Jehovah's Witnesses, is the cross considered "pagan" today?

Question

XFREAK -- No where in the Bible does it say his hands were nailed above his hands with one hand on top of the other. If this is so, maybe you'd like to provide me the verse?

Answer 1

Yes, of course.

The bible plainly exposes idolatry as pagan. There seems no reason to pretend some exception for the worshipful use of icons such as crucifixes.
http://watchtower.org/bible/1jo/chapter_005.htm?bk=1jo;chp=5;vs=21;citation#bk21
http://watchtower.org/bible/ac/chapter_017.htm?bk=ac;chp=17;vs=29;citation#bk29

(1 John 5:21) Guard yourselves from idols.

(Acts 17:29) We ought not to imagine that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and contrivance of man


The exact shape of Christ's instrument of death is hardly a central doctrine of the faith, but Jehovah's Witnesses do happen to believe that Jesus was almost certainly impaled on a simple stake, rather than a cross of two intersecting beams. Of course the Romans had the ability to create a cross, and probably did. But ask yourself: why they would have bothered when a simple stake would have worked just as well or better?

The bible most assuredly does NOT offer any proof that the stake was actually a cross of two intersecting beams. The actual facts of the bible may be enlightening to examine...

You may be interested to see how your own copy of the bible translates Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:22, 23, and Acts 10:39. The King James, Revised Standard, Dyaglott, and Jerusalem Bible translate the instrument of Christ's death simply as "stake" or "tree" because the original wording simply does not support the idea that this was more than a piece of upright wood.

It is also eye-opening to examine how the first-century Christians felt about idols of any kind, much less one that glorified an instrument of death.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/200604a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050508a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19960715/article_01.htm

Answer 2

1Cor. 10:14; "My beloved ones, flee from idolatry."

Ex. 20:4,5 "You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth; you should not bow down to them or serve them."

The truth has been set before today, yesterday, and it will be tomorrow. The truth is set before you with it answer from Jehovah's Witnesses. Now is the time to heed the warnings, the days are short, the road is narrow and cramp leading to life.

you say you are looking for the truth you have the truth, but you can not see it because you are to busy leaning on your own understanding.

you are to busy trying to make Jehovah and his organization look bad. It will never happen. For this is what Jehovah has said:

Ezekiel 6:7; "And you will have to know that I am Jehovah."

Also do you know? "The great day of Jehovah is near."( Zeph. 1:14)

The only thing the servants of the True God Jehovah has to do is

"STAND FIRM AND SEE THE SALVATION OF JEHOVAH." (EXODUS 14:13

Answer 3

Hi There, I hope I could help you with all these questions that you raised but I would like to say that you should stop being like Thomas also known as “Doubting Thomas”. In the Holy Bible itself God said to stop doubting and start believing in Him. He even said, Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!” (John 20: 29). For you information Christ has more than 308 names according to the Bible. The mystery of the Incarnation alone may leave us speechless; add to that Christ’s words of life, powerful miracles, and mighty works of salvation through the cross, resurrection, and ascension into glory. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2) Jehovah – “The self-existent One who reveals Himself.” Into the wilderness of my lost way He comes to find me and lead me out. Into the desert of my barren life enters Jehovah and makes all the desert a garden. Into my death he brings His life and to my dead senses reveals Himself the One Eternal God. So… It doesn’t matter if we call ourselves as Jehovah Witness or Christians…Basically, we are all children of God and that’s what matters the most! And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

Answer 4

Let's see,

Catholics and non Christians bowing before the cross and kissing it.

Orthodox religions and non Christians venerating it and making the sign of the cross.

The Cross is paraded throughout many streets in many countries around the world, by Christians and non Christians.

Many Christians and non Christians wearing the cross around their necks everyday for various religious (Christian and non Christian) reasons.

In these senses: YES.

If my wall paper happens to have a 'cross' pattern.
If my fence happens to have "T"s in it.
If my arms are stretched out

In these senses NO.


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edit to Jereme:
Where is the verse that says his hand were nailed out to the side?

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edit to Phoenix:

▪ Is it correct to conclude from John 20:25 that Jesus was impaled with a separate nail through each hand?

The Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, by M’Clintock and Strong, comments:

‘Much time and trouble have been wasted in disputing as to whether three or four nails were used in fastening the Lord. Nonnus affirms that three only were used, in which he is followed by Gregory Nazianzen. The more general belief gives four nails, an opinion which is supported at much length and by curious arguments by Curtius. Others have carried the number of nails as high as fourteen.’—Volume II, page 580.

Matthew 27:35 merely says: “When they had impaled him they distributed his outer garments by casting lots.” Little detail is given, as in Mark, Luke and John. After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas said: “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and stick my finger into the print of the nails and stick my hand into his side, I will certainly not believe.” (John 20:25) So even though criminals sometimes were bound to a stake with ropes, Jesus was nailed. Some have also concluded from John 20:25 that two nails were used, one through each hand. But does Thomas’ use of the plural (nails) have to be understood as a precise description indicating that each of Jesus’ hands was pierced by a separate nail?

In Luke 24:39 the resurrected Jesus said: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.” This suggests that Christ’s feet also were nailed. Since Thomas made no mention of nailprints in Jesus’ feet, his use of the plural “nails” could have been a general reference to multiple nails used in impaling Jesus.

Thus, it just is not possible at this point to state with certainty how many nails were used.

Any drawings of Jesus on the stake should be understood as artists’ productions that offer merely a representation based on the limited facts that we have.

Debate over such an insignificant detail should not be permitted to becloud the all-important truth that “we became reconciled to God through the death of his Son.”—Romans 5:10.

Edit to Phoenix (2)

If you want to get real technical, Modern Science and Historic documents show that those who were hung on crosses and stakes would not be with nails in their hands.

To place the nails in the hand, wouldn't keep a person on the stake, because the body weight would rip the hand apart causing the individual to fall off the stake.

This is why they were actually nailed in the wrist.

So in reality Jesus didn't have any nail holes in his hands.

Thomas wasn't establishing scientific proofs, but was making a generalized statement, of what he needed to believe Jesus had been resurrected.

How sad it will be to say, I left the truth, because of an artist rendering.

.

Answer 5

You may assume that Christians were the first to use the cross. The Encyclopedia Americana, however, speaks of “its ancient usage by both Hindus and Buddhists in India and China, and by the Persians, Assyrians, and Babylonians.” Similarly, Chambers’s Encyclopaedia, (1969 edition) says that the cross “was an emblem to which religious and mystical meanings were attached long before the Christian era.”

Indeed, there is no evidence that early Christians used the cross in their worship. During the early days of Christianity, it was the pagan Romans who used the cross! Says The Companion Bible: “These crosses were used as symbols of the Babylonian sun-god . . . and are first seen on a coin of Julius Caesar, 100-44 B.C., and then on a coin struck by Caesar’s heir (Augustus), 20 B.C.” The Roman nature-god Bacchus was at times represented with a headband containing a number of crosses.

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?

In ancient Israel, unfaithful Jews wept over the death of the false god Tammuz. Jehovah spoke of what they were doing as being a ‘detestable thing.’ (Ezek. 8:13, 14) According to history, Tammuz was a Babylonian god, and the cross was used as his symbol. From its beginning in the days of Nimrod, Babylon was against Jehovah and an enemy of true worship. (Gen. 10:8-10; Jer. 50:29) So by cherishing the cross, a person is honoring a symbol of worship that is opposed to the true God.

As stated at Ezekiel 8:17, apostate Jews also ‘thrust out the shoot to Jehovah’s nose.’ He viewed this as “detestable” and ‘offensive.’ Why? This “shoot,” some commentators explain, was a representation of the male sex organ, used in phallic worship. How, then, must Jehovah view the use of the cross, which, as we have seen, was anciently used as a symbol in phallic worship?

Answer 6

I'm not Jehova's witnes but the uestion if Jesus had ben shot by firing squad- I think their would be riffles on Church walls and Orhtodox and Catholics would make the sign of the riffle.
The cross is a symbold of Christ's victory over death and sin. The egyptian Ank dose have some what of a cross shape- but laet's face it the Cross is not a complex shape to draw.

Answer 7

the sun cross, or the swastika, is one of the oldest pagan simbols. You can see the picture of it on monoliths that date in 6000 BC, for example Newgrange.
Pagans had the cross millenia and millenia before there was any monotheist religion.

Answer 8

No it is not. Their own publication says it best:

"Snakes, crosses, stars, birds, flowers…yes, there is an almost endless number of designs and symbols that have at some time or other been linked with idolatrous worship.…just because idol worshipers at some time or place might use a certain design, that does not automatically mean that true worshipers must always shun it.…" --Awake! December 22, 1976 pp. 13-14

"Many times a design will change in significance according to location and time.…A pagan religious symbol might lose its religious connotation.…So the Christian needs to be primarily concerned about what? Not what a certain symbol or design possibly meant thousands of years ago…but what it means now to most people where he lives." --Awake! December 22, 1976 pp. 14

I couldn't have said it better. Going by their own publication, what it means now to most people here in America is our eternal life we now have in Jesus Christ because of his death on the cross. Their own publication said "true worshipers must not always shun it".

If people started worshiping The NWT and kissing it, would they have to call it pagan and shun it? No. I don't kiss, worship or pray to the cross.

Some worthy scriptures include:

1 Corinthians 1:17-18
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Galatians 6:14
"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

This is what the cross means to us. It's not what people used it for long time ago, it's what it means to us now. What it means to us now is that Jesus was crucified for us and we to the world. It shows my faith in Jesus's sacrifice. Not the cross itself.

Answer 9

when will all you idiots learn that jesus was a "JEW" jews in no way shape or form use the cross in any of their worship. either the jews that believe in jesus nor the ones that dont . bunch of dummy's(shaking head)

Answer 10

Wll in a way,because it is used in churches and holidays.We believe that he died on a stake instead of a cross,in the bible it is said his hands were nailed above him,one hand on top of the other.