Fish Symbol

[berb]

I'm sorry I had no idea where to post this. This has nothing at all to do with faith or anything biblical. I just wanted to see if anyone knew.

I'm pretty sure you've all seen the Christian fish symbol, right? It sorta looks like this: ><> . Does it matter which way it faces? I'm designing something with the symbol and was wondering if it mattered which way I turned it.

 

[Heinrich]

The story goes like this.. the letter of the word fish in greek stand for some acronym that stand for something christian. My greek is non-existent so I can't remember. I think it comes down to Jesus Christ somehow

I believe you're direction above is correct if it indeed matters..

But then signs is dangerous business. The way I understand the bible we shouldn't be bothered with them. I don't even where a cross, not that I have something against other people wearing it I am against crucifixes though.

Most signs you see around have more than one meaning. And mostly they either have pagan or witchcraft connetations.
the sign above has some ancient pre-christ pagan connection. I forget what sorry. Do you want me to go search..

Some other examples:
The 5 pointed star pointing up is used in new-age witchcraft secular huminism and some other.
The 5 pointed star pointing down is used in Satanism. Many times with the goats head drawn inside. and a circle around.
The cross with a circle around (with the one leg sticking out) many times known as the celtic cross is basicly a witchcraft circle of power with just one leg extended.
On some bibles and church song books they print signs that is actually free masonry signs. I know there is this P and X into each other thing I've seen on some churches things.
And most free masonry signs and stuff can be traced back to Satanism in one or other form.
The sign of greeting with 2 fingers and the thumb inside (which I've actually seen in paintings from the early church) is also something in freemasonry but the origin can be traced to some pagan priestly stuff before christ.
The eggs and bunnys on Easter is fertility signs.. Since the date we use for easter is the feritlity festival date of the pre-christ pagan europe. And is still today the high of the pagan calender.
The christmas tree is pagan. Infact the bible is very clear about christmas trees: Go read Jeremiah 10
Misteltoe is pagan (also some fertility ritual)
And the date we use for christmas is also the date of some great pagan festival in the per-christ europe world.
These things get really dark and nasty so I'm going to stop now.
After all paul says we must rather focus on the light than the dark.

There is complete books on this stuff. hehe.
Well don't let it bother you.

Put on your poster what ever you want. The bottom line is that any "sign" has multiple interpretations and was probably used more than once in history. You're fish sign today is mostly considered connected with christianity in some way. So I would say it is perfectly ok to use it.

The most important thing is that we do not get sidetracked and always keep our eyes on Jesus.

 

[onelamb]

I think it's great for a Christian to use signs of his/her faith-it is a witness of the One we love. I want everyone to know I love Him!!! I always have a "fish" on my car-just bought a new car and my grandson said-"hey grandma where is your fish?" He comes from a home that does not know Him., but he knows what the fish stands for. Just remember-if you cut in front of someone and act rudely when your driving-I'd rather you didn't let on you're saved. LOL <><

 

[berb]

Thanks Heinrich, but I still wanna know if the way the fish faces makes a difference. From what I managed to Google it doesn't.

LOL @ onelamb. I just imagined being cutoff by someone then reading their bumper sticker with a fish symbol and "Jesus loves you" after it, lol.

 

[Grl4Christ987]

The fishy symbol goes back hundreds of years. Here's the story:

When the Christian church was starting out the fish was a symbol that they were Christians, or this is a safe place to stay, or what have you. It comes from some Greek word, and like the other guy, my Greek is almost non-existent. But it was also meant to encourage other believers that there were others who felt the same about Christ.

 

[kidsminister]

The fishy symbol goes back hundreds of years. Here's the story:

When the Christian church was starting out the fish was a symbol that they were Christians, or this is a safe place to stay, or what have you. It comes from some Greek word, and like the other guy, my Greek is almost non-existent. But it was also meant to encourage other believers that there were others who felt the same about Christ.

It was also a way for a believer to know whether or not it was safe to discuss certain topics with a person they were just meeting. The believer would make one half of the fish symbol in the sand with his or her foot. If they other person was a believer, then he or she would acknowledge it by then drawing the other half, thus creating the "fish" symbol. If the other person was not, they would obviously not know that they were supposed to draw the other half. The believer would know that this was not a person to whom they could safely disclose certain things (i.e. location of underground churches, etc), and the nonbeliever wouldn't think anything of it.

A friend of mine in college learned this in a church history class when he was at seminary, and I have since read it in other places as well...

 

[Kebisoni]

I was always taught that the fish needed to face left....<><

 

[Heinrich]

Thanks kidsminister!
I'll try to remember that. Quite cool actually

Btw I'm reasonably sure I've seen it like this: ><>
But is you think of the 2 people and the fish on the sand... they will see it in different directions So then it doesn't matter ?

 

[Jesusong]

I've seen the fish face left, right, up, and down. I was told that it faces to the left to symbolize swimming against the current.

 

[buckybsm]

I was wondering this too, thanks for asking, and answering guys

 

[Dim]

IXQ U S
​

​

The earliest followers of Jesus were persecuted and forced to worship in hidden locations. Often these believers would scratch the secret symbol of a fish in the ground to help them identify other Christians.

Not only was fish a common food of the day, often used and referenced by Jesus during His ministry, but the letters which make up the Greek word for "fish" (IXQ U S ) also spell out a secret message about our Lord. I-Jesus, X-Christ, Q -God’s, U -Son, S -Savior.

The fish symbol transcends differences in cultures and denominations. Throughout generations the fish symbol continues to identify the true followers of Jesus Christ.