The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-06
FAMOUS SYMBOLS OF
RELIGIOUS BELIEF
connecting Links Between
Old and New Faiths
Long History of Fish.

The fish has been for centuries a
most sacred symbol of Christianity.
We have found 1t again and again in
the catacombs of Rome. where 1t is
assumed to be an evidence OF Chris
tian faith, and what in addition is in
teresting and instructive is the coin
cidence that the symbol of the fish
IS quite frequently associated in pag-
anism and in Christianity with the
symbol Of the dove.
Just as Lucian speaks Of the sacred
mess OF these two creatures in one
and the same sentence, and as the fish
and the bird appear together on funer-
airy basins in China so few find them
says the Open Court magazine, often
represented side by side on one and
Christians.
Christianity did not flash upon man.
3tind in a finished state. 1t grew and
adapted itself rapidly, but step by
step. In a normal process of evolution.
It's sacred symbols, the cross, the
lamb and the fishh wer not ready
made. and the type OF the Christ ideal
in art remained undecided for many
centuries.
It seems quite probable that for
while the pagan beliefs fingered with
the Christians, who chung to the old
customs as much as they cherished
the new Interpretation that had been
dear to them. The more clearly Chris
tian doctrines became defined the few
er were the pagan elements retained,
and those symbols alone continued in
use which In one way or another had
adapted themselves to the new reli-
gion.
This Is best seen in the fish. The
fish was dear to Christians before they
knew why. Christians were compar-
ed to the fish, and this Is accidentally
done in the Gospels. Many of the
Apostles were fishermen, and Jesus
promises that they shall become fish
ers of men. In the same connection
the kingdom of Heaven is compared to
a net Matt. kill. 40. The Jonah
story 10 remembered in its symbol.
cal meaning with reference to immor-
tally Matt. xiii. 40; Luke XII, 32);
further we read in the Gospels of fish
meals taken in mystical. almost sac
ramental, way, with miraculous multi
plication of food. as also after the res
direction Of Christ in John xxi, pas
sage where 1t Is told that fish are
roasted on Goals and eaten.
The similarity between Christian
and pagan symbols can scarcely be
accidental, and we become more and
- 4.
ton by observing that among the
tombstones containing the symbols of
the dove, and especially of the fish.
there are many which must be regard
ed az doubtful. while some are un-
eQuivocally pagan and at least one is
jewish. Accordingly we have a con-
Meeting link between paganism and
Christianity. and the popularity Is
that in all cases the fish serves as a
symbol of immortality and Is there
fore especially used in connection with
funeral ceremonies. - v....
We see In the monuments OF an.
Client Babylonians that the priests at
the sickbed engaged in keeping away
the goddess of death are dressed in
fish skins. presumably in commem-
Grafton Of Cannes or Odaken. which
indicates that the dead have to become
fish like Cannes in order to pass to-
gether with the setting sun through
the ocean Of deaf and thus survive
this dangerous state of transition.
A crossing Of the ocean becomes the
symbol of the conquest of death, and
thus the ship has in the same sense as
the fish become symbol of salvation.
We find the emblems of the ship in
the most ancient tombs of the Medi-
terraneean races and the Teutons in
ancient times preferred to be buried
In the boats. We have reason to
believe that some of these boats were
never used In the water but had been
made for the purpose of burial, which
goes far to prove that the underlying
idea of religious or a smbolic char
acter.
The church Is commonly represent