"Lily has been reading about religions of the world. She wants to be informed as she has friends practicing other religions and we are making sure Christianity is given equal time. She is using the attached as screen savers. There are more images from www.Godchecker.com she has put up that look like the Nazi SS symbols on your Gods of the Third Reich blog. Lily assures me they have nothing to do with Nazism, but Nordic Gods are listed on the websites she has been studying.
"I can't find the other images she put up and had to try to paint the one on the screen (above). These are strange times and the searches all began because of her interest in Greek Mythology.
"Am I being overprotective or is there a connection with the symbols I should be concerned about? Thanks so much for your expert opinions. "
Dear Meridith,
No indeed, you are not being overprotective and there IS a connection between the images and the religion. Christians and non-Christians have always recognized that. This is one of the reasons why the LORD was so concerned about how his people might use symbols. He strictly warned them not to make carved images or likenesses to worship or serve (Exodus 20:3-5). They must not have any other gods, because there is no other. Those who would make themselves out to be gods are rebel spirits, fallen angels. They long to be worshiped, adored and served. That is part of their rebellion.
You mention the Nazi's use of runic symbols. I commented on the power of runes in my Gods of the Third Reich Blog—"Nazis and Runic Symbols."
"Runes were always considered symbols of great power. The word rune itself means 'mystery'. This was especially true when reading and writing were not common, so the ability to represent ideas in symbolic form was a mystery to most. Thus these symbols became a means of communication between the seen and the unseen, between the visible world of men and the invisible spirit realm, the realm of the gods, the mighty ones.
"In the view of this and other nature religion, everything is divine and alive. The Spirit and the spirits are everywhere. So the Nordic or Germanic priests and priestesses used the runes to divine or read the messages of the spirits."
Let me use a common symbol found throughout the world. What meaning does this symbol have? What does it communicate? What do you think about or feel whenever you see this symbol? Why is the company that owns it so protective abut its use? They know of its power to get you to think about their product, to remember how it tastes and to desire some more of it.
This is but a small example of the power of symbols—in the secular world they are called 'logos', a Greek word that means word. And remember that every word we write or create is a symbol that points beyond itself to an idea, concept, image or feeling.
In my next Blog I'll discuss in more detail the use of symbols as a means of communication between the visible world of men and the invisible spirit realm.
Thank you, Kind and Wise Pastor for addressing this concern of mine so quickly. I can't believe these "symbols" have even entered my daughter's life. We actively monitor her screen use. I can see everything she brings up when she is online...and yet, here we are in this situation. We will read Exodus 20:3-5 together tonite and I will teach her about the seriousness of these "other images/gods". Thank you for helping me understand how to approach this with her and for explaining to me the depth of the implications and consequences these symbols have for us who love the Lord our God and want to honor Him in all things in all our ways with our whole heart, soul, and mind.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the devil uses the basic sin concept of 'things", "signs", "symbols" as a magical force to capture those for whom he "seeks to devour", like a "roaring lion"? Isn't that what Satan suggested to Adam and Eve in Eden, "don't TOUCH the tree lest you die", as though the tree had some power in itself to bring about death? I would like to go through the Scriptures and see how the devil used "animistic" beliefs to endanger God's people. He use the same method today that he used in Eden.
ReplyDelete