The Cross

Originally posted by wolfgang59
I thought that they prayed to god and the cross (or whatever) was a focus for them
but not part of the religion per se. Is there any instruction in the bible to use a cross?

Maybe it depends on which Christian you talk to. Check out the doubleplusgood soliloquy on Thread 167170.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Thanks even Vine who was a trinitarian held that it was a crux simplex,

W. E. Vine and E. W. Bullinger, as well Henry Dana Ward, considered that the "cross" (Greek stauros, in its original sense literally an upright pale or stake) had no crossbar, and that the traditional picture of a cross with a crossbar was incorrect.

Matthew 10:38 NWT
And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/books/matthew/10/

Matthew 16:24 NWT
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and keep following me.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/books/matthew/16/

Galatians 6:14 NWT
But may I never boast, except in the torture stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been put to death with regard to me and I with regard to the world.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/books/galatians/6/

Does Jesus tell us to pick up a cross or is it a torture stake?

Should we only boast in the torture stake or only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ?

http://shoebat.com/2015/10/11/amazing-discoveries-reveal-that-the-shroud-of-turin-included-the-gospels-the-crucifixion-the-resurrection-and-the-trinity/

Originally posted by 667joe
Many Christians like to wear the cross as a show of faith. Have they considered that if Jesus were to come back, in all probability, the last thing he would want to see is another cross! (Perhaps that's why Jesus so far has not returned!)

Wasn't that one of Bill Hicks' jokes?

Could be. It is not original with me. A quote from George Carlin is that Jesus is a cross dresser!

Originally posted by 667joe
Could be. It is not original with me. A quote from George Carlin is that Jesus is a cross dresser!

George Carlin had some funny comedy but rejected Christianity and certainly had a dark side.

Carlin joined the United States Air Force when he was old enough, and was trained as a radar technician. He was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. He also began working as a disc jockey at radio station KJOE, in nearby Shreveport. Labeled an "unproductive airman" by his superiors, Carlin was discharged early on July 29, 1957. During his time in the Air Force he had been court-martialed three times, and also received many nonjudicial punishments.

Carlin was present at Lenny Bruce's arrest for obscenity. As the police began attempting to detain members of the audience for questioning, they asked Carlin for his identification. Telling the police he did not believe in government-issued IDs, he was arrested and taken to jail with Bruce in the same vehicle.

Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television
On July 21, 1972, Carlin was arrested after performing this routine at Milwaukee's Summerfest and charged with violating obscenity laws. The case, which prompted Carlin to refer to the words for a time as "the Milwaukee Seven," was dismissed in December of that year; the judge declared that the language was indecent but Carlin had the freedom to say it as long as he caused no disturbance. In 1973, a man complained to the Federal Communications Commission after listening with his son to a similar routine, "Filthy Words", from Occupation: Foole, broadcast one afternoon over WBAI, a Pacifica Foundation FM radio station in New York City. Pacifica received a citation from the FCC for violating regulations that prohibit broadcasting "obscene" material. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC action by a vote of 5 to 4, ruling that the routine was "indecent but not obscene" and that the FCC had authority to prohibit such broadcasts during hours when children were likely to be among the audience (F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978); the court documents contain a complete transcript of the routine).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin

Originally posted by 667joe
Many Christians like to wear the cross as a show of faith. Have they considered that if Jesus were to come back, in all probability, the last thing he would want to see is another cross! (Perhaps that's why Jesus so far has not returned!)

No, and no.

Jesus, without sin, submitted himself to the worst that men could do to him, sacrificing himself upon the Cross to atone for our sins, to redeem mankind. The Cross is therefore a symbol of that sacrifice and of his victory over death, and of his promise of eternal life.

The Cross teaches us the way of Jesus, the Way of Truth and the Way of Life, the abandonment of self for others. The Cross can be seen as the letter I crossed out.

Your theory as to why Jesus hasn't returned is glib, but that's all. He will return when least expected. We will know neither the day nor the hour. Until then, we should conduct our lives as if each moment we're our last.

Originally posted by Startreader
The Cross teaches us the way of Jesus, the Way of Truth
and the Way of Life, the abandonment of self for others. .

Can you get crosses to teach across the curriculum?

Originally posted by Startreader
No, and no.

Jesus, without sin, submitted himself to the worst that men could do to him, sacrificing himself upon the Cross to atone for our sins, to redeem mankind. The Cross is therefore a symbol of that sacrifice and of his victory over death, and of his promise of eternal life.

The Cross teaches us the way of Jesus, the Way of Truth and the W ...[text shortened]... the day nor the hour. Until then, we should conduct our lives as if each moment we're our last.

Outstanding answer.

Welcome to the Spirituality Forum.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Outstanding answer.

Welcome to the Spirituality Forum.

Thank you, Suzianne!

Originally posted by Suzianne
There IS that contingent of Christians who claim this.

But I can't see any use in describing what it was before the Crucifixion.

Do you see a cross, or crucifix, as being something more than a just symbol which has been adopted by Christianity?

Originally posted by divegeester
Do you see a cross, or crucifix, as being something more than a just symbol which has been adopted by Christianity?

Don't you get that whatever symbolism it had before Christ, that symbolism was death, pain and suffering? And that after Christ, it's now a symbol of the love of God, through His Son's redemptive sacrifice?