Just some quick questions on the christian fish symbol

[hard_2_take_in]

I recently heard some ppl complaining on the radio how some ppl displayed their fish bumper sticker the wrong way round - I never knew there was a right / left way if u kno what I mean? So why is it supposed to be pointing to the left?
And while I'm on it - who thought of the symbol anyway? I can see where the idea comes from thats obviuos but interested in the symbols background

Be very grateful if anyone can be bothered to answer

Cheers

 

[jbarcher]

I'm not sure about the direction or who made it popular...

I've always seen it pointing to the left, though. It might be because, if you put "Jesus" inside it...English reads left to right, so it "looks better"...just speculating.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

Well... back in the early EARLY stages of Christianity, there was much persecution for those who were found out to be a Christian. You could be beaten, have your flesh torn by flogging, disowned, kicked out of the temple, etc. etc. It was socially not a good thing to be. But irregardless, the Christians who remained in secrecy developed a symbol to determine whether one was a Christian or not. You'll notice how the ichthus (that's the name of the Jesus fish - and also the greek word for fish) as a symbol can be formed by drawing two curved lines. An early Christian would casually draw one of the curved lines in the ground or flour or sand or something. If the other person completed the fish then they each knew that the other was a Christian, but had said nothing aloud to alert anyone.The sign was chosen because of Jesus Christ's words:

Matthew 4:19
And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

And the direction of it doesn't matter. It stand for what it stands for either way it's facing.

 

[Svt4Him]

He might be talking about is if it has the greek letters in it.

 

[pmarquette]

ichthus .... anagram for Jesus Christ son of God savior

Matthew 25.32-42 will separate the sheep to the " right " .. saved ; and the
goats to the " left " ... lost ; evidently had icthus on left side of car v's
right side .... no biggie ...

 

[pmarquette]

here's a couple of links :
http://www.icthus4men.org.uk/html/icthus_and_jesus.html
http://www.ewtn.org/library/HOMELIBR/06083A.TXT
http://www.living-spring.com/logo.htm

 

[theseed]

I agree