What do the symbols in the coexist sticker mean

Can all religions lead to eternal life, or is there only one?

0.98 minutes to read

If you’ve ever paid attention while passing by cars or driving, you have probably s

een those bumper stickers on the back that say “COEXIST.” Ever wondered what that means or have an idea? Or maybe you fully understand it but maybe haven’t thought much about the true meaning behind it? Or heck, maybe you know exactly what it means and you maybe support it. This article will attempt to briefly break down the proposed concept and show us what the Bible really says about this.

So, Coexist amirite? Sounds great. Sounds peaceful. And to tell you the truth, it is peaceful. Which can be scary. A lesson to get already from this is that just because something sounds right, or doesn’t necessarily sound wrong, doesn’t mean we should agree with it blindly. Always do your research, always bring it back to God’s Word, and see for yourself what to make of it.

The phrase seen on the bumper sticker is made up of several different symbols pertaining to different areas and religions in life. The breakdown is as follows:

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C - Symbol for Islamic crescent moon

O - Peace sign (Secular Peace Symbol)

E - Hindu Om symbol (Hinduism)

X - Star of David (Judaism)

I - Pentagram for the dot (Satanism)

S - Yin and Yang symbol found in Daoism

T - The Cross for Christians

We could spend forever breaking down these symbols and what they mean but the overall concept is peace among all. This concept started originally in 2001 by a polish graphic designer in Jerusalem that made its way to the US after the 9/11 attack and our advanced involvement with the Middle East. While this concept again seems understandable that we want to live in peace, there are still many who also interpret it as a way of describing that all roads lead to the same destination. Many believe that every religion, regardless of their teachings (or ignorance to know their teachings) all lead to the same God. This may sound harsh, but it’s the most ignorant thing anyone could say or believe. I think it really comes from a lack of understanding them and are maybe a type 9 and want everyone to get along haha. But when looking in depth into each religion and their texts and teachings, one will come to learn that they do not ever compliment each other. Jesus claims to be the only way to the Father and eternal life, Hinduism teaches a caste system where it’s a never ending cycle of reincarnation until you reach what it called nirvana. Islam claims that the only way you are guaranteed into heaven is by sacrificing your life for the religion. Judaism may be close to Christianity in some aspects, but they completely reject Jesus as Christ. You can see that the list can go on and on and on. While we should live in peace with one another on earth as Paul says in Romans 12:18 to “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone,” that doesn’t mean that we concede to believe that all religions hold the same truth and that we shouldn’t do everything we can to point people to the Truth of scripture. In more articles including the article “No One Else Is Coming For You,” we will break down more why we believe Christianity to be the truth of this world.

The average person is not going to know a ton about every religion out there and I myself don’t even know them in depth, but from what I have gathered in my studies and scholars have as well, it is clearly evident that each religion teaches differently. I will go the extra mile and say that every single religion in this world contradicts each other in insurmountable ways. The Allah of Islam is not the YAHWEH of the Bible. Buddhism does not believe in the caste system of reincarnation in Hinduism. With this being known then, only one must be true. So which one is it? Why should Christianity reign over Islam? Isn’t Islam growing faster than Christianity? Wouldn’t it make sense that the truth spreads faster so therefore it should be Islam? Who is to say one is even right over the other? All great questions that we will get to in more articles but for now, remember this, Jesus claimed “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Do you believe it?

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I’m sure you have been driving around town before and right in front of you at the red light is a car with the bumper sticker that reads, “Coexist.” The word “Coexist” is written with the symbols of different world religions: the crescent moon of Islam, the peace sign, a gender equality symbol, the star of David representing Judaism, the “I” represents paganism, a yin/yang representing Taoism and a cross representing Christianity.

In today’s world not even the “Coexist” sticker is politically correct, as it only recognizes two genders: male and female. The Bible tells us that God created only two genders: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27).

Maybe you’re now wondering, “Do we need to revamp the ‘Coexist’ sticker?” We need to ask ourselves a big question before we put that sticker on our bumpers: “Have we really studied these religions to the point that we can make informed decisions about them?”

Most people that defend Islam have never read the Koran. People will say things like, “I knew a Muslim family once, and they were very kind people.”

Is it not possible that there are lukewarm Muslims just like there are lukewarm Christians? You might ask, “How could being kind make you a lukewarm Muslim?”

A lukewarm Muslim would not honor Surah 9:29: “Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah…” The Koran is filled with passages that incite violence against non-Muslims.

The New Testament of Christ commands in Matthew 5:44 that Christians love their enemies. In 2 Corithians 10:4 the Apostle Paul wrote that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” While Christians make spiritual war against evil in the world, Christians have no desire to hurt those who disagree with them.

People may not be happy with the gender equality symbol after its mention in the above paragraph, but the Koran does not like gender equality in any sense as taught in Surah 4:34: “As for those (wives) from whom you fear disloyalty, admonish them, and abandon them in their beds, then strike them.”

The New Testament of Christ never teaches such. In fact it teaches the exact opposite: 1 Peter 3:7 commands a husband to give honor to his wife.

The Jesus of the Bible is not the same Jesus that is written in the Koran. Christians need to get back to the mission that Christ left us with: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).

Christians need to persuade (2 Cor. 5:11) Muslims to obey the true Gospel of Jesus so that they can be saved: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

We will only be able to truly “coexist” when God’s children get to heaven.

Caleb Robertson is an evangelist for the Martinsville Church of Christ.

Caleb Robertson is an evangelist for the Martinsville Church of Christ.

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