The age old debate on the horn hand symbol

I was on a Facebook site that had a picture of a Christian rocker with an old lady and they were both doing the "Long live rock" symbol to be cute (cuz when an old lady does it, it's ironic and cute).

Many comments below took the old argument of "why would Christians do the sign of the devil", etc...

This was my response - and I'd like to hear from anyone else here on the subject. What's your take/opinion/idea/conspiracy/etc ?

"I used to be staunch about these kinds of things, and very black and white on all symbols and signs... but terms change, signs change, we can't be superstitious or paranoid as believers and immediately label a simple hand gesture. Yes, as a researcher, I've learned that the symbol LaVey uses on the back of the Satanic Bible is used as "all hail satan", as it has been used by satanists and satanic musicians over the years, but like Josiah said, different cultures have used it with different meanings (such as the Texas Longhorns - the last thing on their minds at a football game is "hailing satan"). In rock music the majority of those using the symbol are innocently conveying the idea of "long live rock and roll". People may believe what they want, and again, I was once black and white about these things and used to believe if someone was using this symbol, it meant hail satan, no matter WHAT ! But we need to ask ourselves, is there a conspiracy of satan to get everyone to use the symbol to glorify him ? Or are we reading WAY too much into a hand symbol that has multiple meanings in different settings ? (As for Bill's comment on the swastika - according to my encyclopedia of symbols, the swastika does have different meanings in different cultures -I don't advocate using it anymore than I personally don't prefer to use the "horns" symbol, but ultimately, the swastika has innocent religious meaning in other cultures).
We hold the "peace" sign up here in America, but in other cultures it means different things (in London, the "peace sign" can be mistaken for the same meaning we have as "giving the finger" over here)
My overall point is, we shouldn't get so hung up on man-made symbols that carry multiple meanings. There's a certain superstition to all of this, and God doesn't want us to be superstitious."

It was James from Bloodgood btw:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=870390489637974&set=a.320169964660032.85923.100000010925056&type=1

The folks that say it is a satanic symbol are generally the ones that consider all metal "the devil's music." Dio claimed to be the one that started it, and he said his gypsy grandmother would use it as she maintained it would ward off evil, not unlike Catholics "crossing" themselves. Nothing satanic about that, just superstitious. While it is not something I would do, I don't have any trouble with others doing it.

Bingo ! Thank you Beardad for that statement of sanity... at least some people get it.

BearDad wrote:

The folks that say it is a satanic symbol are generally the ones that consider all metal "the devil's music." Dio claimed to be the one that started it, and he said his gypsy grandmother would use it as she maintained it would ward off evil, not unlike Catholics "crossing" themselves. Nothing satanic about that, just superstitious. While it is not something I would do, I don't have any trouble with others doing it.

I remember Dio saying that. 

I will say that both words and symbols change meaning over time....nearly all of them.  For instance back in the 40's the word "gay" meant something very different than it does today.  The swastika has come to symbolize Nazi terror but for hundreds of years prior to Hitler, many native cultures used the symbol to signify fertility, and the cycle of life.  Kids today seem to use the word "epic" all the time now and it doesn't seem they are using it to mean something grand or massive in scale...it looks more like a substitute for the word "cool".  Things change....maybe the "Long Live Rock" or "Devil's Horns" used to mean something sinister but I don't think that is necessarily the case anymore.  It is just a physical gesture, if people don't intend it for evil I fail to see how it can be evil.  I even see people using it in pictures who aren't even necessarily metal/rock fans.

I gotta agree with the Bear. I don't use it,  but I'm not bothered by it,  either. Kinda funny though...I've probably used it thousands of times watching Texas Longhorn football.  Does that mean they're satanic?

Many good points here. Thanks all

Sorry guys I just found irrefutable proof that the symbol is indeed evil......I will never use it again.

metaldude wrote:

I gotta agree with the Bear. I don't use it,  but I'm not bothered by it,  either. Kinda funny though...I've probably used it thousands of times watching Texas Longhorn football.  Does that mean they're satanic?

Yes, they are

A lot of people now call it the Rock Fist.  James is a goofball so he's always doing something goofy.  That picture didn't surprise me at all. 

Nicko McBrain once said:

"Don't meddle wit tings you don't understand."

Samson wrote:

Nicko McBrain once said:

"Don't meddle wit tings you don't understand."

If all men lived by that motto they'd all be single!

Samson, you're awesome.    Up the irons. 
Beardad, good point! 

I use it and I sure as hell don't worship Satan (see what I did there? lol)

Anyway, most people who have an issue with the hand gesture use wreaths and trees at Christmas, but that's a stolen pagan ritual. They also preach that we shouldn't work on Sundays but then are the first in line after church at the buffet...

Anyway, symbols and that kind of thing are what you make them.

Personally, I see no problem at all.  If you are using this as an actual Satanic ritual or rite, then I think that God would be very displeased.  Just using this as the "rock on" sign, I just don't think that He is going to send us to Hell. 

We give words, symbols, etc. more power than we should.  Sure, they kind of take on a more ominous or nefarious meaning once they have been applied to certain things, but we gave them that new meaning and then became afraid of them.  In the future, it will take on other meanings as we recycle things or even Christianize certain things.

Exactly !
Cuz doesn't this actually mean "GOAL" ?  Or can it be used as worship ?  Maybe someone's fed up  or maybe the person is being arrested
 This dude could be painting, as many painters use their thumb for dimensions and perspective, measuring it against their subject  or perhaps he just hit it with a hammer  (it is particularly huge!)
Just so, this dude could be a Texas Longhorns fan  or a rocker sayin' "ROCK ON !! METAL FOREVER !!"
And this dude is laughing at my post =

 Thinks guy is wondering if you could have used more smilies in your post!  


(that's just me laughing at my a lame joke/post that will likely only make me laugh....but that's all that really matters)

You got THAT right !

It is clearly a satanic symbol and something all Christians should avoid completely lest it give Satan a foothold in your life.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Exactly !
Cuz doesn't this actually mean "GOAL" ?  Or can it be used as worship ?  Maybe someone's fed up  or maybe the person is being arrested
 This dude could be painting, as many painters use their thumb for dimensions and perspective, measuring it against their subject  or perhaps he just hit it with a hammer  (it is particularly huge!)
Just so, this dude could be a Texas Longhorns fan  or a rocker sayin' "ROCK ON !! METAL FOREVER !!"
And this dude is laughing at my post =

 Touchdown!

messiaen77 wrote:

It is clearly a satanic symbol and something all Christians should avoid completely lest it give Satan a foothold in your life.

Well played.  I wonder if anyone else will catch the irony.

Staybrite wrote:

messiaen77 wrote:

It is clearly a satanic symbol and something all Christians should avoid completely lest it give Satan a foothold in your life.

Well played.  I wonder if anyone else will catch the irony.

Probably.  I enjoy being in a place where sarcasm isn't a dead language.

messiaen77 wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

messiaen77 wrote:

It is clearly a satanic symbol and something all Christians should avoid completely lest it give Satan a foothold in your life.

Well played.  I wonder if anyone else will catch the irony.

Probably.  I enjoy being in a place where sarcasm isn't a dead language.

Like conservatism these days? 

messiaen77 wrote:

It is clearly a satanic symbol and something all Christians should avoid completely lest it give Satan a foothold in your life.

I agree. Now leave me alone whilst I gossip and eat too much...