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The cross is the Christian's main symbol of faith.The cross on which Christ was crucified is a cherished symbol of God's love to His people giving His only son as a sacrificial lamb.Christians use the cross as a sign of forgiveness, redemption,love, victory, grace, commitment, despite the fact that it was a tool used during Romans times dealing with criminals exposing them to a painful,shameful death.For Christ it was for salvation. He encouraged his followers  to carry their cross. (Matthew 16 :24 ~ 26) Christians differ in the way they potray the cross ~ for Catholics the cross often reveal the body ofChrist still on cross emphasizing the sacrifice , for Protestant it's an empty cross emphasizing risen Christ.for Jehovah's was just a blog.The Red cross (Red crescent in Muslim)it deals with mundane matters.It rallies people to care for  sick and for the wounded in war.

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Symbols which encourage struggle and destru

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Symbols which encourage struggle and destru

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The Nazi swastika and racist emblems are destuctive symbols.

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Holy Communion as a model for order, stability and harmony.

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The Yazidi religion reveres and holds sacred the symbol of the Peacock who is the emanation of the “one” or God. The peacock Angel is Malek Tawuse who on the seventh day created the earth. Malek Tawuse corrponds with the Christian concept of Lucifer or Shaitan in the Yazidi faith; who repented from sin and wept for seven thousand years, with his tears filling seven jars that quenched the fires of hell. Yazidi New Year sees the Parade of the Peacock where sacred peacock lamps are are taken to each Yazidi village by religious elites and story tellers. In ancient times, the story tellers or “qewells” lived in Bashique, and due to the Yazidi religion being an oral history, not every person had access to this oral history thus making the Parade of the Peacocks the opportunity to continue pass on oral religious instruction.Since the IS onslaught into the Yazidi villages of the Ninewah plain on 03 August 2014, the Yazidi flag is used as religious symbolism to unite Yazidi’s in the fight against IS. The flag contains a yellow sun with 22 or 23 rays. The yellow denotes life and light. The flag is divided into halfs of red and white, the red symbolises the struggle, martyrdom and repeated genocide(s) against the Yazidis, and the white expresses peace and equality. This flag has been adopted by Yazidi militia groups who were until recently engaged in fighting against IS to restore their lands, and free the many thousands of Yazidi captives held across the Islamic State controlled territories in both Iraq and Syria.

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The Yazidi religion reveres and holds sacred the symbol of the Peacock who is the emanation of the “one” or God. The peacock Angel is Malek Tawuse who on the seventh day created the earth. Malek Tawuse corrponds with the Christian concept of Lucifer or Shaitan in the Yazidi faith; who repented from sin and wept for seven thousand years, with his tears filling seven jars that quenched the fires of hell. Yazidi New Year sees the Parade of the Peacock where sacred peacock lamps are are taken to each Yazidi village by religious elites and story tellers. In ancient times, the story tellers or “qewells” lived in Bashique, and due to the Yazidi religion being an oral history, not every person had access to this oral history thus making the Parade of the Peacocks the opportunity to continue pass on oral religious instruction.Since the IS onslaught into the Yazidi villages of the Ninewah plain on 03 August 2014, the Yazidi flag is used as religious symbolism to unite Yazidi’s in the fight against IS. The flag contains a yellow sun with 22 or 23 rays. The yellow denotes life and light. The flag is divided into halfs of red and white, the red symbolises the struggle, martyrdom and repeated genocide(s) against the Yazidis, and the white expresses peace and equality. This flag has been adopted by Yazidi militia groups who were until recently engaged in fighting against IS to restore their lands, and free the many thousands of Yazidi captives held across the Islamic State controlled territories in both Iraq and Syria.

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The Cross is surely the most powerful symbol of all time

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The Cross is surely the most powerful symbol of all time

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This may seem a little odd to post a pic of the sun , as a religious symbol,but it must be the first religious symbol of human kind,in the times of ancient humans painting pics of the sun on cave walls had a great meaning, and a almost,if not religious meaning, to our ancient human brothers and sisters but still very important in some much later religions,after all the sun is the giver of all life on earth

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The intertwining phases of life, no judgement, no superiority.

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In Judaism there is a story about two brothers, one who was married with a family and the other single. They owned adjoining wheat fields. At harvest time, the unmarried brother would in the middle of the night secretly deposit some of the wheat in his brother's field because he felt that his brother was more needy than him, having a family to feed. The married brother, however, did the same, because he felt that his single brother had no one to look after him in his old age and therefore was more needy. One night as each brother was secretly bringing wheat over to the field of the other, they met. On that spot it is said the temple was built.
On the other hand, two thousand years ago the belief by fanatic Jews that they should pave the way for the kingdom of God and in so doing take up arms against the Roman rulers led to the destruction of that very same temple.

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Hamsa & Yoda: both good and harmonic. My mother-in-law is Jewish and brought me this Hamsa from the Old City in Jerusalem. I'm an atheist but I don't mind the Hamsa and use it as a key chain. The Hamsa is used in both Judaism and Islam. They believe it brings good luck. But then, I have also a key chain with Yoda, which, in my opinion, is far stronger and cooler than the Hamsa! Religious symbols that, for me, encourage suffering and destruction: The Christian Cross. I find that terrible / Antonia Tejeda Barros

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Archangle Michael

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You can see two important colour in the picture:
1. The red colour is the symbol of bloody Ashora which the third Imam of Shiatte people was killed by Yazid. It shows that Shiatte people should struggle against the evil because of their religion and also humanity,goodness and honesty. They should be brave.
2. The green colour shows hope to the green future with full of justice, honesty and reconstruction. And also appearance of the last Imam (Religious leader).

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Most people know this symbol as simply the sign of Heavy Metal fandom. It is originally credited to the late Ronnie James Dio who said it was his Italian Grandmother's "Evil Eye" or malocchio. It could be used to give someone the Evil Eye or take the curse away.

For me it is a uniting symbol when I feel like there is no one else who enjoys the genre of music the way I do. The connotations of the term Heavy Metal, in what has been a largely Christian based society, makes me feel the need to keep my fandom secret from most people.

While the Leather Jackets, long hair and facial piercings come and go, this endures as a simple code, a secret handshake that you share when you know someone else out there understands what you're about.

Popular Culture has perpetuated so many stereotypes about Heavy Music and it's fans so I feel this is akin to the misunderstandings of what other Religions are about.

-Matthew Lizotte

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An increasingly common symbol (in some places), the Bible and gun together seem to represent a willingness to defend one's religion from perceived attack, as well as a willingness to defend what might be deemed as the "Christian values" represented in and by the Bible. It is possible that this symbol could also represent two joint sources of strength, particularly what might be viewed as "masculine strength," and a man's obligation to defend his faith, his family, and his community.

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Still common today in the American South, this Protestant ritual serves as an initiation ceremony into the community of believers and represents the acceptance of Christ as one's Lord and Savior. It also signifies the washing away of sins. From a functional perspective, this ritual promotes social harmony (cooperation) within the community of believers, as it signifies full membership within and acceptance by that community.

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this is the symbol of peace regardless of religion or faith

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Archangel Michael is the most revered of angels in Jewish, Christian and Islamic scriptures and tradition. In the Old Testament Archangel Michael figures as the guardian of Israel. He appeared to Joshua as he prepared to lead the Israelites into battle at Jericho and revealed himself as “captain of the hosts of the Lord.”

In one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Michael is the “mighty, ministering angel” through whom God promises to “send perpetual help” to the sons of light. In Catholic tradition, he is the patron and protector of the Church. In Muslim lore, he is Mika'il, the angel of nature who provides both food and knowledge to man.

Archangel Michael has numberless guardian angels at his command. Their job is to protect the children of God from physical and spiritual dangers. Give this protection prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel and his guardian angels for the protection of you, your family and friends, your finances, and your spiritual practice.

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Aum represents the first sound on earth, used to calm the mind and often displayed around the house to remind the believer of their faith

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For most Christians, the symbol of the cross plays a central role in the story or meaning of Christianity. The cross is associated with the death of Jesus Christ. The cross, during the times of Christ was viewed as the worst kind of punishment and related to criminals. So by Christ dying on the cross he showed the ultimate sacrifice and humility.
By His death Christians believe Jesus Christ brought salvation to the world.
So on a personal level the symbol of the cross signifies humility and sacrifice
The cross is also used widely in society to mean different things. I see musicians adorn it as part of their apparel and anyone really who finds it to suit their purpose.

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Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Love covers all

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As Muslims, we are taught to recite the Shahada (testimony of faith) in Arabic, which means "there is no deity worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is His Messenger". Without this testimony and believe it wholeheartedly, one can never be considered a Muslim. This, to me, is the most powerful symbols of Islam which goes largely unnoticed by many.

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Triquetra

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This one rock-hewn church out of 12 represents one of the most beautiful monuments in Ethiopia.

From Wikipedia:
Lalibela is town in Amhara Region, northern Ethiopia famous for monolithic rock-cut churches. The whole of Lalibela offers an exceptional testimony to the medieval and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia.[1] Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Aksum, and a center of pilgrimage. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. Ethiopia is one of the earliest nations to adopt Christianity in the first half of the fourth century, and its historical roots date to the time of the Apostles. The churches themselves date from the seventh to thirteenth centuries, and are traditionally dated to the reign of the Zagwe dynasty king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (r. ca. 1181–1221 AD).

This beautiful church means a lot for Christians in Ethiopia but for a country with half of its population being Muslim - also has significance as it is a testament to Ethiopia's rich heritage and culture - which transcends differences in faith.

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Lalibela ( Amharic: ) is a town in Amhara Region, northern Ethiopia famous for monolithic rock-cut churches. The whole of Lalibela offers an exceptional testimony to the medieval and post-medieval civilization of Ethiopia. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Aksum, and a center of pilgrimage.

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A hijab is a veil traditionally worn by Muslim women all over the world, which usually covers the head and the chest. The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. The hijab represent the unique identity of the Muslim women. Most often, it is worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy. Modesty in the Islam concerns both men's and women's gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia.

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The Celtic Cross is an ambiguous image, because is a mix with the cristian cross with a pagan image with a god Sun Symbol that the medieval Christians should be destroyed pagan symbols. But to new Christians is just a symbol of God.

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This is the symbol of the zororastrians, the ancient religion of Iranian people before the invasion of the Arabs and their violent conversion to Islam. Today there are less than 1 Million Zoroastrians left. Ca. 10.000 of them still live in Iran. But most of them emigrated in the 10th century to India and are known as "Parsi/Parsee". This symbol stands for "Good Thought", "Good Words" and "Good Deeds". It reminds the belivers that tehre is daily fight between good and evil, and what goes around comes around.
For me this symbol not only reminds me of my Persian origin but also emphasizes the importance of being a good person without expecting anything from others.

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As the revolutions of the Arab Spring took the Middle East by storm in 2011, I became involved with a political youth movement called the 6 April Youth Movement, which is a pan-ideological nonviolent movement that works towards Egypt becoming a civilian democratic state of individual freedoms and human rights, free of emergency law. The logo of the movement is the clenched fist, which symbolizes unity, solidarity and resistance.

Over the years, the movement and its cause became the thing I loved most in the world. I would gladly have sacrificed anything for it at any time. Even now, after any semblance of revolution has died, the clenched fist still makes me feel things I cannot describe. I later learned that we were not the first to use the fist to symbolize resistance against oppression. It has been used in many places throughout different parts of history, including Ireland and the Ukraine.

Though this is not a religious symbol, but it is what came to mind when I thought of a symbol that means something to me. I am a Muslim, but cannot think of any religious symbol which is remotely as close to my heart as the clenched fist is.

And after all, as we have been learning in this course, who is to say what is and isn’t religious anyway…

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While I adhere to many Christian values, I don't consider myself religious. However I find the Holy Week processions in Andalusia especially have quite a moving effect. I think that there are two possible reasons. One is the religious fervor that some of the participants and spectators show. For a non believer it is surprising that people can experience such strong emotions before an image of the Virgin.  The second is the way that whole towns get involved in these manifestations of religion. Dozens and dozens take part carrying the "pasos" or walking in the processions and playing in the bands. Thousands of others turn out to watch. Surely not all of these are believers. It is rather a social event.

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As an atheist I am often asked (I live in quite a religious country - not the UK!) what I believe in. My standard response is Sunderland AFC.
While partly tongue in cheek this football club has all the hallmarks of religion to my life, including the rituals and irrational belief - and, I am tempted to add, ultimate disappointment!

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The Christian cross makes me think of people united in prayer and using the cross which they wear as a necklace for guidance and seeking strength or consolation. However, this red cross is also the symbol of militant proselytizing by Christians. But a red cross is also the symbol of medical and relief work nowadays and is respected by warring parties and people weraing it should be unharmed. Interestingly, the cross as such is 'violent' since it was a common execution method in the Roman Empire. I find it very ambivalent.

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Fire is the symbol of the Hell for the Roman Christina Religion. However, it can also represent the Holy Spirit.

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In the Roman Christian Religion water symbolizes purity and it purifies each and every individual part of the community trough the baptism.

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Incense is an aromatic gum from the East which, when burnt, gives off a perfumed scent. It is a homage of adoration given to God, like the gift, given by the Wise Men to the infant Jesus: through frankincense, they recognise he is God, through gold, that he is King, and myrrh foreshadows his sepulture.

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An ancient and universal symbol of unity, wholeness, infinity, the circle is significant in many cultures, and embellished in many ways. 

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An ancient and universal symbol of unity, wholeness, infinity, the circle is significant in many cultures, and embellished in many ways. 

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But in many ways I prefer the incomplete circle of Zen Buddhism

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(but it could be any meal).
This reflects my personal belief that there is nothing that sets aside Holy Communion in the Christian church - one should remember and give thanks before every meal and not just occasionally!  All bread is blessed.  Perhaps this is heresy to some, but I think that a christian life should be lived and acted out all the time rather than saved for high and holy days.  (Who here knows the great Gram Parsons track about the christian life?)
Which reminds me of the native Indian chief who lay dying. The priest re-assured him that he would go to Heaven. He said he would prefer not to, on the whole, as there might be Christians there.

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The stained glass of Chartres cathedral - hard to get the impact across, but when I was there many years ago I decided that this was what I would hope my soul looks like at death!

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The stained glass of Chartres cathedral - hard to get the impact across, but when I was there many years ago I decided that this was what I would hope my soul looks like at death!

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In pilgrimage to Makaha, all Muslim pilgrim have to wear white dress fro two clothes to practice pilgrimage worship. This dress would indicate that people are equal/ promote the sense of equality between them. Also, they gather to represent unity and their total devotion their God.

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The Holy Kaaba                                        The holy Kaaba is the most sacred place for the Muslims in Islam. It is situated at Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is considered house of God.  Muslims visit Kaaba with utmost dedication and purity. Kaaba is the sacred place where Muslims get rid of all kinds of sorrows, enmity, evils and negativity. Kaaba represents holiness, dedication to Allah and equality among all the human beings. Every year, millions of Muslim believers who is able to perform Hajj, visit Kaaba at least once in their lifetime.

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The Holy Kaaba                                        The holy Kaaba is the most sacred place for the Muslims in Islam. It is situated at Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is considered house of God.  Muslims visit Kaaba with utmost dedication and purity. Kaaba is the sacred place where Muslims get rid of all kinds of sorrows, enmity, evils and negativity. Kaaba represents holiness, dedication to Allah and equality among all the human beings. Every year, millions of Muslim believers who is able to perform Hajj, visit Kaaba at least once in their lifetime.

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I believe that the holy Kaaba has a strong social impact as it represents equality and harmony among everyone regardless of nationality, language or other cultural identities.

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My grandmother gave me a miraculous medal similar to the one in the picture when i was born.  When i was young i also had it attached with a safety pin to my inner top and when i grew up i just kept wearing it.  Of course it has a strong religious connotation where the holy Mary is protecting you in your everyday life.  Apart from that for me it has a very personal meaning as well. It reminds me of my grandmother and the bond we had.  In a way by wearing it i feel that my grandmother is protecting me as well.

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Contains stories that encourage order, stability and harmony e.g. the Ten Commandments.
Also contains stories that encourages destruction e.g. Sodom and Gomorrah and the destruction by fire.
My personal experience was the gift of an "empty" box of love from a Christian friend. It could be a religious  symbol or just a human one.

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I chose to take a slightly different outlook on this assignment, and, instead, chose a religious symbol of peace and harmony that later became distorted to encourage struggle and destruction. Up to 5,000 years before Adolf Hitler used the swastika as a symbol for the Nazis (and to this day) it was used as a sacred symbol in many religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Odinism.) The origin of the word itself actually means "good fortune." This symbol became corrupted during Hitler's rise to power, and is now seen by many as a symbol of hate and violence.

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As I practise Ananda Marga Yoga, a spiritual way of life, we usually salute one another with this gesture of Namaskar as illustrated, touching first the center of our forehead, then the center of our heart. This gesture reminds me of living in harmony, love and respect to others.

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The medallion can be used to heal diseases, fight another spirits, draw attention from a prospective lover, protection from snake bites and gun bullets.

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This picture is bright and beautiful and carries a scripture text from the Holy Bible. I came across the picture on my twitter handle and its beauty captured me. But mostly I was taken by the text, "Rejoice in the Lord Always". The Bible is a compilation of the work of different writers who were inspired to write what would be collated into the greatest book ever written. The meaning of those words, carry such weight that frees one who has experienced what is been said from the burden of secular struggle, or even religious struggle. The experience cannot be told, it can only be known. Sounds irrational? It depends

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Elena Varganich. Christian rituals emphasising peace.

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Elena Varganich. Christian rituals emphasising peace.

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Jesus Christ washing the foots of his disciples is a great example of kindness and humility as virtues for Christians.

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Elena Varganich. Christian symbols. Example which encourages struggle.

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Elena Varganich. Christian symbols. Example which encourages struggle.

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Archangel Michael is often pictured as a warrior, with a sword, often attacking satan as he is on this picture of Guido Reni. It is definitely not a call to a massacre but it is sort of symbol of justy violence, I guess

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The Advent Candles symbolize that the Jesus is the light of the world. Each of the candles symbolize something as well. The First Candle (The Candle of Prophecy/Hope), The Second Candle (The Candle of the Way), The Third Candle (The Candle of Joy), The Fourth Candle (The Candle of Peace) and The Fifth Candle (The Christ Candle or Christmas Candle)

I think that the candles emphases harmony due to the meanings of each candles.  It also can bring people together with the lighting of each candle and the reading and prayer.

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Sheila Clarke http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/crosses/latin.htm The Latin Cross also called the Roman, Protestant, Western or Plain Cross .The Christian Cross not only symbolises the crucifixion of Jesus, but also the link between God and people.  I don’t think it helps with everyday life, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

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Sheila Clarke http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/crosses/latin.htm The Latin Cross also called the Roman, Protestant, Western or Plain Cross .The Christian Cross not only symbolises the crucifixion of Jesus, but also the link between God and people.  I don’t think it helps with everyday life, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

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Sheila Clarke

Christian Cross

The Cross symbolises Jesus' death, and marks the link between ~God and people.  It doesn't solve all the problems in my life, but it's nice to know it's there.

There's a picture of a Latin cross at

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Catholics: The mass is one of the ritual which consists of a particular "smaller" rituals. Those rituals don't change since years or even centuries. That's, in my opinion, a sort of harmony. There are also symbols such as cross, the Bible etc. If you follow the Decalogue, then you may reach the Heaven (Paradise). The Catholics should follow the God's orders, but sometimes they had to sacrifice their property or even family in order to fulfill those orders (that's a sort of struggle, destruction)

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Catholics: The mass is one of the ritual which consists of a particular "smaller" rituals. Those rituals don't change since years or even centuries. That's, in my opinion, a sort of harmony. There are also symbols such as cross, the Bible etc. If you follow the Decalogue, then you may reach the Heaven (Paradise). The Catholics should follow the God's orders, but sometimes they had to sacrifice their property or even family in order to fulfill those orders (that's a sort of struggle, destruction)

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Grebeg Maulud is a unique ritual in indonesia that celebrate the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. Gunungan (the Cone) contains fruits and vegetables.

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The Five Ks are the five items of dress and physical appearance given to Sikhs by Guru Gobind Singh . These symbols give Sikhs a unique identity signifying discipline and spirituality. However, these items cannot be reduced to just symbols and must be worn in their full form.
1a The Kangha, a small comb which symbolises cleanliness and order.
1b The Kirpan, ceremonial sword, symbolising readiness to protect the weak, and defend against injustice and persecution. An image of this can be found by searching for Kirpan on a search engine

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Cleansing of the Temple

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The symbol of the cross is the symbol of Christianity. But Constantine saw a vision in the sky and the words "in this sign conquer". Which he did, to eventually rule all of east and west Europe. 

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The symbol of the cross is the symbol of Christianity. But Constantine saw a vision in the sky and the words "in this sign conquer". Which he did, to eventually rule all of east and west Europe. 

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I lift my eyes to the Mountains...
Psalm 121 gives strength and hope. Where I see mountains, problems, ...God gives light.

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Kite flying in the West Indies particularly as a way of representing Christ's rising from the grave I GUESS....

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This is not a religious symbol but is one that means a lot to me. It symbolises the work of the human rights organisation Amnesty International and is based on the idea that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. It symbolises the importance of hope in even the most dreadful circumstances.

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This is the symbol of the Mapuche people an it represents the equilibrium of the universe. Every half circle represent an ordinal direction and each quarter represent a season of the year. This symbol is usually placed in a drum made out of cinnamon tree (a sacred tree for Mapuche people) that is used by the Machi, a traditional healer and religious figure of the tribe. According with their traditions and beliefs, this drum holds part of the spirit of the universe.

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It is a present from my parents from their holiday. It might have had a religious ulterior motive, but for me it represents the love between us. It is also related to other personal aspects within the family. I wear it very often, but yet I haven't been associated with Christianity because of this cross, since the symbol itself nowadays is often loaded with more individual values and stories; it carries polysemic message.

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Butterfly

A symbol of people changing and developing.  Also of the hope of life after death, as the chrysalis seems to be a dead thing and yet from it a beautiful new creature emerges

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For Greek Orthodoxs, eggs are painted red during Easter so to symbolise the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It also has a cultural meaning as Easter is a time when families and friends come together and 'crack' the eggs together, in addition to the red egg becoming an embedded feature of Greek history.

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Ramadan in sudan

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Darwin does it for me.
David Webb - Australia
As a former evangelical reason took over rather than emotional congregations, 'love' talk and non-science information. Mind control through restricted reading, fellowship and thinking no longer sustains. I see many of the comments amongst these stories also show some change of early inculcation of the religion we were born into.

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the cross illustrates order, stability and harmony as I grew up with it being Christian Orthodox (Greek) also doing the sign of the cross using 3 fingers. They both help me believe and get me through difficult times.

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This is a symbol that has a deep  and significant meaning in the majority of our lives.  It represents something that is worshipped religiously and something that has a huge impact on our way of life, our understanding of each other and our culture.  It has the ability to bring hope, stability, education, health and security. It has the ability to bring greed, power, destruction and evil. People are willing to sacrifice their freedom, their relationships, their very being for this strong and powerful symbol.

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This sanctuary emphasizes  the sacrificial work of Jesus prefigured in symbols in the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. According to the structure, to be forgiven, the sinner enters the gate of the sanctuary with a lamb for sacrifice;
he lays his hands to transfer his sins on the animal on the altar at the gate; the killing represents the death and surrender of the sinner
The blood is taken into the sanctuary for the forgiveness of his sins;
then the holy place or first apartment of the sanctuary represents the new life of the sinner or sanctification through prayer, Bible study and obedience too God.
The second compartment is the Most Holy place of the sanctuary ; it represent the ultimate result of communion of the repentant sinner with God through the experience of the holy place; this is called glorification. This structure is religiously important to my personal experience; it emphasizes the gradual walk of the christian in the following steps of repentance, sanctification and glorification, or how a sinner is saved and how his relationship with God is restored. This structure is related to Jewish theology of salvation, and also to the christian prefigured through those symbols in the Old Testament

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This story illustrates the irrationality of a belief in a 'benign' God. The peoples of the world (so the story goes) were living in peace and harmony, all speaking the same language. They decided to cooperate on building a tower, tall enough to reach Heaven. But God didn't like that, so he decided that the builders should all speak different languages so that they couldn't cooperate anymore and the tower wouldn't be built. Religion and conflict? looks like God created all the conflict in the first place!

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I grew up in a predominantly catholic environment, "under the church tower". I've been to catholic schools with nuns and catholic teaching until I was 16 years old. So the cross for me is a symbol for a conservative but very structured environment, that I've luckily escaped. Now the yin yang symbol speaks more to my imagination because of the balance or unbalance it stand for. This is currently marking my life.

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Well the Buddha is a symbol of pretty much everything of importance in Buddhism. While he is the epitome of the cutting edge of inner transformation, his outer role is one of serenity and equanimity. Being the originator of most - some would say all but the tradition has picked up many cultural accretions in the countries it found a foothold in - guidelines for monastic and lay lifestyles, he is seen as the source of order, stability and harmony within the Buddhist community and in its relations with society in general.

Padmasambhava is a semi-mythical character  - sometimes called the second Buddha - surrounded by stories of his confrontations with kings and demons. You might say that he represents the aspect of Buddhist practice which takes itself into the darkest places. He is quite often depicted as meditating in cremation grounds (where bodies were cremated) and his expression  is described as a wrathful smile.

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I think that the story about Adam and Eve fits both order, stablitiy and harmony, as well as struggle and destruction. It exemplifies that as long as you live by the rules that no harm will be done, hence order, stability and harmony. But if you go on the wrong path for whatever reason, bad consequences like struggle and destruction happen.

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Typical Christian behavior, in the Bible, disobeying children should be hit by rods, but I don't want to find images of this...

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Typical Christian behavior, in the Bible, disobeying children should be hit by rods, but I don't want to find images of this...

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For me, being a Christian and yes, how is it possible: also a Wicca, I would like to explain the Pentagram.

The Pentagram is a symbol of a five-pointed star (sometimes cast in a circle, called Pentacle). One point is upwards, and each point has its own meaning. The upward point of the star is representative of the spirit. The other four points all represent an element; earth, air, fire, and water. All these things are contributive to life and are a part of each of us. As long as the spirit is above ‘all matters’, there is peace, order, blessing, stabilisation and growth. A star pointing downwards means spirit subservient to matter, or man subservient to his/ hers carnal desires… well that sometimes means disorder and sometimes even worse, doesn’t it?

Although some Christians try to find some devilish in the star, if its pointed up or down, evil, or devil as they see it, has nothing to do with Wicca. (As far as I know: never was a war claimed by Wiccans, so we’re not thát evil).

And of course neither Wiccans nor Christians can frame or blame this symbol. It’s a very old symbol and you can find it in lots of countries, cultures and religions.

For me, the Pentagram means wholeness, harmony, protection, mind over matter, but also my responsibility to this earth, and with everything living on her. ( most of the Wiccans I know will recognise this) And well, on a mundane, lower level: when I stall my bicycle, I quickly draw a pentagram to protect it against theft…

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Although I respect every ideology, idiosyncrasy and all people who are agains the occupation, I think this is one of the most important modern symbols, posted in a flag and being a motive of identity under which a plethora of atrocities had been committed.

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Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi*.  the Whirling Dervishes due to our famous practice of whirling as a form of remembrance of God

Mevlana was a Muslim, His doctrine advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love. According to him and his doctrine all religions were more or less truth. He defended the muslim people's self-development.

http://mevlana.net/

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Christ tending and protecting his flock of sheep is both inclusive and exclusive. Reassuringly inclusive for the true believer, but the impression it gives is that one has to be inside 'the group - the church' for the love and protection of the Christian God. (truly wonderful mosaic from the Mausoleum Of Galla Placidia - ca 440 - CE).

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The rosary prayer that we have in the Catholic church is a kind of litany prayer which helps the christians to ask Mary to intercede for us sinners and bring peace on the earth.

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I have had the privilege of spending a week at Taize, in France. It is a centre that welcomes thousands of young men and women each year. It tries to bring about peace through enabling people from very different countries to talk together and pray together. Taize prayer is simple and very beautiful. During the singing of easy to learn chants, we light candles to bring light into darkness, and we come close together. I will always remember my visit to Taize.

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I've had the honor and privilege of being allowed to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque. Riddled with IDF and Israel Police bullet holes, the mosque is yet beautiful and calming inside. It was a most extraordinary humbling experience for me. I saw the cherished olive trees and sensed peaceful humility. Being permitted to see the underground where Crusaders stabled their horses almost a thousand years ago was stepping back in time.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the most holiest sites in Islam and the sanctity and devotion of this holy site is enveloping and moving.

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The first thing that comes into mind is the Christmas tree as a symbol. It shows harmony since families celebrate the love for each other and the peace that they live in.

Then, to me, it is also a symbol of struggle. When I was a kid we practiced for a Christmas musical. We sang a song about world peace. The next hour we would watch the news in class and we saw a war. From that moment Christmas was tough for me to understand. Why celebrating peace while there is so much wrong in this world?

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Image of the Virgin Mary for Catholics, present in many other (even older) traditions: Aset for ancient Egyptians, Isis for ancient Greeks, the Logos of Sirius. It symbolizes the feminine or magnetic principle of the universal phenomena.
For me personally it symbolizes a mother always protective, caring and loving.

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Extra ecclesiam nulla salus, a catholic dogma meaning no salvation outside the church. This can be divisive as, at the outset, it tells that the catholic church is the only church where on would be saved

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Interreligious dialogue: a tradition that has been bringing leaders of different religions to Assisi to pray for peace. A sign of unity; a possibility for collaboration and peaceful coexistence.

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Interreligious dialogue: a tradition that has been bringing leaders of different religions to Assisi to pray for peace. A sign of unity; a possibility for collaboration and peaceful coexistence.

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Pope meets with Assisi participants at the Vatican

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A day after the inter-religious gathering in Assisi, Benedict XVI again met with those who took part in the gathering. But this time, the meeting was at the Vatican. . --------------------- Suscríbete al canal: http://smarturl.it/RomeReports Visita nuestra web: http://www.romereports.com/ ROME REPORTS, www.romereports.com, is an independent international TV News Agency based in Rome covering the activity of the Pope, the life of the Vatican and current social, cultural and religious debates.

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In Judaism, the menorah has become a symbol of eternal light (being it symbolizes "eternity," it could be seen as being rather stable). The Torah states that G-d told Moses how the menorah should look, and it was housed in the First and Second Temples. The menorah was traditionally made with 7 branches, but the story of Hanukkah, in which the miraculous oil burned for 8 days while new oil was being delivered, has caused the hanukkiah (a 9-branch menorah) to be constructed for the holiday. The story of Hanukkah in itself also allows the menorah to be a symbol of struggle, as the Israelites, led by the Maccabees, won the revolt against the Selucid Greeks, who had tried to eradicate the practice of Judaism.

As the menorah has been a symbol of the Jewish people for far longer than the Star of David, I find that it speaks to my identity as a Jewish person, as well as my love of history. When I read an article about some far away archaeological discovery where an engraving of a menorah was uncovered, it is a reminder of the perseverance of Jewish culture and history.

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For Christians, the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet shows a picture of humility, servanthood and seeking to serve others.

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This image represents the eighteenth chapter of the epic "Mahabharata" It depicts the moment when the warrior Arjun is ridden by doubt and guilt after seeing his own relatives, teacher and friends assembled as enemies on the battle field. Sri Krishna, (God head personified) explains to him the meaning of love, life and death. He also explains the concept of Duty (dharma) and selfless action( nishkam karma).

This  ancient, sublime poetry is complex and addresses many issues of daily life and thought, including justice and injustice. It is a highly revered treatise which, for me and innumerable others, is a sanctuary in times of distress, doubt and dilemma.
To many it describes a way of life.

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The word namaste is commonly used throughout India, Nepal, Bangladesh, parts of ASia. IT is a Sanskrit word that literally means "bowing to you". In Hinduism the word translates to "i  bow to the divine in you". It is often used in spiritual practices such as Yoga.
It is used as a very polite way to greet friends, family and strangers as well as a way of saying goodbye. It also expresses politeness, courtesy, honour, and hospitality from one person to another.
It represents peace and respect for all those you come in contact with.