text: is it true that more people can identify the golden arches of mcdonalds than the christian cross? a survey of 7,000 people in six countries found that the shell oil logo, the mercedes badge and the five olympic rings were recognised far more widely than the christian cross . 88% of people recognised the macdonalds arches and the glowing yellow shell, while a mere 54% could identify the christian cross.  why is this so ? because when you take a sample that includes 7000 people in six countries, you'll get a more representative sample of the real world, and in the real world mcdonald's is a far more widespread business than christianity.  assuming you are a christian, how familiar are you with the symbols that are important to muslims, buddhists, hindus, jews, zoroastrians, and the countless other faiths that make up the majority of the world's countless religions?   i'd be willing to bet you wouldn't even recognize many symbols that are important to various christian sects outside your own.