Written by: J. Gordon Melton The church of Scientology has from
its beginning created symbols to represent major aspects of its
life and a set of insignia to designate various personnel within
the church.Of the symbols, the triangular representation of the
Greek letter "delta" is possibly the oldest.This symbol of
Dianetics, four horizontal green strips arranged as an
equilateral triangle, was initially used in 1950 and continues
in use to the present. By far the most visible symbol of the
church is an eight-pointed cross that resembles a Latin cross
with a light ray protruding between each arm.The church sees
this cross as an eight-armed symbol, with each arm representing
one of the eight basic dynamics through which Scientologists
organize their experience of the world.The eight dynamics
designate ever-enlarging realms with which a person interacts in
order to survive -- self, creativity (sexuality), social groups,
humanity, life, the universe, the spiritual realm, and
infinity.The symbol, which appears to