Path: christian
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
From: hayesstw@risc1.unisa.ac.za (Steve Hayes)
Subject: Peace symbol
Organization: University of South Africa
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

In article <1993Jan25.092131.18566@wetware.com> drieux@wetware.com (drieux, just drieux) writes:

>] Recently several articles have been on the ankh and I thought I would
>] ask if anyone has information on where the "peace symbol" is derived
>] from. I have heard that its origins are occultic and was used by some
>] ancient pagan societies. Is this true? If so, who? Anyone care to 
>] offer some reliable info?
>
>
>Well depends on who you talk to.
>
>Theory One: the CND [Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament] was
>alledged to have brought it about as a 'signal flag' representation
>of their call letters.
>
>theory two: {More Probable} Given that the CND folks were lead
>by folks Like Bertrand Russell, who was SOFT on Communism, it
>is CLEARLY a Satanic Kult Ritual Sign indicative of a broken
>Upside down cross used during Black Masses and Communist
>Inner Party Meetings. {Sorry, those are redundently reptative,
>as Black Masses and Communist Inner Party Meetings are one
>and the same thing.}

I had a letter from a guy who was at the meeting where it was designed. He 
was Laurens Otter, who published a magazine for Christian anarchists in 
London. According to him, neither explanation is correct. Though it is true 
that the central part represents the semaphore  sign for ND (nuclear 
disarmament) the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament had nothing to do with the 
design. It was a small group, and they were discussing some kind of symbol 
they could use. As they were Christians, they wanted a variation on the 
cross, and someone suggested that it should have dropping arms because it 
looked sad.

One of the members of the group, Jerry Horton, did some research, and the 
next time they met he said that he had found that the circle could be a sign 
for an unborn child, and the cross with drooping arms was the sign of a dead 
person, which was used by medieval monks.

They adopted that as a logo to symbolize the effects of Strontium 90 on 
unborn children. It was only a year later that it was taken up in a big way 
by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

It would therefore be an entirely appropriate symbol for the anti-abortion 
lobby in countries like the USA today, where abortion seems to be a greater 
threat to unborn children than Strontium 90.


Steve Hayes, Department of Missiology & Editorial Department
Univ. of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
Internet: hayesstw@risc1.unisa.ac.za
          steve.hayes@f20.n7101.z5.fidonet.org