Unfortunately, most religious symbols seem to end up stained with blood at one time or another.  The cross of Christianity, for example.  There were these things called the Crusades, not to mention the Inquisition.  Plenty of blood on that symbol that can never be washed away.

I'm just not convinced that you should reasonably deny a legitimate religion the use of one of their symbols because it was widely used in an inappropriate fashion (I'm understating it) by a hate group (even if that's an entire country.)

The distinction, in my mind, is that Hitler took a legitimate religious symbol and used it, as opposed to a religion deciding after the fact to use a symbol and giving it a new meaning.  That's a very important distinction here.

I still think it is important to educate people that this symbol did (and does) have a positive meaning for many peoples in the world.  If you asked the average American walking down the street, how many of them would realize the history of the swastika beyond the stigma?  I'm willing to bet you would be lucky if it were one in ten.

We must absolutely condemn the 's and what they stood for.  Of course, to be consistent, how many people use their symbols in war movies (even casting them as the bad guys) to make money for themselves?  How many companies deal in memorabilia for a profit?  How many model kits of Tiger Tanks and Stukas are sold in hobby shops?

I think that, many times, our condemnation is not applied consistently.

we can all take a break from our knee-jerk "i hate nazis and swastikas" position, i think we all share that sentiment.

so if you take the emotionality out of it bird man's arguments are logical and plausible.  accused of playing devil's advocate, or playing the edge, silly even, but mentally ill is an unworthy insult.  i don't agree with bird man on this, in fact his suggestions make me uneasy, but then so do KKK on parade.   But that is precisely the ignition-point where one learns something and improves one's own ideas and opinions for future rebuttals. and it is the bad part of the good that we have in terms of american rights

wouldn't you agree?

(though for what's worth, my opinion is also that the swastika, at least the german variation is beyond rehabilitation in this millennia)

I've hesitated to post on this topic.  But decided to after reading more comments.

While I don't completely agree with Bird Man either, I think it's important to consider something… I'm of Jewish decent.  My grandmother and grandfather on my father's side were both Jewish and my grandmother came to the US during WWII from Hungary.  I also just recently went on a trip to Seoul South Korea.  As we were walking around one of the many Buddhist temples that can be found in Seoul, I noticed a large swastika (rotated differently than what we associate with the swastika) on the side of a building.  I also noticed more on more buildings as I looked more closely.  While we were walking, there was a payer session in full swing.  I was in a serene area, surrounded by peace, prayer and safety.  I was also surrounded by quite a few swastikas.

At the time, I had no idea why they were there or what they meant or how something I associate with such horrifying atrocities could be so prevalent in a setting like a Buddhist temple.  Now I know that it is a symbol of peace, to this day for other religions.

Maybe those of us in the western world will never be able to look beyond the perversion of the symbol because of the nazis and Hitler.  But there are those that currently live a peaceful existence and worship next to or in front of this symbol.

I certainly don't approve or a group flying it above a public beach for the sake of attention. 

But maybe there's a lesson from eastern religion that can give us pause on what this symbol really means and has meant long before the nazis and Hitler came around an ruined it.

Interesting proposition.

 The swastika has been used both decoratively and symbolically since before history. It respresented many different things over time to people around the world. Continuing to use it for reasons unrelated to Hitler's party in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's, and to neo NAZIs will over time restore the design as being one that has been used for many purposes. But for most people in the world at this time the symbol is associated both with Hitler's Germany and with white supremacist hate groups, so displaying can be an afront to many people.

In time, the swastika will go back to being just another symbol but it's thoughtless and unreasonable to expect to display it today without causing considerable unpleasantness for most people. The Raelians are being foolish in how they are trying to change public opinion by pushing it into people's perceptions.