Why do Jehovahs Witnesses view a crucifix (cross) as pagen when worn as jewelry?

Question

I understand in the belief that Jesus died on a stake rather than a cross. But, isn't it more important to show that we acknowladge his dying for our sins by wearing a cross around our neck (necklace) and not be viewed as pagen? I don't consider it "bowing" to a pagen image to show recognition of Jehovah's only begotten son's death. (whether stake or cross). Please don't quote the New World Translation Of The Holy Scriptures, I've been a witness all my life. Just give it to me straight!

Answer 1

From what I understand, the JWs believe that any sort of religious form that holds significance as such is a form of idolatry. I admit that I'm not a JW, and therefore am not the best person to answer, but that is what I get.

Answer 2

The cross was a pagan implement of death and Jesus did die on a cross, not just a stake. How are you going to nail someone to a stake? NOwhere to nail your hands unless you do it behind your back. It is not just the Jehovah Witness that consideres it wrong but God has said in the bible not to wear jewelry. Shouldn't your life be the thing that shows you are a believer and not just a piece of jewelry? If you can't see by your life that you are a Christian, there is something wrong with your life that you need to change. The cross is just a pagan emblem of death patterned after the god Tamuz. What better way to kill the Son of God than on a pagen emblem? Do you want to celebrate the god Tamuz or show by your life that you have the real God, Jesus?

Answer 3

I don't understand, really, why the different belief. I suppose it's mainly a distraction from the most important thing: Christ died for my sins, and I no longer have to face punishment for them when I die. Wearing a cross around your neck isn't "important" - I wouldn't think...although, I'm not really sure what you were asking in that question. At the very least, wearing a cross on your neck doesn't make you a pagan, nor does it mean that you are saved.

Answer 4

I'm not a JW so this may not be the best answer. They believe many things are pagan and are idols. I wear a Cross necklace not because I worship it (I don't) but as constant reminder that Jesus died on the Cross for my sins; I also wear it proudly as a silent witness.

To be completely honest, there are many things disturbing about JW's core beliefs, such as:

Why do (JW) believe He (Jesus) died on a stake when it is clearly stated in the Holy Bible that Jesus died on the Cross. Where did this stake idea come from? Why would they (JW's) change what the Bible says? To be a Witness and not believe this (Cross) is disturbing.

Luke 23:26
[ The Crucifixion ] As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

John 19:17
[ The Crucifixion ] So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

John 19:19
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which [ Or whom] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Something else that is disturbing is that JW's believe that Our Heavenly Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit (the Triune Godhead / Trinity) is Satanic.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:31
"Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven--except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven.

Matthew 12:32
Anyone who blasphemes against me, the Son of Man, can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.


When someone changes the word of God, this is what will happen:

Rev. 22:18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words of this prophetic book, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!"

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

Grace to you and God Bless!

Answer 5

How would you feel if one of your dearest friends was executed on the basis of false charges? Would you make a replica of the instrument of execution? Would you cherish it, or would you rather shun it?

There is no evidence that for the first 300 years after Christ’s death, those claiming to be Christians used the cross in worship. In the fourth century, however, pagan Emperor Constantine became a convert to apostate Christianity and promoted the cross as its symbol. Whatever Constantine’s motives, the cross had nothing to do with Jesus Christ. The cross is, in fact, pagan in origin. The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures.” Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites.

Why, then, was this pagan symbol promoted? Apparently, to make it easier for pagans to accept “Christianity.”

Answer 6

Purple triangles were used to identify Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi consentration camps. Jews wore a yellow star of David and other denominations had other symbols. No witness today will wear a purple triangle to ignite conversation. when talking about Jehovah's Witnesses experiences in concentration camps we will more than likely refer to the purple triangle but never wear one. Anyone who does is most likely not a Jehovah's Witness or has underlying mental problems.

Answer 7

It comes down to maintaining a clear distinction between true worship and false worship. Even if the cross was not venerated and was not an offensive symbol in and of itself, with what group is it associated?

In most parts of the world, a person who wears a cross identifies himself with particular denominations. By comparison, a Jehovah's Witness man may decide to wear a skullcap for many reasons, but he may rethink that decision in areas where the skullcap might easily be mistaken for a yarmulke and the man mistaken for a follower of Judaism (rather than his actual Jehovah's Witness religion).

A separate but even more sobering line of reasoning concerns a clear Scriptural principle and teaching of Christ. Jesus made a specific point of contrasting true worship with false by noting that false worshippers needed an actual temple location or physical altar, but Christianity would worship God without physical paraphernalia of any kind, but instead "with spirit and truth" (John 4:23,24).

Sorry for the Scripture, it couldn't be helped.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2005/1/1a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2000/7/15/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1996/7/15/teach_us_to_pray.htm

Answer 8

They acknowledge his death when the attend the memorial service every year on Nissan the 14th at sun down just as Jesus commanded when he told his disciples at the Last supper "continue doing this..."
Its viewed pagan because the cross itself derived from the Egyptian Ahnk. A symbol of Life usually life after death. An Unchristian beleif! and symbol.
Second of all! Would you wear a symbol of a bed around your neck if someone you knew died on a bed! Its morbid and cazy!

Answer 9

Christians wear a cross as a sign of belief and gratitude for the sacrifice that Jesus made by being willing to take the abuse and pain of dieing in the cross so that we might have a path to salvation. Maybe some pagan country did use a t as a symbol, so what? That is not the symbolism Christians attach to it.

I was told by a friend at work who is a JW that the cross represents a "T" and the "T" is a pagan symbol that refers to the trinity. A pagan entity that existed in some cultures before Jesus walked the earth.

This teaching comes from changes made to the King James Bible by the watchtower org which has made numerous incorrect predictions in the past. If the leaders are inspired by God I doubt they would be making such monumental mistakes. See the sites listed in other postings but be warned the JW elders will be upset if you start researching religion by yourself. They seem to think you are not smart enough to read God's word.

A great deal of care went into creation of the King James bible, and anyone who knew the details would be embarrassed to learn they had accused it of having thousands of errors.

The following is an excerpt from my King James bible that explains in detail how much care went into creating an ACCURATE English version of the origianal Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

By the way, the words that Jesus uttered in His last moment on the cross were spoken in Aramaic.

Matthew 27:46 "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? "
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?


Jesus didn't call His Father Jehovah, He called Him Eli!!!

This was not because God had actually forsaken Him it was because at that moment, the human side of Jesus felt death approaching, He felt himself slipping away into darkness. The spiritual side felt the weight of all the sins of the world bearing down on His soul and it was overwhelming to him. God cannot tolerate sin, so at the moment when Jesus actually took our sins upon Him, God could not look at His son and God turned away. It was the first time Jesus felt the seperation that come between mankind and God because of sin.

Here is the detailed article on how much care went into the King James translation.


With the aid of Oxford university, the king nominated fifty-four revisers, selecting the best Hebrew and Greek scholars of the day. This was in 1604 AD. It was not until 1607 that these translators actually began their labors, only forty-seven of the fifty-four participated, the work was completed and published in 1611. The three years which lapsed between the appointment of these translators and the date when the work was actually begun were spent in the preliminary preparations and in profound research. Seven years were required for the completion of the translation known as the "King James" or "authorized version," for the preliminary work was, perhaps, more important than the actual labor involved in the translation.
The scholars were divided into six companies or classes, two each from Westminster, Cambridge, and Oxford. Elaborate rules covering in detail every phase of the work to be done were given to each group; letters were sent to all noted scholars of the realm asking those skilled in languages to send their observations on certain passages; and in cases of difficult and obscure passages help was to be requested of the most learned outside the committee. Certain books were assigned to each group and that work was then to be reviewed by all of the other groups in turn. They each had a turn in examining each other’s work. Corrections were made and the entire work was then reviewed by the full committee of translators. The entire project was reviewed again and again such that some portions were revised as much as seventeen times.
Is it any wonder than that the translation made by this notable company of scholars has survived and increased in favor and use for so long a period of time? It holds the place of pre-eminence in literature of all ages and will continue to do so until Jesus returns to gather unto Himself His own.

I must admit there are some passages that I find difficult to understand especially in the old testament. So, I have a New International version to help me with that, but always refer back to the King James to be certain there is no conflict.

Answer 10

If you had a close family member that was killed, say with a gun, would you hang pictures of guns on your walls? Or wear gun jewelry? You're not supposed to worship God with images, or Jesus for that matter - why would we worship what he died on? Maybe you don't think it's a pagan image, but if you really believe in God, would you want to keep reminding him of how his son died?
If you had someone close to you die because of being stabbed to death, would you bring a knife to the funeral instead of flowers?
Don't you think God would rather you prove with your works that you are a follower of him? Actions speak louder than words, and
James 2:26 says "faith without works is dead." You can look that up in any Bible you want.