A great friend of mine sent me this article entitled: “Should Christians have anything to do with the dragon this CNY?” and asked me what I think…
https://saltandlight.sg/…/should-christians-have…/
Certainly a very well-written article by Rev Ng.
My view is that there is still a measure of uncertainty/ doubt with regard to the Chinese dragon’s association with evil (especially with its serpentine features which do remind one of a glorified snake), so I’ll simply avoid where possible (no intention to decorate my home with dragon posters and dragon ornaments etc.) and simply think nothing of it when not reasonably possible. Take the old Singapore $50 note as an example. Although the back of the note carries a clear depiction of a Chinese dragon, my conscience remains unaffected by having those notes in my home and carrying them wherever I go in my wallet. The good news is, they ditched the Chinese dragon with the new Singapore notes.
At the same time, not all snake symbols are associated with evil. For example, the bronze serpent on a pole (Numbers 21:8-9) is a symbol of healing and of Christ’s redemptive work at the cross (John 3:14-15).
So, what is the Chinese dragon a symbol of? I think that depends on where your mind darts to when you see an image of a Chinese dragon. For me, it tends to head in the direction of Genesis 3 and Revelation 12. Not so much Western dragons but more so Chinese dragons due to their serpentine features. This is certainly not true for everybody, but true for me, so I’d rather avoid Chinese dragon symbols personally.
Revelation 12:9 (esv)
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
The argument out there is that the creature in Rev. 12 should perhaps not even be translated as “dragon.” So if we agree on that, then it is not so much the term used, but the appearance of a snake-like creature that is the representation of evil. So, the serpentine appearance or the ancient snake is the symbolism of evil rather than creatures termed “dragons.”
Like the Komodo dragon is fine.
However, say eels would be suspect, since the serpentine appearance of eels can evoke Rev. 12 vibes so no posters or ornaments of eels for my home too.
So the issue here is that Chinese dragons (as opposed to Western dragons) are specifically snake-like in appearance which may evoke certain vibes for Christians. Some may argue that the Rev. 12 creature has 7 heads and 10 horns (Rev. 12:3) which is nothing like the one-headed Chinese dragon. However, taking into account Revelation being apocalyptic literature, it is not far-fetched to imagine heads and horns being symbolic of powers, authorities, conquests, victories etc. rather than a seven-headed creature.
When you chance upon an image, where your mind darts to is something rather personal and pretty much a culmination of what you have been exposed to in all your years of existence. If you have a choice to stay in hotel room 666 or room 555, which hotel room will you choose? Your choice will depend on where your mind darts to when you are shown those numbers. To be sure, this is not about being superstitious but about not surrounding yourself with images that remind you of negativity where reasonably possible.
Fashion brand Giordano has been using the symbol of a frog on its shirts. When I see that, my mind darts to Revelation 16:13, so yes, avoided those shirts like a plague.
Same reason I avoid Razer products and the Manchester United logo. I know many Christians are fans of Razer and Manchester United and have their logos everywhere. My guess is their minds dart toward an entirely different direction from mine when they see those logos so their conscience is at peace.
By the way, symbols can be redeemed too (although some are harder to do so than others – I think the Chinese dragon will be a tough one – at least for my mind). Like Easter eggs with pagan origins… when Christians see Easter eggs today, instead of having their minds darting toward pagan thoughts, they dart toward new life in Christ. Thanks to Sunday schools faithfully reforming young minds every Easter.