Learn the meaning behind each religious emblem of belief for U.S. military headstones to aid in writing individual narratives.
As I have been writing narratives about individuals who served in the military during the Civil War, WWI and WWII, Koren and later, I have been interested in learning more about the headstone engravings and symbols that have been used for the branch of service, believes and more. Each emblem of belief on military headstones has been significant to help find information related to telling their personal story. I have used the information as clues to finding individual military records, church records, learn more about their religious beliefs, church affiliation and other insights.
This article is devoted to providing the background and meaning for each religious emblem of belief found on military headstones that the National Cemetery Administration has engraved. I hope the content will jump-start your understanding of your research associated with individuals you want to learn more about.
You will note that all the information provided about each emblem of belief comes from other sources to which I have linked. According to the administration1, an emblem of belief is defined as
“An emblem of belief for inscription on a Government headstone or marker is an emblem or symbol that represents the sincerely held belief of the decedent that constituted a religion or the functional equivalent of religion and was believed and accepted as true by that individual during his or her life. The belief represented by an emblem need not be associated with or endorsed by a group or organization. Emblems of belief for inscription on Government headstones and markers do not include social, cultural, ethnic, civic, fraternal, trade, commercial, political, professional or military emblems.”
You will find that most symbols are of the deceased’s practice or affiliated religion. Several symbols, however, are representative of a personal statement. The Landing Eagle, for example, represents Freedom. The Sandhill Crane is a symbol of peace or as being one with land, water and sky. To Christians, the Pomegranate represents life and eternal life. The Veterans Administration must approve all symbols for military headstones for use.
The following emblems are publicized as available for government headstones and markers as of February 2021. A process is in place to consider approving additional religious or belief system emblems requested by the families of individuals eligible for these headstones and markers.
01 Latin (Christian) Cross
What is Western Christianity?
Western Christianity is one of two sub-divisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as Independent Catholicism and Restorationism. The large majority of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians are Western Christians (about 2 billion – 1.2 billion Latin Catholic and 800 million Protestant) …Source >
What is the meaning of the emblem of belief on military headstones?
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus, is the best-known symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix and the more general family of cross symbols…Source >
02 Buddhist (Wheel of Righteousness)
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is the world’s fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha (born Siddhārtha Gautama in the 5th or 4th century BCE) and resulting interpreted philosophies.…Source >
What is the meaning of the Buddhist (Wheel of Righteousness) emblem?
The dharma wheel symbolizes the teachings of Buddha, who prompted followers to think of it as the “wheel of transformation.” Displayed on the flag of India, the eight spokes on the wheel represent the eight teachings set out by Buddha. The motion of the wheel represents rapid spiritual change and rebirth, an important lesson of Buddhism. The middle of the wheel is the hub, which represents stability and moral discipline. The rim represents training in concentration, which holds everything together…Source >
03 Judaism (Star of David)
What is Judaism?
Judaism the term itself is of Anglo-Latin origin c. 1400 is an Abrahamic primarily ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Children of Israel. It encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization…Source >
What is the meaning for the Judaism (Star of David) emblem?
The six points on the Jewish Star of David serve to protect Jews from six directions: North, South, East, West, up, and down. Some believe the triangles, displayed in blue on the Israeli flag, represent the relationship between God and the Jewish people. No matter what the technical meaning, the Star of David symbolizes a relationship, whether it is with God, a struggle within the self, or with outside forces…Source >
04 Presbyterian Cross
What is Presbyterianism?
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism which traces its origins to the British Isles. Presbyterian churches derive their name from the presbyterian form of church government, which is governed by representative assemblies of elders. Many Reformed churches are organized this way, but the word “Presbyterian”, when capitalized, is often applied uniquely to the churches that trace their roots to the Scottish and English churches that bore that name and English political groups that formed during the English Civil War…Source >
What is the meaning of the Presbyterian Cross emblem?
By using the “empty” Cross, or Cross of the resurrection, Presbyterians emphasize the resurrection and that Christ is not continually dying but died once and is alive for all eternity. Some Presbyterian church buildings are often decorated with a cross that has a circle around the center or Celtic Cross.…Source >
05 Russian Orthodox Cross
What is the Russian Orthodox Church?
The Russian Orthodox Church, alternatively legally known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The Primate of the ROC is the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’. The ROC, as well as its primate, officially ranks fifth in the Orthodox order of precedence, immediately below the four ancient patriarchates of the Greek Orthodox Church: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem…Source >
What is the meaning of the Russian Orthodox Cross emblem?
The Russian Orthodox Cross differs from the Western Cross. The Cross usually has three crossbeams, two horizontal and the third one is a bit slanted. The top bar symbolizes the sign that was hung above the head of Christ; it was written: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” The middle bar was where Christ’s hands were nailed. The lower bar is the footrest. According to the Russian Orthodox tradition, the feet are depicted as being nailed not at one point but individually at the two sides of the footrest. The slanted line reminds us of the two thieves on both sides of the Cross. One of them to the right of Christ ascended to Heaven, while the other one sank to Hell. Thus bottom bar of the Cross is like the scale of justice, and its points show the way to Hell and Heaven…Source >
06 Lutheran Cross
What is Lutheranism?
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther (1483-1546) — a German friar, ecclesiastical reformer and theologian. Luther’s efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation in the German-speaking territories of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, Lutheranism is one of the largest denominations of Protestantism. With approximately 80 million adherents, it constitutes the third most common Protestant denomination after historically Pentecostal denominations and Anglicanism…Source >
What is the meaning of the Lutheran Cross emblem?
The Luther rose, aka Luther seal, is a universal symbol of the Lutheran faith. It was a special coat of arms designed by Church founder Martin Luther. The circular seal features an open white rose with a red heart center on a blue background with a yellow border. The red heart has a black cross inside of it. Many Lutheran cross designs include the rose shield.… Source >
07 Episcopal Cross
What is the Episcopal Church?
The Episcopal Church (TEC), based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Christian denomination and is divided into nine provinces. Meaning of the symbol-The nine cross-crosslets or Jerusalem crosses represent the nine dioceses that convened in Philadelphia in 1789 when the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church was adopted with its House of Bishops and House of Clerical and Lay Deputies and the Book of Common Prayer…Source >
What is the meaning of the Episcopal Cross emblem?
The nine cross-crosslets or Jerusalem crosses represent the nine dioceses convened in Philadelphia in 1789 when the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church was adopted with its House of Bishops and House Clerical and Lay Deputies and the Book of Common Prayer. The nine cross-crosslets are set in the form of a St. Andrew’s Cross in memory of the fact that to avoid swearing allegiance to the British Crown, Bishop-elect Samuel Seabury of Connecticut had to go to Scotland to be consecrated by Scottish bishops…Source >
08 Unitarian Church/Unitarian Universalist Association
What is Unitarian Universalism?
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion characterized by a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning”. The Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church does not have a creed. Instead, UUs are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth. As such, UU congregations include many agnostics, theists, and atheists among their membership. The roots of UU are in liberal Christianity, specifically Unitarianism and Universalism. Unitarian Universalists state that from these traditions comes a deep regard for intellectual freedom and inclusive love, so that congregations and members seek inspiration and derive insight from all major world religions…Source >
What is the meaning of the Unitarian Church emblem?
A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot) is a primary symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition. Many of our congregations kindle a flaming chalice in gatherings and worships and feature the chalice symbol prominently.… Source >
09 United Methodist Church
What is the United Methodist Church?
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelicalism. The present denomination was founded in 1968 in Dallas, Texas, by the union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church…Source >
What is the meaning of the United Methodist Church emblem?
The Cross and flame is the official symbol of the United Methodist Church since 1968. The resulting insignia is rich in meaning. It relates The United Methodist Church to God through Christ (Cross) and the Holy Spirit (flame). The flame is a reminder of Pentecost when witnesses were unified by the power of the Holy Spirit and saw “tongues, as of fire” (Acts 2:3).…Source >
10 Aaronic Order Church
What is the Aaronic Order Church?
The House of Aaron, less commonly known as the Aaronic Order or The Order of Aaron, is a religious sect that believes they are descendants of Aaron and believe in the Aaronic writings. The sect is centered in Eskdale, Utah, a small farming community in Millard County, with additional branches in Partoun and Murray, Utah.…Source >
What is the meaning of the Aaronic Order Church emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
11 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Angel Moroni)
What is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original Church founded by Jesus Christ…Source >
What is the meaning of the Angel Moroni emblem?
The Angel Moroni is an angel whom Joseph Smith reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, buried in the hill Cumorah near Smith’s home in western New York; Latter-Day Saints believe the plates were the source material for the Book of Mormon. An essential figure in the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, Moroni is featured prominently in Mormon architecture and art.…Source >
12 Native American Church of North America
What is the Native American Church?
The Native American Church (NAC), also known as Peyotism and Peyote Religion, is a Native American religion that teaches a combination of traditional Native American beliefs and Christianity, with sacramental use of the entheogen peyote. The religion originated in the Oklahoma Territory (1890-1907) in the late nineteenth century, after peyote was introduced to the southern Great Plains from Mexico, also tepee or teepee and often called a lodge in older English writings, is a tent, traditionally made of animal skins upon wooden poles. Modern tipis usually have a canvas covering…Source >
What is the meaning for the Native American Church of North America emblem?
The floor of the tipi represents the Earth on which we live, the walls represent the sky, and the poles represent the trails that extend from the Earth to the spirit world(Dakota teachings).…Source >
13 Serbian Orthodox
What is the Serbian Orthodox Church?
Several bishops seated in what is today Serbia participated in the First Council of Nicaea (325), such as Ursacius of Singidunum. In 380, Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius decreed that his subjects would be Christians according to the Council of Nicea formula. Greek was used in the Byzantine church, while the Roman church used Latin. With the definite split in 395, the line in Europe ran south along the Drina river…Source >
What is the meaning of the Serbian Orthodox emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
14 Greek Cross
What is the Church of Greece?
The Church of Greece, part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity. Its canonical territory is confined to the borders of Greece prior to the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 (“Old Greece”), with the rest of Greece (the “New Lands”, Crete, and the Dodecanese) being subject to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. However, most of the dioceses of the Metropolises of the New Lands are de facto administered as part of the Church of Greece for practical reasons, under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople…Source >
What is the meaning of the Greek Cross emblem?
In Christian mythology, the four equal arms point in the four directions of the Earth, representing the spread of the gospel or the four platonic elements (Earth, air, water, and fire). Its origins are not Christian but much older, found in many cities in Mesopotamia. The term Greek cross designates a cross with arms of equal length and resembles the plus sign. One of the most common Christian forms, in common use by the 4th century…Source >
15 Bahai (9 Pointed Star)
What is Bahai?
The Baháʼí Faith is a new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu’lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Persia and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. The religion is estimated to have over five million adherents, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world’s countries and territories…Source >
What is the meaning of the Bahai (9 Pointed Star) emblem?
Baháʼí symbols are symbols that have been used, or are used, to express identification with the Baháʼí Faith. While the five-pointed Star is the symbol of the religion, being used to represent the human body and Messengers of God, more common symbols include the nine-pointed Star, the Greatest Name, and the Ringstone symbol, representing perfection, and the Messengers of God.…Source >
16 Atheist
What are American Atheists?
When American Atheists (AA) was founded in 1963, they chose the atomic symbol as seen in the center of the above graphic as their logo. The use of the atomic symbol flowed from their belief that human progress can best be achieved through the scientific method and rational, open inquiry…Source >
What is the meaning of the Atheist emblem?
The atomic whirl is the logo of the American Atheists and has come to be used as a symbol of Atheism in general, as some American Atheist members claim. The Atomic Whirl is based on the Rutherford model of the atom, erroneously showing the orbital paths of electrons around the central nucleus, not on the atomic orbitals near-perfect experimental. Approximation The lower part of the symbol is broken or open-ended. This refers to the incompleteness that is inherent in science. As AA’s website says: “Not all of the answers are in.” The incomplete vertical electron orbit forms the letter “A,” which represents Atheism. The letter “A” in the center of the symbol does not represent Atheism. It stands for the first letter of the name of the country where an AA affiliate group is located — America in this case.…Source >
17 Muslim (Crescent and Star)
What is Islam?
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that Muhammad is a messenger of God. It is the world’s second-largest religion with 1.9 billion followers or 24.9% of the world’s population,[4] known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 51 countries.[6] Islam teaches that God (Allah) is One, Merciful, Eternal, Independent, All-Powerful, and Unique, and has guided humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs…Source >
What is the meaning for the Muslim (Crescent and Star) emblem?
The crescent of the new moon signifies the beginning and end of fasting during Ramadan. However, this symbol did not originate with Islam; it was adopted for the first time by the city of Byzantine (which later became Istanbul). While the Ottoman Empire ruled the Muslim world, the Star and crescent were adopted as the symbol of Islam. However, not all Muslims consider the crescent and Star to be an Islamic symbol…Source >
18 Hindu
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life. It is the world’s third-largest religion, with over 1.25 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts…Source >
What is the meaning of the Hindu emblem?
The word “om” comes from Sanskrit and means the sound from which the Earth was created. It symbolizes expansion and is shown through the image of the omkar, consisting of four parts that represent four states of human awareness: ordinary waking, deep sleep, the dream state, and the awakened state. It is an important Hindu symbol…Source >
19 Konko-Kyo Faith
What is the Konko-Kyo?
Konkōkyō or just Konkō is a new religion of Japanese origin. It is Sectarian Shintō as a member of the Kyoha Shintō Rengokai (Association of Sectarian Shinto). It is a syncretic, henotheistic and pantheistic religion, which worships the universe as the deity Tenchi Kane No Kami, the Golden Kami of Heaven and Earth. Tenchi Kane No Kami is also referred to as Kami, The Principle Parent, Kami-Sama or the Parent God. Although mentioned as ‘he’ the Kami is neither male or female…Source >
What is the meaning of the Konko-Kyo Faith emblem?
The distinctive religious crest of the Konko religion with eight petals around the kanji character 金 is referred to as the “Yatsunami,” which symbolizes the deity that governs the eight directions— the entire Universe.… Source >
20 Community of Christ
What is the Community of Christ?
Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church that claims as its mission “to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace”. The church reports approximately 250,000 members in 50 nations. Community of Christ is part of the Latter Day Saint movement begun by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830, and reorganized on April 6, 1860, following the death of Smith in 1844…Source >
What is the meaning of the Community of Christ emblem?
Community of Christ utilizes the symbol of the Christian cross on its buildings and temples. The LDS Church currently does not use the Cross because “because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith,” although this aversion to the Cross only became dominant in the 20th century…Source >
21 Sufism Reoriented
What is Universal Sufism?
Universal Sufism, also known as Neo-Sufism, Global Sufism, and Western Sufism, is a new religious movement with its origins in traditional Sufism, Islam’s mystical branch. Sufism Reoriented is an American spiritual order created by Meher Baba in 1952 to help Western seekers who aspire to live the highest principles of divine love as the central focus of their lives…Source >
What is the meaning of the Sufism Reoriented emblem?
Sufism Reoriented is based on universal love and selfless service principles – active love for God and active service to God’s world – in the knowledge that all life is One. The symbol of the order is the winged heart, in which Meher Baba placed the number “one.” The winged heart emblazoned with the number one represents the transformative power of divine love, which raises all life higher. The one in the center refers to the one God, who is at the center and heart of all persons and things in Creation.…Source >
22 Tenrikyo Church
What is the Tenrikyo Church?
Tenrikyo, sometimes referred to as Tenriism, is a new religion that originated from the teachings of a 19th-century Japanese woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as Oyasama. Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, God in Truth, known by several names including “Tsukihi,” “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto,” and “Oyagamisama (God the Parent)” revealed divine intent through Miki Nakayama as the Shrine of God, and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders…Source >
What is the meaning of the Tenrikyo Church emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
23 Seicho-no-Ie
What is the Seicho-no-Ie?
Seichō no Ie, literally “House of Growth,” is a syncretic, monotheistic, New Thought Japanese new religion that has spread since World War II. In Seicho-No-Ie’s teachings, every human is considered to be a child of God. Thus, all humans also have the infinite creative power inherent to God, changing and creating their world. Our manifestations in the material world are essential a personalized reflection of our mental world…Source >
What is the meaning of the Seicho-no-Ie emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
24 Church of World Messianity (Izunome)
What is the Church of World Messianity?
The Church of World Messianity, abbreviated COWM, is a Japanese new religion founded in 1935 by Mokichi Okada. There are three pillars of the religion, of which the key concept is johrei, claimed to be a method of channeling divine light into the body of another for the purposes of healing. The Art of Nature which includes nature farming, and the Art of Beauty which includes practices such as Ikebana, a form of Japanese flower arranging, are the other formal practices. …Source >
What is the meaning for the Church of World Messianity (Izunome) emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
25 United Church of Religious Science
What is the United Church of Religious Science?
Religious Science started in 1927 when a man named Ernest Holmes was encouraged to organize a group to formally study his teachings on metaphysical spirituality. Holmes himself studied the mind science teachings of Dr. P. Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Filmore, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with Eastern mysticism and religions such as Hinduism. The bulk of Religious Science belief centers on the idea that God is everywhere and everything is in God—also known as pantheism…Source >
What is the meaning for the United Church of Religious Science emblem?
The symbol was devised by our founder, ERNEST HOLMES (1887-1960), who used it to diagram what he meant by the “descent of Spirit into form,” or the creative process in the individual. You’ll find it on pages 568-574 of The Science of Mind, our main teaching textbook, first published in 1926. As shown above, the circle represents the Infinite Mind of God. Within that infinity is spiritual law.… Source >
26 Christian Reformed Church
What is the Christian Reformed Church?
The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is an Evangelical Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in America in 1857 and is theologically Calvinist…Source >
What is the meaning of the Christian Reformed Church emblem?
The CRC emblem features the sign of the Cross, representing Jesus’ sacrifice, and the shape of a triangle, representing the Trinity…Source >
27 United Moravian Church
What is the Moravian Church?
The Moravian Church (Latin: Unitas Fratrum, meaning Unity of the Brethren; is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in the world, with its heritage dating back to the Bohemian Reformation in the fifteenth century. The modern Moravian Church, with about 750,000 members worldwide, continues to draw on traditions established during the 18th-century renewal. In many places, it observes the convention of the love feast, originally started in 1727. It uses older and traditional music in worship.… Source >
What is the meaning of the United Moravian Church emblem?
The Church’s emblem is the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription: Vicit Agnus noster, eum sequamur (English: “Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him”)…Source>
28 Eckankar
What is Eckankar?
Eckankar is a modern-day religion founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. It is a non-profit religious group with members in over one hundred countries. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota? Eckankar is not affiliated with any other religious group. Followers believe its purpose is to help individuals find their way back to God through direct personal spiritual experiences. The movement teaches simple spiritual exercises, such as singing “Hu”, called “a love song to God”, to experience the Light and Sound of God and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit…Source >
What is the meaning of the Eckankar emblem?
According to the Eckankar glossary, the term Eckankar means Co-Worker with God. ECK is another word for the Holy Spirit, also known as the Audible Life Current, Life Force, or Light and Sound of God…Source >
29 Christian Church
What is the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)?
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States in the Reformed tradition. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or as The Disciples. The Christian Church was a charter participant in the formation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and of the Federal Council of Churches (now the National Council of Churches), and it continues to be engaged in ecumenical conversations.…Source >
What is the meaning of the Christian Church emblem?
The Church’s logo, depicting a chalice with the Cross of St Andrew. Andrew the Apostle, also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Saint Peter. He is referred to in the Orthodox tradition as the First-Called. The Chalice incorporates the signs of the cup and the Cross. The cup represents the central place of communion in worship, and the St. Andrew’s Cross conveys the denomination’s emphasis on evangelism…Source >
30 Christian & Missionary Alliance
What is the Christian and Missionary Alliance?
The Alliance World Fellowship is the international governing body of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance, also C&MA). The Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within the Keswickian Higher Life movement of Christianity. The headquarters is in São Paulo, Brazil…Source >
What is the meaning of the Christian & Missionary Alliance emblem?
The Cross, pitcher, laver and crown are the four symbols that join to illustrate the central theme in The Christian and Missionary Alliance, that is: Jesus Christ is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King…Source >
31 United Church of Christ
What is the United Church of Christ?
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, with historical confessional roots in the Reformed, Congregational and Lutheran traditions, and “with over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members”. The United Church of Christ is in historical continuation of the General Council of Congregational Christian churches founded under the influence of New England Puritanism…Source>
What is the meaning for the United Church of Christ emblem?
The symbol of the United Church of Christ comprises a crown, Cross and orb enclosed within a double oval bearing the name of the Church and the prayer of Jesus, “That they may all be one” (John 17:21). It is based on an ancient Christian symbol called the “Cross of Victory” or the “Cross Triumphant.” The crown symbolizes the sovereignty of Christ. The Cross recalls the suffering of Christ – his arms outstretched on the wood of the Cross – for the salvation of humanity. The orb, divided into three parts, reminds us of Jesus’ command to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)…Source >
32 Humanist
What is the American Humanist Association?
“Humanist” is used today to mean those who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs. Humanism is an approach to life-based on reason and our common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone. While atheism is merely the absence of belief, humanism is a positive attitude to the world, centered on human experience, thought, and hopes. Secular humanism, often simply called humanism, is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making…Source >
What is the meaning of the Humanist emblem?
The Happy Human is an icon that has been adopted as an international symbol of secular humanism. Created by Dennis Barrington, the figure was the winning design in a competition arranged by Humanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association) in 1965…Source >
33 Presbyterian Church (USA)
What is the Presbyterian Church?
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. A part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US and known for its relatively progressive stance on doctrine. The PC(USA) was established by the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state…Source >
What is the meaning of the Presbyterian Church (USA) emblem?
The basic symbols in the seal are the Cross, Scripture, the dove, and flames. The dominant structural and theological element in the design is the Cross — the Christian Church’s universal and most ecumenical symbol. The Cross represents the incarnate love of God in Jesus Christ and his passion and resurrection. Because of its association with Presbyterian history, the Celtic cross was chosen as a model for this contemporary rendering of the ancient symbol…Source >
34 Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
What is the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii?
The Izumo Taishakyo Mission is a Shinto shrine located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It is one of the few active Shinto shrines in the United States. The wooden A-frame structure was inspired by Shimane Prefecture’s classical Japanese shrine Izumo Taisha. It was designed by architect Hego Fuchino and built by master carpenter Ichisaburo Takata…Source>
What is the meaning of the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
35 Soka Gakkai International – USA
What is the Soka Gakkai (SGI)?
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international Nichiren Buddhist movement founded in 1975 by Daisaku Ikeda, as an umbrella organization of Soka Gakkai, which declares approximately 12 million adherents in 192 countries and territories as of 2017, more than 1.5 million of whom reside outside of Japan as of 2012. It characterizes itself as a support network for practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism and a global Buddhist movement for “peace, education, and cultural exchange.…Source>
What is the meaning of the Soka Gakkai International – USA emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
36 Sikh (Khanda)
What is the Sikh (Khanda)?
Sikhs believe that human beings spend their time in a cycle of birth, life, and rebirth. They share this belief with followers of other Indian religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The quality of each particular life depends on the law of Karma…Source>
What is the meaning of the Sikh (Khanda) emblem?
This symbol derives its name from a double-edged sword, shown in the middle of the symbol. This sword represents divine knowledge, the power of God, and the divide between truth and falsehood. The circle that surrounds the sword has no beginning and no end, representing God. The two curved swords on the outside of the circle represent the fact that a Sikh must give equal authority to spiritual and social obligations…Source >
37 Wicca (Pentacle)
What is Wicca?
Wicca, also termed Pagan Witchcraft, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorize it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. Wicca draws upon a diverse set of ancient pagan and 20th-century hermetic motifs for its theological structure and ritual practices…Source>
What is the meaning of the Wicca (Pentacle) emblem?
As far as Wiccan symbols go, the pentagram isn’t a representation of good vs. evil. It’s a symbol of faith, a symbol of the 5 Elements Spirit, Air, Earth, Water and Fire (one for each point), and the circle (the Universe) contains and connects them all…Source >
38 Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
What is the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod?
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), often referred to simply as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.1 million members, it is both the eighth-largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S., the largest being Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The LCMS was organized in 1847 at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois, as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and the Other States, a name which reflected the geographic locations of the founding congregations. The LCMS is headquartered in Kirkwood, Missouri…Source>
What is the meaning of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod emblem?
The LCMS logo incorporates a three-part cross, representing the Trinity. The upper arms of the Cross stretch up to God in prayer, and the lower arms bring God’s love to the world. The 12 points on the Cross represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples. The Cross is drawn in a way that implies motion, portraying a sense of urgency to tell the world about God’s love…Source>
39 New Apostolic Church
What is the New Apostolic Church?
The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a chiliastic church, originated from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1863 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands. It came about from the schism in Hamburgin 1863, when it emerged from the Catholic Apostolic Church, which itself started in the 1830s as a renewal movement in, among others, the Anglican Church and Church of Scotland. Premillennialism and the Second Coming of Christ are at the forefront of the New Apostolic doctrines…Source >
What is the meaning of the New Apostolic Church emblem?
The Cross, as you know, is a symbol of God’s love for humankind. Through the sacrifice of His Son to bear our sins, our salvation is possible. The focus of the NAC logo is a nice voided version of a Latin cross. God gave Moses a list of the fundamental obligations of religion, morality, and man’s duty to God and all other humans. This list is popularly known as the Ten Commandments, and on the NAC logo, ten sun rays are emanating from the foot of the Cross. The waters at the base of the NAC logo represent baptism…Source >
40 Seventh Day Adventist Church
What is the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830s to the 1840s, during the period of the Second Great Awakening, and was officially founded in 1863. In 1831, a Baptist convert, William Miller, was asked by a Baptist to preach in their church and began to preach that the Second Advent of Jesus would occur somewhere between March 1843 and March 1844, based on his interpretation of Daniel 8:14. A following gathered around Miller that included many from the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Christian Connection churches. …Source >
What is the meaning of the Seventh Day Adventist Church emblem?
The logo reflects the core values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its foundation is the Bible, the Word of God, shown open because its message should be read and put into practice. Central to that biblical message is the Cross, which is also a central feature of the logo. Above the Cross and the open Bible is a burning flame that represents the Holy Spirit, the messenger of truth…Source >
41 Celtic Cross
What is the meaning of the Celtic Cross emblem?
Episcopalians call this the Celtic Cross, while Catholics call it the Irish Cross. Often used to denote the graves of Monks or Priests. The Celtic Cross is a symbol used today in many contexts, both religious and secular. The Celtic Cross is like a traditional cross but with a ring around the intersection of the stem and arms. The whole Cross is often decorated with ornate Gaelic patterns. Sometimes the Celtic Cross is set on a tall base to resemble more closely the traditional Christian Cross, and at other times the symbol stands alone…Source>
42 Armenian Cross
What is the Armenian Apostolic Church?
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the national church of the Armenian people. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christian institutions. The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion under the rule of King Tiridates III of the Arsacid dynasty in the early 4th century. According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus of Edessa in the 1st century…Source>
What is the meaning of the Armenian Cross emblem?
An Armenian cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a floral post ament or elements. In Armenian Christianity, it was combined with the Christian cross, and this design was often used for high crosses (khachkar) – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated.…Source >
43 Farohar
What is Zoroastrianism?
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology, predicting the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its supreme being…Source>
What is the meaning of the Farohar emblem?
Faravahar is one of the most well-known symbols of Iranian peoples, and Zoroastrianism, the primary religion of Iran before the Muslim conquest of Iran and Iranian nationalism. There are various interpretations of what the faravahar symbolizes, and there is no universal consensus except to note that it does not represent the fravashi.…Source>
44 Messianic Jewish
What is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is a movement that combines Christianity—most importantly, the Christian belief that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah—with elements of Judaism and Jewish tradition. Messianic Judaism believes that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and “God the Son” (one person of the Trinity) and that the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament both are authoritative scriptures. Salvation in Messianic Judaism is achieved through acceptance of Jesus as one’s savior, and Jewish laws or customs which are followed do not contribute to salvation…Source >
What is the meaning of the Messianic Jewish emblem?
Hands with thumbs (and sometimes forefingers) joined. You will sometimes see a symbol showing two hands arranged for the Priestly Blessing, as the example here on Jewish tombstones. This is a symbol of the Kohen or Cohen (Hebrew for priest). The plural form is Kohanim or Cohanim. Kohanim are assumed to be direct male descendants of Aaron, who was the first Kohen and the brother of Moses. Some Jewish surnames frequently associated with this symbol are Conn or Cohn (Kohn), Cahn (Kahn), and Cohen (Kohen), but you will find the symbol on the grave markers of people with other surnames…Source >
45 Kohen Hands Judaism
What is the meaning for the Kohen Hands Judaism emblem?
Hands with thumbs (and sometimes forefingers) joined. On Jewish tombstones, you will sometimes see a symbol showing two hands arranged for the Priestly Blessing like the example here…Source >
46 Catholic Celtic Cross
What is the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church, often referred to as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2019.[4] As the world’s oldest and largest continuously functioning international institution, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization. The church consists of 24 churches and almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies around the world…Source >
What is the meaning of the Catholic Celtic Cross emblem?
Episcopalians call this the Celtic Cross, while Catholics call it the Irish Cross. Often used to denote the graves of Monks or Priests. The Celtic Cross is a symbol used today in many contexts, both religious and secular. The Celtic Cross is like a traditional cross but with a ring around the intersection of the stem and arms. The whole Cross is often decorated with ornate Gaelic patterns. Sometimes the Celtic Cross is set on a tall base to resemble the traditional Christian Cross, and at other times the symbol stands alone. The Celtic cross is sometimes nothing more than a simple “stick” drawing on a gravestone or at a religious site; other times, it is sculpted and quite ornate…Source >
47 The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Cross and Crown)
What is the First Church of Christ, Scientist?
The Church of Christ, Scientist, was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded “to commemorate the word and works of Christ Jesus” and “reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing”. Sunday services are held throughout the year and weekly testimony meetings are held on Wednesday evenings, where following brief readings from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, those in attendance are invited to give testimonies of healing brought about through Christian Science prayer…Source>
What is the meaning for The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Cross and Crown) emblem?
The Cross and Crown (a cross passing through a crown) is a Christian symbol used by various Christian denominations. It has also been used in heraldry. The emblem is often interpreted as symbolizing the reward in Heaven (the crown) coming after the trials in this life (the Cross) (James 1:12).…Source>
48 Medicine Wheel
What is the meaning of the Medicine Wheel emblem?
The term “Medicine Wheel” is not a Native American expression. It is, of course, of European and American origin. What the symbol has been called in Native America depends on the language of each particular Nation. The main design of the Native American Medicine Wheel is the most basic yet most perfect form – the circle. This is one absolute not only in Native America for sacred hoops but also for most cultures that have some kind of “Circle of Life” symbol…Source >
49 Infinity
What is Infinity?
In philosophy and theology, infinity is explored in articles under headings such as the Absolute, God, and Zeno’s paradoxes. In Greek philosophy, for example in Anaximander, ‘the Boundless’ is the origin of all that is. He took the beginning or first principle to be an endless, unlimited primordial mass. The Jain metaphysics and mathematics were the first to define and delineate different “types” of infinities…Source>
What is the meaning of the Infinity emblem?
The infinity symbol (sometimes called the lemniscate) is a mathematical symbol representing the concept of infinity. The infinity symbol is a never-ending loop. So it means forever or always or limitless, never-ending possibilities, no beginning and no end. …Source>
51 Luther Rose
What is Lutheranism?
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism that identifies with the teachings of Martin Luther, a 16th-century German reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation. The reaction of the government and church authorities to the international spread of his writings, beginning with the 95 Theses, divided Western Christianity. During the Reformation, Lutheranism became the state religion of numerous states of Northern Europe, especially in northern Germany and the Nordic countries. Lutheran clergy became civil servants, and the Lutheran churches became part of the state…Source>
What is the meaning of the Luther Rose emblem?
The Luther seal or Luther rose is a widely recognized symbol for Lutheranism. It was the seal designed for Martin Luther at the behest of John Frederick of Saxony in 1530, while Luther was staying at the Coburg Fortress during the Diet of Augsburg. Lazarus Spengler, to whom Luther wrote his interpretation below, sent Luther a drawing of this seal. Luther saw it as a compendium or expression of his theology and faith, which he used to authorize his correspondence…Source>
52 Landing Eagle
What is the meaning of the Landing Eagle emblem?
The Landing Eagle, for example, represents Freedom…Source>
53 Four Directions
What is the meaning of the emblem?
When the Lakota people pray or do anything sacred, they see the world as having four directions. From these four directions come the four winds. Each direction has a special meaning and color associated with it. The Cross symbolizes all directions…Source>
54 Church of Nazarene
What is the Church of Nazarene?
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th-century Holiness movement in North America. With its members commonly referred to as Nazarenes, it is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. The Western group was the Church of the Nazarene founded in October 1895 in Los Angeles, California by Dr. Phineas F. Bresee, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Dr Joseph Pomeroy Widney, a Methodist physician, and the second president of the University of Southern California. Since its inception, the Church of the Nazarene has indicated that its mission is “to respond to the Great Commission of Christ to ‘go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19)”…Source>
What is the meaning for the Church of Nazarene emblem?
The Church of the Nazarene logo, adopted in 2013, includes the symbols of a dove, flame, book, and Cross. The Cross represents the denomination’s mission to make Christ-like disciples. The dove and flame represent the denomination’s vision of the Spirit working in and through us. The open book represents the denomination’s values: Christian, holiness, and mission-oriented…Source>
55 Hammer of Thor
What is Thors’ Hammer?
In Norse mythology, Mjölnir is the hammer of Thor, a major Norse god associated with thunder. Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains…Source>
What is Heathenry?
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement…Source>
What is the meaning of the Hammer of Thor emblem?
Marines who label themselves modern-day heathens and wish to mark their grave with Thor’s hammer — their religion’s version of a cross or Star of David. Thor’s hammer is their sort of crucifix — the symbol of their religion. It symbolizes what Thor stands for: honor, bravery, loyalty and virtue…Source>
56 Unification Church
What is the Unification Church?
The Unification movement, also known as the Unification Church (UC), is a worldwide new religious movement whose members are sometimes colloquially called “Moonies”. It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) in Seoul, South Korea by Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012), a Korean religious leader is also known for his business ventures and engagement in social and political causes. Since its founding, the church has expanded throughout the world with most members living in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and other nations in East Asia. The church was led by Moon until his death on September 3, 2012…Source>
What is the meaning of the Unification Church emblem?
The center circle symbolizes God, truth, life, and light. Those four elements reach out or radiate from this origin to the whole cosmos in twelve directions. The number twelve indicates the twelve types of human character. Historically, the number twelve has been important in God’s dispensation; for example, Jesus had twelve disciples. Then, the significance of the symbol indicates that truth (the Principle) can spread out in twelve ways. According to Father, the structure of the heavenly kingdom is also patterned after this basic system; i.e., twelve tribes and twelve character types…Source>
57 Sandhill Crane
What is the meaning of the Sandhill Crane emblem?
The Sandhill Crane is a symbol of peace or as being one with land, water and sky…Source>
58 Church of God
What is the Church of God?
The (Original) Church of God is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination located mainly in the Southeastern United States. Its origins can be traced to a small meeting of Christians at the Barney Creek Meeting House in Monroe County, Tennessee in 1886. Five ordinances are recognized: baptism by immersion, biblical church government, the Lord’s Supper, feet washing and tithing. Other beliefs include the need for repentance, justification & regeneration for salvation, the Wesleyan teaching on sanctification, divine healing, and speaking in tongues as the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit…Source>
What is the meaning of the Church of God emblem?
Cross with a wave of the Holy Spirit…Source>
59 Pomegranate
What is the meaning of the Pomegranate emblem?
To Christians, the Pomegranate represents life and eternal life. Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition. It was referred to by the Semitic names…Source>
60 Messianic
What is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is a modern syncretic Christian religious movement that incorporates some Judaism and Jewish tradition elements with Evangelical Christianity. The movement emerged in the 1960s and 1970s from the Hebrew Christian movement[8] and the Baptist organization Jews for Jesus founded in 1973 by Conservative Baptist minister Martin Rosen…Source>
What is the meaning of the Messianic emblem?
The menorah is described in the Bible as the seven-lamp (six branches) ancient Hebrew lampstand made of pure gold and used in the tabernacle set up by Moses in the wilderness and later in the Temple Jerusalem. Fresh olive oil was burned daily to light its lamps. The menorah was a symbol of both Judaism and Christianity since antiquity; in modern times, it is considered a symbol of Judaism solely and is the emblem on the coat of arms of the modern state of Israel…Source>
61 Shinto
What is Shinto?
Shinto, also called kami-no-michi, is a Japanese religion. It focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified “Shinto religion”, but rather to a collection of native beliefs and mythology. Shinto today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods (kami), suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations.…Source>
What is the meaning of the Shinto emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
62 Sacred Heart
What is the Sacred Heart?
The devotion to the Sacred Heart (also known as the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacratissimum Cor Iesu in Latin) is one of the most widely practiced and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of “God’s boundless and passionate love for mankind”. This devotion is predominantly used in the Catholic Church, followed by High-Church Anglicans, Lutherans and some Western Rite Orthodox. In the Latin Church, the liturgical Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated the first Friday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or 19 days after Pentecost Sunday. The 12 promises of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus are also extremely popular…Source>
What is the meaning of the Sacred Heart emblem?
The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart, shining with divine light, pierced by the lance wound, encircled by the crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross, and bleeding. Sometimes the image is shown shining within the bosom of Christ with his wounded hands pointing at the heart. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus’ death, while the fire represents the transformative power of divine love…Source>
63 African Ancestral Traditionalist (Nyame Ye Ohene)
What is an African Ancestral Traditionalist?
The spiritual world of Africa peoples is very densely populated with spiritual beings; spirits and the living- dead (Mbiti, 1960). Africans believe in the Supreme Being who is believed to be the creator of the universe and all therein, in addition, Africans believe in other spiritual forces that are believed to have powers, oftentimes, for specific purposes. Among these spiritual beings is the belief in ancestors. Some scholars of African Traditional religion classified the belief system of the Africans into four types: The supreme God, the sky god, the mother earth and other divinities…Source>
What is the meaning of the African Ancestral Traditionalist emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
64 Maltese Cross
What is the meaning of the Maltese Cross emblem?
The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor. Its story is hundreds of years old. The Maltese Cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four “V” or arrowhead-shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically…Source>
65 Druid (Awen)
What is a Druid?
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lore keepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in written form. Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks…Source>
What is the meaning of the Druid (Awen) emblem?
The awen, with its three rays of light, also reminds us of the importance of threes–a sacred number in Druidry. We have the three realms: land, sea, and sky (or middle world, upper world, underworld). We have three grades or ways of studying/experiencing Druidry: the bard, the ovate, and the druid. We have the triads, which were ancient Celtic laws and bits of wisdom expressed in threes. A triad might be as simple as Three ways of growing: growing food for nourishment, growing in age as time passes, and growing yourself through knowledge and experience. Or three things that illuminate every darkness: nature, knowledge, truth…Source>
66 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
What is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod?
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), often referred to simply as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.1 million members, it is both the eighth-largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S., the largest being Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The LCMS was organized in 1847 at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois, as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, a name which reflected the geographic locations of the founding congregations. The LCMS is headquartered in Kirkwood, Missouri…Source>
What is the meaning of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
67 Polish National Catholic Church
What is the Polish National Catholic Church?
The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is a Christian church based in the United States and founded by Polish-Americans. The PNCC is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church due to differing theologically in several respects. A sister church in Poland, the Polish-Catholic Church of Republic of Poland, is a member of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht and is also not in communion with the Holy See; at the same time, the PNCC is neither in communion with the Union of Utrecht,[1] but rather the Union of Scranton. The Polish National Catholic Church welcomes people of all ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds…Source>
What is the meaning of the Polish National Catholic Church emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
68 Guardian Angel
What is the meaning of #the Guardian Angel emblem?
Symbolizes a guardian advocate asking God for mercy on behalf of the deceased. A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group, kingdom, or country. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity. The concept of tutelary angels and their hierarchy was extensively developed in Christianity in the 5th century by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. The theology of angels and tutelary spirits has undergone many refinements since the 5th century. Belief in both the East and the West is that guardian angels serve to protect whichever person God assigns them to and present prayer to God on that person’s behalf…Source>
69 Heart
What is the meaning of the Heart emblem?
The heart symbol is an ideograph used to express the idea of the “heart” in its metaphorical or symbolic sense as the center of emotion, including affection and love, especially romantic love. The “wounded heart” indicating lovesickness came to be depicted as a heart symbol pierced with an arrow (Cupid’s), or heart symbol “broken” in two or more pieces…Source>
70 Shepherd and Flag
What is the meaning of the Shepherd and Flag emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
71 African Methodist Episcopal (AME)
What is the African Methodist Episcopal (AME)?
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church or AME, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination. It is the first independent Protestant denomination to be founded by black people. It was founded by the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 by several black Methodist congregations in the mid-Atlantic area that wanted independence from white Methodists. It was among the first denominations in the United States to be founded on racial rather than theological distinctions and has persistently advocated for the civil and human rights of African Americans through social improvement, religious autonomy, and political engagement. Allen, a deacon in Methodist Episcopal Church, was consecrated its first bishop in 1816 by a conference of five churches from Philadelphia to Baltimore.…Source>
What is the meaning of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) emblem?
The meaning of the Cross is evident to anyone with faith in God and a knowledge of the Holy Bible and the Christian Church: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the power of Salvation through Him, and the immeasurable grace of God that covers the sins of the world and empowers His people to be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who strengthens us. The Anvil, on the other hand, has a symbolic and a historical meaning which must be noted by all who call themselves African Methodist…Source>
72 Evangelical Lutheran Church
What is the Evangelical Lutheran Church?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran Church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of 2019, it has approximately 3.3 million baptized members in 8,972 congregations…Source>
What is the meaning of the Evangelical Lutheran Church emblem?
The ELCA brandmark incorporates the symbols of the Cross and the world, representing their mission statement: “marked by the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.” …Source>
73 Universalist Cross
What is the Universalist Church of America?
The Universalist Church of America (UCA) was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States (plus affiliated churches in other parts of the world). Known from 1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942. In 1961, it consolidated with the American Unitarian Association to form the Unitarian Universalist Association. The defining theology of Universalism is universal salvation; Universalists believe that the God of love would not create a person knowing that that person would be destined for eternal damnation…Source>
What is the meaning of the Universalist Cross emblem?
The chalice symbol is often shown surrounded by two linked rings (see illustration). The two linked rings were based on the poet and lifelong Universalist Edwin Markham’s quote, “He drew a circle that shut me out — Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him in!” It also served as a symbol signifying the joining of Unitarianism and Universalism in 1961. In August 1962, the newsletter of the Midwestern Unitarian Universalist Association began using a chalice symbol drawn inside the two interlocking rings, as drawn by Betty King…Source>
74 Faith and Prayer
What is the meaning of the Faith and Prayer emblem?
Could not find meaning for this military headstone religious emblem.
75 Ichthys
What is the meaning for the Ichthys emblem?
The Greek word for fish is “ichthys.” As early as the first century, Christians made an acrostic from this word: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, i.e. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior…Source>
98 Muslim (Islamic 5 Pointed Star)
What is Islam?
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that Muhammad is a messenger of God. It is the world’s second-largest religion with 1.9 billion followers or 24.9% of the world’s population,[4] known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 51 countries.[6] Islam teaches that God (Allah) is One, Merciful, Eternal, Independent, All-Powerful, and Unique, and has guided humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs…Source>
What is the meaning for the Muslim (Islamic 5 Pointed Star) emblem?
The five-pointed Star reflects the Five Pillars of Islam which are central to the faith. The Five Pillars are the core beliefs and practices of Islam: Profession of Faith (shahada; Prayer (salat); Alms (zakat); Fasting (sawm); Pilgrimage (hajj)…Source>
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