The misconceptions behind satanism and non-christian religions have been running rampant throughout every household for hundreds of years. The recent outcry from Lil Nas X’s Nike shoe design has re-sparked some of the most common misconceptions. Most symbolism associated with satan are actually harmless. For example, the pentagram is something that has been completely misconstrued by christians for centuries. Its original use was in Chinese and Japanese culture. It was used to represent the five elements of life: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Due to the ancient belief of the symbols ethereal powers, it was later used by Wiccans and alchemists to represent the five elements that make up man-kind; fire, air, water, earth, and psyche. Even christians themselves have a history with using the pentagram; Christianity is the origin of the symbol’s current use: protection. The pentagram was meant to represent the five wounds of Christ and was used to ward off negative spirits. 

During the Inquisition period in Europe, the Catholic church started lynching and torturing people with non-christian beliefs or broke the church’s laws. The church used christian fear tactics like claiming a practice to be devil worship in order to deter any hesitation or denial in allowing strict catholicism to spread like the plague. The uproar caused by these shoes shows the true ripple effects of this oppression and is a metaphor for the importance of education and open-mindedness.

 The use of satanic symbolism for decoration is not a new concept, but a popular public figure using satanic imagery is always going to cause outrage within our society. Allowing the release of a pair of shoes to overshadow the real problems and tragedy across the world right now is the only phenomena here that deserves ridicule.