Why is the pentagram symbolize devil worshippingwhen the original use was to symbolize the five wounds of jesus?
The simplest answer to this is that you'll notice the pentagram
used by "satanists" is upside down and therefore needs to be seen
as opposite its correct meaning. Most simply a "good" symbol
corrupted into an "evil" one.
However, for a more complex and truthful meaning one really
needs to look at the facts and history of the pentagram/pentacle.
This symbol has been dated back all the way to3500 B.C (approx.
3460 years before Christ was born!). It was used in ancient
Mesopotamia where it meant "heavenly body" which back then did not
just mean god or savior but the sky as well (both day and night).
After all, ancient Mesopotamians believed in a whole slew of
gods/goddesses very similar to that of the Egyptians.
The use of the pentagram does not end there either. The
Pythagoreans of Greece would oftentimes use the symbol as a means
of recognizing one another (roughly from about 500bc to the time of
Christ).
The pentagram/pentacle was also used in various parts of the
world (with just slight variations) during the years before and
after Christ. These variations included it being just the star, the
star disconnected from the circle, the circle being a pentagon, the
star being "mishapen" and even the star being upside down which
appeared in some temples of Jerusalem.
The symbol was even used on coins from around 500 bc as a
talisman for health and good luck.
The symbol as been found on ancient Egyptian statues as
well.
The druids used it as a symbol meaning the 4 common elements and
supreme being, and how they all intertwine.
After the death of Christ the symbol was adopted to take on the
meaning of the 5 wounds. Afterwhich the church began its1800 year
persecution of the earlier nature based religions and claimed that
the use of the pentacle by witches was that of satanic worship. One
of the reasons that the symbol isn't commonly used by the
christians is that it may have been seen in the wrong context by
the church due to the church using it to rout out witchcraft.
During the "burning times" the symbol went unused in Europe due
to widespread fear of its implications. The "burning times" began
around 1300 when many laws and bulls were created to allow for the
trial and persecution of witches and lasted until late 1700's/early
1800's when the last of these laws and bulls were finally ammended.
Although the worst of these occured between 1550 and 1650 when the
frenzy and fear was at its highest. Even through all this the
symbol was still seen from time to time in other regions farther
east and in judaism.
The symbol began poppinig up in America during the early 1800's
after the church and government began repealing and ammending
certain laws and bulls. During the ealry 1900's a popular
resurgence in naturism and the occult began which paved the way for
the symbol to once again pop up and start being commonly used. In
1936 Gerald Gardner was introduced and initiated into one of the
surviving groups of a nature based religion and from that he
created wicca.
Ultimately the symbol is just that a symbol. Depending on what
you believe in the symbols meaning can change. The vast overall
concensus is in the religious significance and that its meaning is
that of good. Even to the satanists who use it the meaning is that
of a free spirit and centering upon oneself and the desires of
oneself.
*** Most of the facts used herein were pulled from
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/pentagram.HTML
http://www.summerlands.com/crossroads/remembrance/burning.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanism
On an important note please remember that satanism and nature
based religion ARE NOT THE SAME!! Nor is Satanism evil except by
those who make it so. It is confusion of that sort which leads to
persecution and bloodshed.
Tolerance websites:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/
http://www.beliefnet.com ----> very good website with
accurate information on ALL religions!!
http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa052003a.htm
http://www.spiritwatch.org/sattruth.htm ----> Very good
article explaining some of the common urban legends regarding
satanism and the history of satanism.
