Woah-ho-ho, now THERE is a provocative title. Stepping into the realm of controversy, we are, mmmhmhmhm.
Why is one ok to display and the other is not? This reality hit me the other day when I was walking across campus and saw a student with a red shirt and the hammer and sickle prominently displayed across his chest. I thought to myself, man, I wonder what would happen if someone wore a shirt that had the stars and bars and that was it.
Now, I'm not going to assume that there would be an uproar - it might not be a huge deal. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there really is a double standard when it comes to these two symbols. Hence, a post.
A while ago, I wouldn't have had too many qualms about having the stars and bars somewhere in my possesion - not saying I would fly the flag, but the symbol was on a few things that I owned. I have since come to realize through conversations and my own thinking that I disagree with it being displayed, and here's why. There comes a point when an image cannot be divorced from things that came as a part of it. A great example of this is the swastika. It will forevermore be the symbol of the Nazi party in Germany during the 1930s-40s, regardless of how many historians remind us that it was originally something else. While not to that degree, I do think it's fair to say that the stars and bars hold that same kind of symbolism as it relates to slavery. The flag, whether we (wannabe) Southerners like it or not, does represent a group that supported the institution of slavery and fought a war to preserve their right to own slaves. (Yes, there were more issues involved in the fighting of the Civil War, but this post isn't about that topic) So, by displaying that flag, it's not completely illogical for people to assume that we could stand for that kind of thinking. I personally don't think that's all the flag stands for - but the point is that for the majority of people and for my African-American brothers and sisters it DOES connote support of slavery. It is for THEIR sake, therefore, that I don't fly it or wear it. (I think this is part of what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 8-10; check it out!) It does nothing but divide and separate me from people (both in and out of the Church), not something I want to do in a first impression situation.
But, what bothers me about our society is that wearing a similarly powerful symbol seems to be "cool" and "hip" nowadays. I really wonder if some students and others that wear this symbol know the full extent of communism. Yes yes, you can argue that communism in it's purest form has never existed (and I agree!) - but the fact is that the symbol doesn't stand for pure communism. It's been a part of the manifestation of communism expressed through the 20th century in China and the USSR to name the most prominent examples. During this century, communist dictators such as Stalin and Mao combined with other regimes to kill 100 million people. You read that right - 16 times the number of Jews that Hitler and the Nazi's killed. (65 million deaths in China ALONE.) I haven't seen numbers on the impact of slavery in the United States, but I'd wager it's around the same number. Even if it isn't though, is this a movement that anyone should support? I guess I'm just confused on why it's cool to wear the image worn by The Red Guards who, during the Cultural Revolution, persecuted my brothers and sisters in Christ by killing and imprisoning them soley for their confession of faith. Doesn't seem to line up in my mind.
Like stars and bars, I think this is an issue of considering other people around you. Especially in our increasingly "global" society, there is a good chance there are people living in your community that have experienced the horror of communist regimes, many of them directly. That's not something you can say about modern-day African-Americans and slavery. But again, that's not even the point. The point is, the hammer and sickle stand for governments that have enslaved and murdered millions of people - and that's not cool or hip. More importantly, for my Christian brothers and sisters out there, that symbol stands for something that has done everything in its power to HINDER the spread of the Gospel to all nations! This is not a joking matter, that's a serious fact to consider.
So, before we buy our next article of clothing with a symbol, let us all consider what that symbol means - and not just what WE think it means. We need to consider what the symbol does for our relationship with others. Does it encourage or discourage relationship? Does it needlessly divide? Could someone impacted by the negative effects of this symbol be hurt by me wearing this? These are important questions, and ones I hope my generation will more carefully consider before donning the hammer and sickle.
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Cole, I'm commenting like you asked:
ReplyDelete1) Stars and Bars refers to the Confederate civil ensign, you're referring to the Confederate Battle Flag
2) The Hammer and Sickle isn't as offensive because Communism outlived it's initial tumult, and into a modern phase. The same hammer and sickle that represented Stalin and his purges, was the symbol used by Gorbachev during glasnost and perostrokia. Whereas the Confederate flag only represents the Civil War (which is perceived as a war solely about slavery). I bet if the swastika outlived WWII, it wouldn't be as radical a symbol as it is today. In short, the hammer and sickle mellowed out with time.
3) Does the cross have the same connotations? Especially when it's used by temporal governments (ie: the UK, Sweden, etc.) Is the symbol of the cross essential to the gospel message? Is it a symbol that Christians should try to preserve?
Andrew
Hops' point 1 is an important distinction: I wouldn't fly the confederate battle flag, but I might fly the Stars and Bars or the Bonnie Blue flag: Confederate symbols that don't have so much slavery freight. People are more likely to ask about them rather than just be offended and angry. You get the denotation with fewer connotations, if you will.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, there are other communist symbols that aren't as well known and therefore aren't as offensive. A shirt with the red star, for example, is more likely an ideological than a fashion statement. I might disagree with the person wearing it, but at least I would react seriously and not with knee-jerk contempt for someone who doesn't understand what communism entailed (not that that's the right reaction to the hammer and sickle; it's just mine).
That's my attempt at nice middle ground, anyway; I've never actually flown the Bonnie Blue flag to try it out or anything.
Hops,
ReplyDelete1) Point taken. Wish I could change my blog post now...I've heard the Confederate Battle Flag called Stars and Bars before, so that's why I referred to it that way. But you are correct.
2) This may be another blog post in itself, but I guess what you say makes my point. Whoever wins sets the trends for things. The South lost - their symbol is treated with contempt. The Nazis lost - the swastika is forever tainted. The Soviets happened to be on the winning side, so their symbol was able to endure beyond the conflict and have varied meaning. You make a valid point about Russia, but I still think that the symbol carries a lot of baggage for some people. A person who was imprisoned in China isn't going to give balance to the what the symbol means - they're going to see it as one of oppression. I guess that's my point; but you're right, there is balance to the symbol when you consider it all.
3) The cross is a tough one. I wouldn't say the symbol of the cross is "essential" to the gospel message, but the truth about the symbol is essential. Therefore, I think Christians need to use caution in wearing the symbol, but in a different way than the other symbols. The cross is offensive, like Paul says, but he's talking about the message of the cross. So, wearing the symbol of the cross needs to be approached with care and concern for who's around you. I don't like it when governments use the cross - government and religion never seem to mix well. Governments should use even greater caution in using the symbol than should individuals because of the actions governments often have to take. (This of course, is kinda a product of an American way to go about it, though; I'd love to hear someone disagree with me about this!)
Thanks for commenting...hope that helps answer your questions.
I would add that maybe it is even a good idea to think about what wearing something like a Nike symbol could mean! Even more so, since wearing the Confederate flag doesn't actively support slavery and wearing a hammer and sickle doesn't actively support the Communist party. Wearing a Nike symbol DOES actively support a corporation that has little regard for human rights and has contributed to the oppression and maltreatment of many under-privileged people on our planet RIGHT NOW. Think about how much bigger a deal that is compared to weighing the historical implications of wearing a political/cultural symbol. Especially as Christians, is it wise for us to be adorned in clothing made by "manacled" hands, and to spend money that forges the manacles?
ReplyDelete