Christians have taken back the rainbow

[slartibartfastsbeard]

A friend sent me a photo of a rainbow that she had drawn and was going to put up in her window. In the message she said that one good thing had come from this virus - Christians have taken back the rainbow again. I asked her to clarify what she meant and she said it has been taken back from the "LGTs whatever" people.

I wanted to say that I thought that was the most unchristian sentence I'd ever read but held my tongue. I always think of Jesus' teachings being about kindness and tolerance to all people no matter what their status and situation in life. I think of him as being a champion of the underdog and someone who would be pleased that the rainbow is being used as a symbol of hope for a group which has historically been persecuted (although I do wonder if he would struggle with some of the sub groups that have developed over the last few years).

Does anyone else feel that the rainbow has been misappropriated by the LGBTQ movement since the 1970's?

if you use a rainbow on anything, it is assumed to be LGBT,

Only by idiots. Lots of organisations adopt things as their symbol, but they don't own them.

In many countries the rainbow is actually a sign of peace and at one point, was used by protesters against going to war in the middle east, in this country.

People can adopt it for whatever they choose. But ultimately, it's a sign of only one thing, that light is being refracted thru water. That's it. Very dull and mundane, but quite beautiful.

How very Christian-like of them

A truly awful thing to say. Your friend's attitude doesn't uprise me at all. Some of the most territorial people I have met have claimed to be religious and of higher moral standing then "heathens" like me. I don't use the word by the way, but I've heard it being thrown around in different forms by people of different religions - infidel, kafir, non-believer, gentile, etc.etc. Always a judgement, always said with a superior air

I've done a bit of reading since my OP and discovered that the Australian Aborigines have a rainbow snake god. Cave drawings found which are around 10,000 years old which is a good few thousand years before Noah. Rainbows play a part in just about all religions and civilisations.

I'm atheist now but am interested in the similarities in world religions and mythology.

I daren't tell my friend that Christians and Muslims, being Abrahamic offshoots, I think worship the same God. Actually, I'd love to bring it up to see her reaction. But I won't.

Paint the whole world with a rainbow!

This was already on the feminism section saying the NHS has taken it back from LGBT.
It's a rainbow! It's owned by no one.

This was already on the feminism section saying the NHS has taken it back from LGBT.

Well to be precise I think the feeling was that it was becoming associated with a very specific part of the LGBT community so people who had previously felt the rainbow flag represented them had begun to regard it as something unpleasant.

What donquixotedelamancha said.

You're "friend" sounds awful.

Gay christian here, and as others have said, I only associate the rainbow stripes with LGBT. I don't t associate the rain 'bow' with LGBT stuff at all.
Just tend to think 'Oh that's nice'..... unless it's acutally in the sky, and then I am reminded of God.
But a rainbow in a window or on a notebook...... just a rainbow.

Your "friend" is intolerant and bigoted.

I see a rainbow flag and think of it's association with the LGBT+ community but I also love the rainbow pictures children are drawing. I love to see kids creativity anyway. I have never associated it with Christianity, at least, not like the cross etc. No-one "owns" the rainbow.

I'm a Christian and she's a dick.

PorpentiaScamander "Rainbows belong to gay Christians who work for the NHS obviously." I love that. Thank you.

I do find it mildly irritating that when people see rainbows on anything they say "oh nice LGBT-friendly "... Er no it's got nothing to do with that, I just like rainbows!

I agree. Rainbows don't belong to any one group, they are for us all to enjoy.

My rainbow baby is four now! I tried to sit him in the window to support the NHS but he kept getting down. 🤷‍♀️

Yes. I do.

Rainbowns are lovely but anything with the bright rainbow colours seem to make a massive political statement! And I just don't feel comfortable with that. Many years ago I saw on promotion a set of tealights in the colour of the rainbow (i was a teenaget back then ok?......) and well it stayed in the shop....

Now I have kids and I have the same feeling. Fun rainbow colours are for kids not for political statements.

It's a symbol of the diversity I get it but I do think that somebody has the ability to come up with an amazing logo.

Fun rainbow colours are for whoever wants them.

When I was young the rainbow was where leprechauns kept their gold.
When I was a older it was a sign of LGBT.
Now it seems the NHS have claimed it.

I dont get why Christians want it, what has it got to do with Jesus, unless he was gay? Surely in the bible the rainbow is a reminder of when their leader committed genocide! Why would anyone want to celebrate that?

I dont get why Christians want it, what has it got to do with Jesus, unless he was gay

Don't be daft. Jesus was a normal bloke with long hair; in a long dress robe; who hung out with a lot of men, one of whom he 'loved in a special way'; enjoyed showing off his magical skills and throwing dinner parties; was very close to his mother and never had a girlfriend.

He definitely wasn't gay.

Unfortunately I have heard this from other Christians. It tends to be the 'black and white' thinkers who repeat what they hear and don't really think through the consequences nor the veracity of what they are saying. Its also unfortunate because when they say things like this they really have no idea that they are being hurtful and mypoic with a side dish of arrogance.

donquixotedelamancha 👍🏼

I always associate it with Greenpeace. They used it as a logo and their boat was The Rainbow Warrior