Significance of Rhipidon Society

A brotherhood, formed for the sake of being able to identify themselves as an entity when meeting Eric and Linda Lampton, the Rhipidon Society consists of Philip K. David, Horselover Fat, the highly-skeptical Kevin, and the devoutly Roman Catholic David. Rhipidon is Greek for fan. Fat dreams about a large fish with fins in this shape, which make it impossible for it to hold am M-16 rifle. The group adopts "Fish Cannot Carry Guns" as its motto. They earlier had wanted to call themselves the Siddhartha Society, but David had objected to anything non-Christian. The fish is a Christian symbol, but not exclusively, so all are happy. The Society largely disintegrates when Sophia Lampton, whom they believe to be the Savior, dies, although Phil and Fat remain true to their commission.