Anti-Defamation League names Celtic Cross as racist symbol

[Sumwear]

Isn't the problem that racists are associating their racism with their Celtic-ness via the Celtic cross, not that ADL is seeing that racists are doing so? I mean, there are legitimate uses of the Celtic cross (e.g., to decorate a bible, as another person pointed out, or to wear as a tattoo if you are an Irish Catholic or what have you), and there are illegitimate uses (e.g., to signify your racist views to other racists). The cross itself does not become racist just because racists use it, yet there are racist uses of the cross. This is really no different than how the KKK burn crosses to intimidate people and such. The cross itself remains the ultimate tool and symbol of Christ's victory over death, but some people see it wrongly and associate it with other things. I highly doubt that the ADL, being a Jewish organization, sincerely cares about its correct use and symbolism, but that's where Christians should be coming in and saying "No! This racist use of the cross will not be allowed to overshadow its true meaning!"

There are still some countries in the world, believe it or not, where the cross still retains only its religious meaning (e.g., Egypt, Lebanon), so you don't find other people taking it in this way. But in Western countries, we have for some stupid reason allowed racists and hip hoppers and all kinds of other people take our most precious sign and use it for whatever reason they feel like. Fashion, racism, whatever. It ought not be this way, and I can think of no better group to condemn than any neo-Nazi types who use the Celtic cross, or any other type of the cross, to signify their hateful ideologies. Even the fact that anyone with a pre-existing religious attachment to the Celtic Cross should have to explain that no, they are not racist by having one, shows that we have allowed racists to associate it with their racism for too long. No one should look at a cross and think "racism", but because racists have used it unabated for decades, this is the situation we are in in the Western world. It's sick, really. Our societies are spiritually sick.

problem is they use all sort of celtic symbols. not just the cross. reason being that celts are considered a pure white race. however, white supremacists have latched onto various symbols from various geographical locations - mostly from germanic and nordic areas - that have been used centuries prior and had nothing to do with the white cause. no better example of this is a swastika. even when not tilted, jainists, buddhists, and hindus get flack from some people over it, even though it has been associated with luck for more than 10 millennia before hitler hijacked it.

 

[Anhelyna]

I have a neck cross that is a celtic cross and superimposed on it is a 3 bar cross .

I think I"d better use that one now instead of the one my GodPapa gave me

 

[Rhamiel]

here is the racist symbol in question
like I said, I think it looks more like the scope on a gun rather then a celtic cross
and this symbol has been used by racists all over the world for over a decade

 

[Sword of the Lord]

here is the racist symbol in question
like I said, I think it looks more like the scope on a gun rather then a celtic cross
and this symbol has been used by racists all over the world for over a decade

Yeah it does. That's not even a Celtic Cross. This is (my Bible):

And this:

Not that thing that doesn't even resemble a typical Christian Cross.

 

[dzheremi]

problem is they use all sort of celtic symbols. not just the cross. reason being that celts are considered a pure white race. however, white supremacists have latched onto various symbols from various geographical locations - mostly from germanic and nordic areas - that have been used centuries prior and had nothing to do with the white cause. no better example of this is a swastika. even when not tilted, jainists, buddhists, and hindus get flack from some people over it, even though it has been associated with luck for more than 10 millennia before hitler hijacked it.

Yes. Hence the point of my post: The problem is that people are hijacking perfectly benign symbols and imbuing them with racist ideology, not that other people (in this case, the ADL) are noticing that this is happening. Several posts in this thread seem like they're saying "That darn ADL; it's full of Jews, so what do you expect?", when really a better response would be "Those darn racists/Nazis; let's do what we can do to counteract the association they've wrongly forged between our benign symbol and their racism".

 

[Rhamiel]

I do not have a problem with the stormfront stylized cross being counted as a racist symbol

but what does that mean? to have something listed as a racist symbol?

 

[seekingsolace]

The stormfront cross I would attribute to Nazis, but I see no reason to relate it in any form to the standard Celtic cross.

it all seems a bit absurd. We didn't do away with the cross because of the Crusades.

 

[Poor Beggar]

it goes further than that. anything considered bad gets scorned nowadays because someone gets frazzled very easily. that's why people claim they get triggered, a few colleges and universities give these break rooms for students when they get upset over a subject matter that is being taught, and anything that is upsetting overall should be outright banned. I wish this was hyperbole but this is the new sentiment springing up among people.

These break rooms are a real thing? I thought that was made up. Oh dear....

 

[fat wee robin]

White supremacists also use clovers and all matters of Celtic symbolism. Why not just deem 'Celtic' synonymous to 'racist'

Maybe they'll come out with a clover specific weed killer?

ADL should just be exterminated. They are the perpetuators of exactly what they claim to want to get rid of.

But they don't want rid of Racism , they wish to create it . Divide and rule ,they are anarchists.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

"The US Anti-Defamation League has named the Celtic Cross as one of the racist symbols used around the world to promote hate in their online Hate Symbols Database.

The ADL believes that white supremacist versions of the Celtic Cross, otherwise known as Odin’s Cross, Sun Cross, or Wheel Cross, have become some of the most important and widely used symbols of white supremacists. The cross consists of a square cross interlocking with or surrounded by a circle."

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Anti-Defamation-League-names-Celtic-Cross-as-racist-symbol.html

If we read the artice closely, the ADL states that 1 version or rendering of a Celtic cross is used by Racist groups. It did not say that the "Celtic" Cross is racist. They are many many version and types of Celtic crosses. I love Celtic crosses. I Wear an Irish Penal cross around my neck.

I think the ADL's message is being misrepresented.

 

[frenchdefense]

to play devils advocate
when I visited Italy back in 2004, I saw some graffiti around Rome
I did not think of it as a "Celtic cross"
to me it looked more like the crosshairs
you know, like the scope on a rifle?

This thing right? That's a Sun Cross, not a symbol of white superiority but it used by them as such

 

[AHH who-stole-my-name]

Sounds like another attack on traditional Catholic/Christian symbols by associating them with fringe hate groups.

How long until the normal cross is labeled a "hate symbol"?

No, It sounds like another so-called civil rights group is has ran out of stuff to screw with.

You can't get rid of hate by banning symbols or targeting them for certain meanings. The people who do that chase after those who hate but never catch them because they are concentrating on symbol which those who hate are free to chose at their own whim.

 

[Tallguy88]

If we read the artice closely, the ADL states that 1 version or rendering of a Celtic cross is used by Racist groups. It did not say that the "Celtic" Cross is racist. They are many many version and types of Celtic crosses. I love Celtic crosses. I Wear an Irish Penal cross around my neck.

I think the ADL's message is being misrepresented.

Maybe. But it doesn't really serve a purpose to label symbols as racist. I mean, white nationalists use symbols from white cultures, so effectively, the ADL is conceding to the racists that these white heritage symbols are racist.

Maybe I'm just gun shy after seeing how they've done with the Southern Cross and tried to do with the Fleur de Lis in New Orleans.

 

[frenchdefense]

I can't hardly wait until the ADL says something about the Iran Deal.

 

[William67]

I know not everyone here is from the US, but here, even what people call "hate speech" is protected by the US Constitution. As long as you aren't trying to get people to commit acts of violence against other people, you can pretty much say or wear anything you wish. If someone tries to stop you, that is a violation of your Civil Rights.

 

[Albion]

If it hasn't been said by someone else, it might be worth noting that the true Celtic Cross and the crosses used by the KKK as shown and other militants are not identical. Although any cross that has a circle around the point where the arms come together is often called a "Celtic Cross," the true Celtic Cross has arms that flare towards the ends, usually with a much longer lower arm, and has that unique "cut out" look where the arms are inside the circle. The ADL article seems intentionally to "fudge" over these differences, as though the writers really do know the difference but didn't want to admit to it.

 

[AHH who-stole-my-name]

I do not have a problem with the stormfront stylized cross being counted as a racist symbol

but what does that mean? to have something listed as a racist symbol?

It means that those people who react, rather than think, who jump to conclusions based on their own need to be needed will call you out on using it and name you a racist for associating yourself and any others with it.

 

[Sumwear]

Yes. Hence the point of my post: The problem is that people are hijacking perfectly benign symbols and imbuing them with racist ideology, not that other people (in this case, the ADL) are noticing that this is happening. Several posts in this thread seem like they're saying "That darn ADL; it's full of Jews, so what do you expect?", when really a better response would be "Those darn racists/Nazis; let's do what we can do to counteract the association they've wrongly forged between our benign symbol and their racism".

who says people haven't spoken out? that still doesn't negate that people shouldn't be quick to deem something as racist because a hate group uses it. because if you go down that route, then you're prone to claiming things like shamrocks, four leaf clovers, crosses [any kind], country flags, eagles, and all those other symbols from various ancient and current beliefs as being racist.

These break rooms are a real thing? I thought that was made up. Oh dear....

you better believe it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/...s-have-spread-blogs-college-classes-thats-bad

 

[classicalhero]

Yes. Hence the point of my post: The problem is that people are hijacking perfectly benign symbols and imbuing them with racist ideology, not that other people (in this case, the ADL) are noticing that this is happening. Several posts in this thread seem like they're saying "That darn ADL; it's full of Jews, so what do you expect?", when really a better response would be "Those darn racists/Nazis; let's do what we can do to counteract the association they've wrongly forged between our benign symbol and their racism".

Before the NAZIs the swastika was a perfectly benign symbol.

 

[Poor Beggar]

who says people haven't spoken out? that still doesn't negate that people shouldn't be quick to deem something as racist because a hate group uses it. because if you go down that route, then you're prone to claiming things like shamrocks, four leaf clovers, crosses [any kind], country flags, eagles, and all those other symbols from various ancient and current beliefs as being racist.



you better believe it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/...s-have-spread-blogs-college-classes-thats-bad

And then these people will go into the workplace and the military and we will have to deal with them. I hope I get a break room to help me cope.