"The building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. A symbol, in and of itself is powerless, but with enough people behind it, blowing up a building can change the world." This quote, with added emphasis, is from the movie "V for Vendetta," and it applies quite perfectly to the ideas about religions we have been discussing, although in the movie it was applied to politics rather than religion. Geertz, I feel, would appreciate this interpretation of symbols and their meanings, fitting as it does into his definition of religion. Each piece of meaning about the world or the symbols in it comes from the people concerned with it, not from the symbol itself. People become meaning constructors, instilling objects or events with symbolic meanings that help inform or perpetuate their ideas about the world. This is not merely a one-time occurrence; it happens continuously all over the globe in all sorts of situations.

This meaning construction can be seen in any group, religious or otherwise, in our world. Americans impart meaning to the colors red, white, and blue, and children make certain meanings and associations based on the tinny songs of the ice cream truck. Rastafarians create mountains of meaning associated with all their various symbols: the lion, the colors of Ethiopia, the dreadlocks, and Haile Selassie himself. The lion in and of itself means nothing; it is one animal, like so many others. When people decide that it means something else, like a representation of the chosen people, the lion becomes quite powerful, inspiring actions and reactions in hearts that otherwise would remain unmoved by the sight of this African predator. Similarly, the chosen hairstyle of Rastas, the dreadlocks, have no inherent meaning or power by their nature. They only attain power and meaning when compared with the tame, slick hair of those people seen to be oppressing the Rastafarians and when imbued with intentions and power by those who wear them.

Though symbols play a powerful part in any group of loyal followers, they are meaningless without those followers and without the great trust and power they place in symbols. Haile Selassie, for instance, could be a symbol of many things, such as his country, his race, or his gender. But he was not a symbol of God or of the divine nature of Africa/Ethiopia until some people in Jamaica made him so. Everything has the potential to become a symbol to someone; all that needs to happen is for someone to decide there is power in a certain place and proclaim it as being so. Each person could be a symbol of something, even without her own knowledge of the fact. It all depends on how people perceive the potential symbol, what meaning is given to it and derived from it.