, Chi, Theta, Omega, Sigma (I think). It's also an acronym: those letters stand for Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior (in Greek, of course).

[Tux]

10. Makes more sense

Than a symbol of that deal of feeding people with one fish (very small portions). Another person said it was used during the Roman occupation of Judea when Romans were killing Christians for not honoring the Roman gods. Do Christians now feel persecuted when they have more freedoms than any CHristians had before? If so, why? And why do door to door to introduce people to Jesus?

[On the Road]

17. Squeech's Interpretation of "Ichthus" Correct

The various associations of "fish" in the gospels that some other posters have mentioned may have led to that particular acronym being so prominent.

The fish sign was apparently also used as a way to identify other Christians during Roman persecution. If a Christian was talking to someone they suspected might also be a Christian, they would casually make the sign of the fish in the dirt with one of their sandals -- just a couple of nonchalant curves. If the person was a Christian, the sign would be returned. If not, it probably wouldn't even be noticed, or would at least give the Christian some plausible deniability.

[Warpy]

15. It also refers to his supposed words to Peter

that now he was a fisher of MEN to convert them to the new sect.

Shoot, I like it better than that instrument of capital punishment they put on their churches.

[GOPBasher]

24. Wow, you know your stuff!

Thanks for that post! It was interesting.

[uppityperson]

20. Sort of like paperclips except religiouspolitical?

Norwegians paperclips during Nazi yrs, blue paperclips during bushite years

[nytemare]

2. I am not Christian now, but I think it is a "loaves and fishes"

representation, where Jesus made enough bread and fish to feed a lot out of one loaf and one fish(not sure on the number).

I think that is it. Yeah. :)

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Jesus started the welfare state!

Imagine the nerve of that guy giving out free food and healing people without asking for compensation or insurance!

[nytemare]

9. He would be labeled a "socialist pig" now

:)

[Wilms]

3. It means there's something Phishy about Phundies. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

4. It's something to do with the Greek alphabet

and how their word for fish, icthys, resembles something about the word for Christ, I think. But I don't think most of those fish decal users know this.

(on edit) Here you go: "Ichthus," (fish) is an acronym from the Greek, "Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter," or "Jesus Christ the Son of God, Saviour."

[oneighty]

7. I do not know, but!

Seems I read long ago that the 'fish' was a secret sign that Christians used during the persecution in Rome during lion feeding days.

180

180 is also a sign. Often I am 180 degrees off course. Act accordingly.

180

[Tesla]

8. He is the Picean Age Christ / Fish being the symbol

He will return again in this, the Age of Aquarius.

[oneighty]

21. Ahh Nikola

I have missed you.

Merlin.

[arcane1]

11. it's an age of pices thing, no?

:shrug:

[nytemare]

12. Ok A link that explains it! Very interesting!

http://www.geocities.com/darkistrein666/ff666.html

[morningglory]

13. Also, some of the 12 disciples were fishermen, and Jesus said

to them "put down your nets and come with me. I will make you fishers of men."

[Roland99]

26. That's a misconception...see my post (#25)

[signmike]

14. In some cultures a fish is a symbol of utmost gullibility,

as fish are so easy to catch. On their All Fools' Days, they hang fish images on one another like "Kick Me" signs.

Anybody got an explanation for the letters on the cross? INRI - I think it is. I asked a fundie friend of mine, once, but he didn't know -- got all nervous and changed the subject. Maybe it's a secret from us atheists.

[tecumseh]

19. INRI

somebody told me it is jesu nazari rex judorum or something like that.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum, actually

"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," the sign that Pontius Pilate put up on the cross when Jesus was crucified.

[signmike]

23. Thanks. You'd think the fundies would like to now about that.

But history is related to learning, and the tree of knowledge has it's roots in Hell
;-)

[liam_laddie]

16. Friday fish frys

Slightly O/T but...the "fish on Friday" tradition during Lent (and maybe all Fridays in the way-back past) was to support the Italian fishing industry. Could be a hoax, but (as a recovering Catholic) I recall this story being told...

[dweller]

18. Maybe JC was

was into evolution?


:D

dp

[Roland99]

25. Jesus was known as a Fisher of Men

That's where the Church has distorted the symbolism of the ancient texts to mean the disciples were actually fishermen (worker bees.) That's far from the truth. Most of the disciples were high up in the Jewish Royal or Priestly circles.

The fish symbol is also a key symbol used by the Merovingian kings of the Franks. The Merovingians were direct descendents of Joseph of Arimathea (who was actually James, the brother of Jesus.) It's the use of the fish symbol that clued the writers in to the Merovingian line and its relation to the Davidic line in the book, Holy Blood Holy Grail.