Question for Christians....I honestly want to know your opinions?

Question

Why do you wear crosses around your neck? Why do you worship the thing that brought about the physical destruction of your god incarnate? I think of it this way: If my mother surprised a burglarer in our home and in order to save the rest of us she sacrificed herself and the intruder killed her with a knife, there's no way I would wear symbols of a knife around my neck. I would, instead, wear something that was special to her. Like my mom's birthstone, or something like that. So, what is your reason for wearing a cross around your neck?

If it is more about the resurrection than the manner of death, why not show an open tomb with the stone rolled to the side, as that is closer to the moment of salvation than the death and torture in itself?

Answer 1

I cannot speak for all Christians, but I wear one because I want to. I like to keep the remembrance of Christ close to my heart.

Answer 2

Understand this point please.
The cross did not kill Jesus Christ. We did.
We are to pick up our cross daily according to the Bible and perhaps, to some, that is simply a reminder of that commandment. Who really knows the true reason why people do the things they do?
Back to my first point. Do you see Christians wearing three nails around their necks? No. Do you see Christians wearing a crown of thorns around their necks? No. Or how about leaded whips? Or sins and transgressions? Of course not.
THOSE are the things that killed Jesus. All of the Christians that I know and have met do not worship those things. The cross represents TWO very important events. The first is the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. The second is the defeat of Satan and his "control" over the world through the blood that flowed from His head, hands, and feet.
While I agree that some people wear the cross as a show peice, there are more that understand the truth of the cross and what it means.
By the way, I do not wear necklaces. I do however wear cross earrings(refer to the two important events).

Answer 3

I don't worship a cross, a Star of David, or any other material thing. I worship the one living and true God and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

I honor the cross because it is the means whereby my salvation was accomplished. It is a reminder of the price that Jesus paid to cleanse me of my sins and reconcile me with the Father. Christ willingly suffered and died for me, so the Cross is a symbol of His love.

P.S. Can we add this question to the R&S drinking game, if it isn't already included?

I'm going to need get a couple of more cartons of diet cherry Pepsi, though, so hold off until I get back from the store.

Answer 4

I can't speak for all of the so-called "Christians" out there, but me personally, (as I am walking this life to be Christ-like!), I don't wear too many crosses. I think people have totally destroyed the true meaning of the cross. It should be a symbol of how Jesus layed down His life, and took all our sins away, not some piece of metal or plastic that everyone wears to be cool! Even atheists wear crosses so it really has no true meaning anymore to anyone!

Answer 5

This is an excellent question. I think there are several different reasons that we Christians can have for wearing crosses. Here's are a few I know of:
1. There is a verse that says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Mark 8:38) I don't think Jesus meant this literally, he just meant to say that following Jesus will require us to bear burdens and face challenges, but he suffered for us so it is worth it to endure hardship for him (there are other interpretations of that verse, this is just mine). So wearing a cross helps remind us in a more tangible way of that committment to take up our cross and follow Him.
2. The cross, in my opinion (and in the opinion of many of the other Christians I know), is not a symbol exactly of Jesus' death, but of his sacrifice that he made for us, and of his victory over death, since he arose from the dead. In that light, the cross is a reminder that Jesus loved each of us individually so very much that he actually died a gruesome death for us, and that is something that is often forgotten or taken too lightly, so wearing a cross can be a reminder of his love and sacrifice, so we remember and value that. It also reminds us that the cross was not the end.
3. This is, I think, the very weakest reason, and it's not my reason for wearing a cross, but the cross is a symbol tied to Christianity, so wearing one is a simple, harmless way of proclaiming our faith in Jesus.

Answer 6

We don't WORSHIP the cross, the cross is not God.

Although I don't wear a cross, the purpose of christians wearing crosses is not to worship the cross itself. Over the last 2000 years, the cross has come to symbolize christianity, this was not true in the beginning, but once the word got out that Christ died on a cross to save people from their sins, other people identified it with christianity, not christians themselves who, originally, used the fish as their symbol (fishers of men for God). It is now worn by Christians to remind them of the blood they believe Christ shed for them so they could repent and go to heaven. The reminder of his pain and the price he paid, reminds them to give to those who are in pain and suffering now, and also that any suffering they may endure for being a Christian, Christ went through it too.

Answer 7

I can Speak for Christians who wear Crosses but not for Christians who wear Crucifixes. The differences are Crosses don't have Jesus on them while Crucifixes still do. We Christians who ware Crosses are showing that Our Jesus is not dead, that he died on the cross but he is no longer there; so an empty cross symbolises the empty tomb. Face it a necklace with and rock and a rolled stone would be hard to see from a distance and be able to tell what it is. We do not Worship the Cross it is a symbol to those around us to show them who we are aligned too.

Answer 8

First, let me be clear that it isn't the cross we worship, it is the saviour that was put on it.

Many christians wear crosses as a shallow display of their christianity and it usually never goes beyond that. Most don't ever have an appreciation for what was done for us on the cross and it's just another peice of jewelry they wear to make them look good.

To answer your question, though. The true believers who love God and Christ wear the cross because it means something. It's a sign of the price God paid for our souls, even though we didn't deserve his mercy. Really, if I were to wear a cross, it wouldn't be to remind me that someone died, but rather a reminder that it was supposed to be me. I deserve death, and by no rights do I deserve mercy from God for anything I've done in my life. He has every right to send me to hell for all the ways I've broken his law and disobeyed him... the only reason I won't is because of what was done on that cross. That cross represented a strong love... a love strong enough to endure the most grisly, hideous death of that time just to redeem me.

Although I don't wear a cross on my neck, i am thinking of getting a small cross tattoed on my back for two reasons. The bible tells us to take up our crosses and follow Christ, and that mark would be a physical reminder to me that I am to do just that... but the other reason is to remind me that it was me who was supposed to suffer and die for my sins.

Answer 9

Because the cross was special to God. It saved mankind and provided a way for us to find God. The death of Christ is a precious thing to Christians. We love our Lord for doing this and Jesus tells us to pick up our cross in this life. Perhaps that is just of symbol of carrying our cross and the love our Savior has for us.

Answer 10

I wear a cross to remind me of the physical sacrifice, the pain and suffering that my Lord Jesus endured for me. I do not wear a cross with the figure of Christ on it. Just a plain cross. He is no longer on the cross, but arose and conquered death and gave me the victory and life abundantly during and after.

Answer 11

You make some good points. For such reasons I do not wear or use the symbol of the cross. I choose to remember Christ as resurrected and living, not dead. There are no crosses anywhere on my church's buildings or materials.