Playground pentagram to go (myth, Israel, faith, Christianity, Christian)

[Bishka]

Architect, officials say design wasn't tied to the occult
By JOHN REYNOLDS
STAFF WRITER
Published Thursday, May 04, 2006

The new playground at Springfield's Washington Park is being altered because of complaints that a five-pointed star etched in concrete could be interpreted as a symbol of the occult.

The pentagram is on the circular stage of a small amphitheater at the rear of the playground. The design was intended to be a spoked wheel, but landscape architect Kent Massie said a mistake made when the concrete was poured late last summer rendered that design impossible. It was decided to go with the star.

It was an innocent mistake, Massie said, and the star was not intended to signify anything.

To correct the problem, new lines and colors will be added to give the circular area more of a pinwheel appearance. Work could begin within the next week.

The $400,000 playground was a project of the Springfield Parks Foundation, a nonprofit group that supports the park district. It includes attractions such as a climbing wall, a water play area and new landscaping. The amphitheater area is intended for small groups of schoolchildren and others.

Foundation president Cathy Schwartz said that when she first saw the star design, she thought nothing of it.

"There were probably 10 guys up there helping to pour the concrete. None of us made the connection (to the occult). To us it's a star, but to others, it's not," Schwartz said.

Springfield resident Leland Rhodes said he found the design "distressing."
"There is a certain breed of individual out there who reveres such symbols, and in that context, it becomes a religious icon. In this day and age of general concern for children's welfare, especially in regard to predators, my main concern was for the crowd that it might draw," Rhodes said.

He contacted park officials with his concerns.
"My children love that park. We consider it a valuable asset to the community," Rhodes said. "I commend them for making the change. I know it was a great burden."
Park district officials said they had received just the one complaint, though Schwartz said she has heard similar comments from three people. On at least one occasion, candles were found at the site of the star, she added.

"At that point, we decided we couldn't leave it the way it is," Schwartz said.
The changes to the design are being done free of charge.
Over the centuries, a five-sided star has meant different things to different people.
According to "The Complete Dictionary of Symbols," the pentagram pre-dates Christianity and could go back 4,000 years. It is thought to have been used on the seal of King Solomon of Israel, and in Greece, the Pythagoreans adopted it as an emblem of health and harmony.


Another book, "Man, Myth and Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown," says a pentagram should be drawn in the rim of a circle and outside it. With one of its points upward, the pentagram can be imagined as a man's body with arms and legs extended, and is a symbol of the dominance of the divine spirit over matter, the book says.


A pentagram, with one point at the top, also symbolizes protection for warding off evil spirits.
A reversed pentagram, with two points upward, can represent evil that attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things, according to "Man, Myth and Magic."

John Reynolds can be reached at 788-1524 or john.reynolds@sj-r.com.

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/85174.asp

[Bishka]

My oh, my oh, my.......What one person can do......I thought this was interesting, just because it 'looked' like an occult symbol, although, I believe this person was making up the candle story, but I guess we may never know.

[evearael]

Give me a break! I guess we should remove anything that consists of two lines crossing since that could be construed as a religious symbol and we should be concerned about "the crowd that it might draw." This is absolutely ridiculous... (rhetorical) do you know how many symbols there are? Do you realize how impossible it would be to get rid of all of them? Unless, they are just targeting a particular set of faiths they do not like (which I strongly suspect is the case) which is discriminatory.

[Ðanisty]

"There is a certain breed of individual out there who reveres such symbols, and in that context, it becomes a religious icon. In this day and age of general concern for children's welfare, especially in regard to predators, my main concern was for the crowd that it might draw," Rhodes said.

Wow, could he have been a little more offensive?

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by Ðanisty

Wow, could he have been a little more offensive?

That's what I was thinking...

[Booko]

Originally Posted by beckysoup61

Springfield resident Leland Rhodes said he found the design "distressing."
"There is a certain breed of individual out there who reveres such symbols, and in that context, it becomes a religious icon. In this day and age of general concern for children's welfare, especially in regard to predators, my main concern was for the crowd that it might draw," Rhodes said.

"Concern for children's welfare?"

"Crowd it might draw?"

Another victim of head-up-the-arse syndrome. sheesh

[Feathers in Hair]

Oh, dear heavens. *rolls eyes*

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by FeathersinHair

Oh, dear heavens. *rolls eyes*

That was my exact response when I read about it.