In what might be the silliest complaint ever — edging out even the “floating cross” controversy — CNN has broken the scandal that Mike Huckabee, yes, the same Mike Huckabee who used to be governor of Arkansas and before that was … well, … a Southern Baptist pastor … is a Christian!
Yes, folks, CNN cleverly deciphered the meaning of that great big fish symbol displayed behind Gov. Huckabee in his recent ad. 
You probably had no idea what that symbol meant, so it’s a good thing that CNN spelled it out for you:
The ichthys, which resembles a fish, is well-known in evangelical circles as the symbol used by early Christians to secretly identify one another without attracting persecution.
Yes, the symbol is well-known in evangelical circles, but usually we hide it from outsiders. But the crack investigative team at CNN figured it out.
Ahem …
Yes, many centuries ago, this symbol was secretly used. That hasn’t been the case for a very long time. There’s no secret message here … especially not since the picture is taken at the Iowa Christian Alliance. What, exactly, is the secret message supposed to be?
The ichthys appears on gazillions of cars. It’s been the object of the “Darwin” fish, which is a fish with legs. This, in turn, led to the “Truth” fish, which shows an ichthys eating a Darwin fish.
I don’t think that we Christians have been keeping our secret symbol very secret.
Of course, I blame the music.
Steven Curtis Chapman recklessly mentioned the ichthys in his song “The Change”:
Well I got myself a T-shirt that says what I believe
I got letters on my bracelet to serve as my ID
I got the necklace and the key chain
And almost everything a good Christian needs, yeah
I got the little Bible magnets on my refrigerator door
And a welcome mat to bless you before you walk across my floor
I got a Jesus bumper sticker
And the outline of a fish stuck on my car
And even though this stuff’s all well and good, yeah
I cannot help but ask myself–
Right there in the first verse! Sheesh … way to go, SCC!
Of course, then there’s the Newsboys, slipping it in with the second verse of their “Take Me To Your Leader“:
his late mate Merrilee merrily said
immortality can’t be bought in a jar
this just in: Justin’s had enough of cure-
alls, gonna quiz the neighbor kid with the
fish on his car
Yes, folks, there’s CNN’s investigative work for you! They cleverly deduced that Mike Huckabee is a Christian, and that the fish outline is a Christian symbol!
Where would we be without their brilliant deductive skills? I shudder to imagine …
January 3, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Wow, our secret symbol is now out of the bag. I’m guessing CNN probably had to google the ichthys when they saw it in the background of the ad. Not sure too many folks at CNN are in our secret evangelical club. :-)
January 3, 2008 at 12:38 pm
CNN doesn’t use Google, remember? I think they must have caught one of us and used powerful mind control to rip the secret from his mind.
… or they quizzed the neighbor kid with the fish on his car.
By the way, I erroneously (since corrected) listed the SC Chapman song as “Whatever,” it is in fact “The Change.” Both are off the “Speechless” album, but they aren’t the same song.
January 3, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Who would Jesus vote for?
if you listen to Keyes, then Obama is right out.
if you listen to the word of God…
Few of these candidates are real Christians…
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Ron Paul 2008
January 3, 2008 at 1:00 pm
CNN just has forgotten that there are still Christians living in America.
http://www.catholicsforhuckabee.blogspot.com
January 3, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Ummm … thanks, Francis. I’ve always thought that I needed more random comments on the blog.
And you’re probably right, Peter.
January 3, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Hi Wickle –
Here’s a random comment to help you reach the quota … what in the world has Lou Dobbs done to his hair!? It’s red! It wasn’t red before Christmas. This must be some subliminal message.
Is that random enough?
:o)
January 4, 2008 at 1:26 am
His hair is now red? Yep, it is a sublimal message… while he talks about being an independant, he is secretly trying to promote the GOP.
January 4, 2008 at 2:12 am
Yes, onemom, that’s just about random enough. I think Tam might be right … it’s probably some message promoting either the GOP, Communism, or possibly McDonald’s.
I say this, of course, not having seen Lou Dobbs’ new hair.