Icons are not significant

I have recently realized that most religious symbols have little or no significance.  When one travels around the USA, one sees pictures of George Washington everywhere, the Lord of America’s civic religion.  In England, one sees the Queen everywhere.  In Myanmar, Buddha.  In Italy, the Madonna.  As a youngster, you assume these icons are significant.  As you mature, you begin to understand that people merely want a familiar icon.  A familiar icon marks a part of the world as being safe, or at least less disturbing.  A picture of the Queen does not signify that the owner is a monarchist.  A statue of Buddha does not signify that the owner is Buddhist.  An image of the Madonna does not signify that the owner is Catholic.

I used to think that these icons were an obstacle to peace: threatening signs of us versus them conflicts that could escalate to war.  Now I know they are no more significant than a photo of one’s cousins, easily overlooked when a strange neighbor comes offering friendship.