Gays, Fish & Catholics

There's a knarly public debate going on about the Los Angeles Archdiocese updating the Christian fish symbol to include the rainbow colors, which are used to represent gay pride. Their website is very open about their mission in being inclusive for every person and their faith communities.

One article, and there are many, gives a lot of space to the Biblical Family Advocates' response.

What I find most interesting is the rainbow fish symbol has been used for years...and years for Christian gays and lesbians. The open and affirming churches who make the commitment and proactive decision to participate in gay pride marches every June usually are wearing the pins, and proudly, whether they are gay or straight. As they see there's no difference between the two in their perspective, in their eyes, just like God's. God made us all, end of story. It's not more complicated than that and I still am so very puzzled at the energy, the anger, the money, the hate, the control, the pain that is aggressively utilized to make it more complicated.

I used to teach a media theory class at a California University. I loved it. The discussions we'd have...wow. One idea we'd talk about in depth is the use of master symbols. Master Symbols are things, ideas, objects, images that when used over and over again in a controlled context, establish and stabilize an emotional relationship, allegiance and obedience from people.

Here's an example. What comes to your mind first when I write "nazi". The swastika on a German flag? Hitler? What about the emotions you're feeling? Usually, there's immediate distaste, a sinking feeling in our gut, maybe a rise in heart rate, a scowl on our face...different physical manifestations expressing how feel inside.

So, the fish symbol, as described in the linked article, comes from the Greek word "ixthys" which is an acronym for Jesus Christ is God. I'm sure you've seen the stickers or magnet fish on the back of minivans and SUV's, maybe you've even seen the offshoots of an animal eating the fish as a means to express evolution instead of creationism as the world's beginning.

With the contextual repetition of the fish symbol in Christian and Catholic circles, the value was formed of that segment of society as owning its use and meaning. They defend their permission of free speech to use it as well. When the Darwinists pollute it or apparently the gay community, it's some form of disgrace. As if to say, the usage of the symbol is more important than the people expressing through it. They are allowed to use it and control its meaning, it's for no one else to touch and/or have a different opinion.

It's indicative of the whole debate of religion and spirituality. That religion is more important than the person. The how something is expressed is more important than the who and the what.

The bottom line I used to say to the class is, ultimately, in this example, the fish on the minivan is nothing more than plastic and adhesive. It's only as valuable as we claim it to be. To a retailer of a Christian bookstore, the sticker's value is $2.99. To the Biblical Family Advocates, it's more valuable than human beings wanting to live as how God created them.

I often do motivation checks on myself, making sure I act only out of integrity. When a thing becomes more important than a human being, it's time to chill and do some surrendering to God. There's a lesson there for me to learn and I'm forever a student on this path of life, learning every day.

Congrats to the LA Archdiocese, I'm proud of them for getting the lesson and living out loud, Christ-like.