Is the Peace Sign Bad?

Question from a Site Viewer
Is the peace sign bad?

Tim’s Answer
You ask whether the peace sign is bad. For those of us who look to Scripture for answers to such questions, the answer is fairly straightforward.

First, Scripture never mentions the peace sign. However, Scripture gives us some instruction on matters not directly addressed in Scripture. Whatever we do in word or deed, we should do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17). Secondly, we are instructed not to do anything that would cause a brother to stumble (Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13; 10:28-32). And finally, if we cannot in good conscience participate in something, then we should not participate in that activity (Romans 14:14, 23).

The Romans passage is particularly helpful to your question. Paul states in Romans 14:14 that there is nothing unclean of itself. But if someone considers it to be unclean, to that person it is unclean.

The peace symbol is just such a thing. It is only a symbol. Some would see it as linked to Satanism, the occult, Nazism, and various other evil matters. But it is only a symbol. It is nothing in itself. It only means something if people see it as meaning something. And for the vast majority of people, it only means “peace.” For such people, it is not evil.

Some people, however, see it as a symbol straight from the bowels of hell. They find it linked to an upside down and broken cross, a parody of Christ’s crucifixion. For such people, I think it would be evil, since they associate it with evil. And, if I was communicating with such persons, I probably would not use the symbol, as I would not want to be a cause of stumbling for them.

The modern usage of the symbol arose out of the anti-nuclear protests of the 1950s. It quickly moved from a symbol of protest against nuclear weapons to the broader protest for peace and against war.

For those who see it as an evil symbol, I simply point out that the most evil of all symbols has become the universal mark of Christianity. We have quickly forgotten that the cross was a sadistic, most horrendous, and evil thing. It was a curse to hang on a tree; even Scripture so stated (Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13). It was a symbol of shame and of evil. The cross was never a symbol of good, at least not until Jesus came. When Jesus spoke of taking up our cross and following Him, the imagery would not have been seen as a good thing by the vast majority of people. It would be as if the syringe became the symbol of euthanasia and then we all started to take the syringe as the symbol of our new religion. The death of Christ transformed the symbol of death into a symbol of life.

The meaning of symbols can be changed, even as the meaning of the cross changed. For those who see the peace sign as evil, they should not use the symbol. For those who do not see it as evil, they should feel free to use the symbol, only keeping in mind that love towards others would compel them to consider their audience when using the symbol.

I tend to refrain from using the symbol simply because for me it represents protests against authority. I think that Scripture has given us an abundance of instruction on how we should relate to authority. In Romans, the Apostle Paul goes so far as to state that those who resist the authority resist the ordinance of God (Romans 13:2). In Titus 3:1-2, we are told to be subject to the authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility. These are great instructions. Peter says much the same thing in 1 Peter 2:13-17. Jeremiah sent a letter with instructions to the Jewish captives in Babylon about how they were to live as sojourners in a foreign land. In Jeremiah 29:7, he tells them to seek the peace of the city where they live and to pray to the LORD for it, because in its peace you will have peace. I think this is great instruction for how we as Christians are to live as sojourners in this land. Paul, I believe, had this very thing in mind when he instructed Timothy to pray for authorities so that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Because I tend to associate the symbol with protests against the government, and because I believe that generally (although perhaps not always) such protests do not represent the Christ path, I do not find the peace symbol useful to me (see 1 Corinthians 10:23).

But whether one uses or does not use the peace symbol should never be a crucial matter for Christians. The focus of Christians should always be on Jesus, deepening our relationship with Him and seeking the good of the eternal kingdom through meditation on the words of Scripture, through prayer, and through the faithful practice of doing good for others.

I pray that the Lord Jesus will use you in His kingdom to represent Him well in this world.

A fellow servant,

tim

30 thoughts on “Is the Peace Sign Bad?”

    1. I know that I was brought up in a very strict loving Christian home & my parents always taught me that it meant -“Jesus hanging upside down on the cross” this was the hippy 1960 era. So we we were forbidden to were or have the peace sign at all!

    1. Holy crap no it’s not! I’m a devout Christian and love God, but the peace sign is not demonic/satanic in any way. It originated in the 1950s developed by people combining the two flag/hand signals for nuclear disarmament to protest the Cold War. My family is part of the Missionay Church and have an unshakeable faith in the Lord, and we still use peace signs because my mom grew up in the 70s and likes the whole herbal and hippie things. I’m around them all of the time and not one demon has come into me or affected me.

      1. Have you ever seen a symbol so widely used than the “peace” symbol? The second runner ups are gang signs. It’s meant to deceive. Every single race/nation around the world uses it; look at pics from even the youngest generation! That’s how evil is unconsciously creeping into our daily lives.

  1. This is nonsense. What is currently commonly referred to as the “peace sign” was actually designed in 1958 for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It is nothing more than the combination of the international semaphore signals for the letters “N” (both flags held out and down from the body) and “D” (one flag straight up, the other straight down). This symbol has no actual history before that time, and is certainly not “demonic” or in any way linked to supposed “satanic” symbology.

    1. Thank you so much for this article. I actually stumbled upon an article just today about the peace sign meaning the opposite of what I have always thought it meant which was PEACE. I am a Christian too and wear the peace sign. I actually have a lot of art that I incorporate the peace sign with Scripture about God’s peace.

  2. Sad, too many people see it as something good when it truly is not… it goes back to Nero and Satanic rituals… then also used by the Nazi Regime and was put on Hitler soldiers Graves and tombs… I only represents peace for Those who had an ideology to fight authority, protest Vietnam Nam and the drug induced evil hippie movement… it has never really promoted peace, only evil satanic rituals… When people use it excessively or freely they do not realize blindly what it does and what it promotes as a symbol… refrain from using demonic symbols for you are only giving power and accolades to satan… It is not nor never has been a Christian symbol or a good one…

    1. Indeed, it being so popular with the world is a real clue. We are not to try to mimic the world, its customs or its beliefs.
      It seems to me a very quickly fulfilling prophesy “when they all say peace and safety, sudden destruc tion shall come upon them.”

  3. This is the kind of thing that turns people off to Christianity, wild assumptions and straight up BS. You can believe whatever you’d like about a symbol, but by spreading lies like this you only hurt your community.

    1. Yes, truth does seem to be a wet blanket these days.
      I for one have no desire to risk my eternal life because of popular worldly customs or being disapproved of by the world (sic).

  4. At the end of the day its a symbol that some believe is good and some believe is bad. I’m not a super religious person but I know what true love and respect is and most religious people I know also believe to live and let live if someone thinks different of it just respect each others different beliefs and love one another.

  5. I am a Christian and I have a peace sign tattooed on me. It reminds me to hate the sun love the sinner. We all fall short of Gods glory but no one should judge anyone else lest he be judged. I love all people. I may not agree with them or their lifestyle but I love the person themselves. If that’s bad then I guess I’m a bad person for having a peace sign on my body.

  6. I’m a born again Christian and I’ve been wearing my peace sign for going on 30 years. So,no I do not see this symbol as being bad or satanic. That’s just my thoughts

  7. Concern yourself with the meaning it has today! Many satanist are using & flashing it with other satanic symbols and forms of communication. It does not mean peace! Regardless what it means to you, you must educate yourself on today’s meaning of it and usage. Christians should not associate with symbols anyway but have the knowledge of them. They cannot help your faith but they can hurt it! A swastika was designed originally meaning “well-being.” Would you wear one today? Don’t be deceived!

    1. I agree, its not worth the risk. Eternity is a loong time.
      The fact that practically the entire world is doing this, is enough for me to seriously distrust it.

  8. Wow, people need to chill. My mom has always believed peace signs were evil and never let my sister or I wear them. I, however, have always loved them, I am the type of person who believes everybody deserves to live in peace and be treated without discrimination, and I love peace signs. All the people saying they were used in ancient Satanic rituals or were a second Nazi symbol are clearly confused. Something developed in the 1950’s is impossible to have been used for those things!

  9. I am a Christian and I wore a peace necklace to church when I was 14 years old, they told me to remove or hide it and they all prayed for me

    Scared the crap out me

    Looking on here now I’m 42 I feel ok that it’s not that I worshipped the devil and wore it I wore it for peace for peace to all.

  10. We all have the ability to interpret anything that comes to us in life as good or lacking good.

    You can either choose to see peace or you can choose to see the lack of peace. I choose to see peace and the good in everything.

    I don’t spend any second of my life pondering on negativity, because I don’t think it will benefit me or the world in the end. Any symbol that can lead people to think about and work for peaceful things is a beautiful thing.

    May the peace of God be with you.

  11. This is what confuses me, the Bible doesn’t say anything about how bad peace signs symbols are, it’s so anoying how Christians try to interpret something that isn’t remotely close to what the Bible says, I like the peace sign symbol, I like the fact what it represents, not an upside down cross, nor satanic or any type of ritual, I like that it represents peace, peace against war, murder, violence, corruption, I like the peace sign symbol because to me it represents peace, joy, love, compassion, goodwill, and positivity, but it wont bring you these things like God can, only God can bring you these thing, and only he can get us through the hardships of our lives, not the peace sign, but it is a pretty symbol, and even if I were to wear the peace sign symbol, it isn’t my God, nor will I bow down to the symbol, nor will I wear it for what it stands for, I would wear it because it’s a beautiful symbol, it’s a beautiful art work, and craftmanship, even though I like what it represents, how many people also think that wearing a necklace with a cross on it is also offensive as well? I think with the worldly and the Church’s different views on symbols is the reason why there is so much confusion but! Regardless if I wear a necklace with a crucifix or a peace sign symbol, it isn’t going to replace my relationship with God.

  12. Regardless if the peace sign is evil or not ,claimed “Christians” should be obedient and not put on external things that make one’s pride show.

    For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. Exodus KJV…

  13. The peace sign became popular in the 70’s, which was also when the sexual revolution began. The sexual revolution was when america started to let the demonic principalities into its culture and its all pretty much gone downhill to the hell we see today. You decide.

  14. I was raised in a Christian home, we were in church all the time. I was a teen in the 60’s and my parents bought me things with the peace symbol on them, to me it reminds of some of the happiest times in my life. I respect people’s opinions but sometimes it’s just rediculous what people think. I love the Lord with all my heart and I will continue to believe the peace symbol means just what I grew up believing, just plain and simple, Peace!

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