What do you think you know of all those crosses running around in the world did you know the cross is the single most selling piece of jewelry? The bible is the #1 selling book? and Christianity the #1 religion? Well all these amazing statistics make sense considering the amount of faith today which is a good thing but what I want to talk about is "symbols"Do you know the second commandment?Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below Deuteronomy 4:15-18Idolatry Forbidden You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.Folks it is unfortunate that Christianity has done this they have created images and idols (crosses with jesus a man on them!) mainly the catholic church but still most protestants still have crosses as their symbols. Why do we need symbols as idols can't we worship God without pictures of painted Jesus? Yashua is painted in my heart I took down the picture my mom had because I don't know this man Jesus in christianity I know Yashua the christ.What do you think are these symbols bordering idolatry that was forbidden long ago?? Remember a wooden cross won't save you, a paper bible won't save you, a popular religion won't save you, a mystery man won't save you, a only the savior can save you.
"Symbol of Christianity?"
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Every once in awhile my children and I get out the old photo albums and look at the pictures in them. Each picture has a story and we get to relive the experiences and the feelings experienced when the picture was taken. That is also how I view the cross that hangs on my wall. Not as an idol, I do not worship or pray to it, but when I see it I am reminded of the sacrifice that God made for me.
(Bigun65;30501)
Every once in awhile my children and I get out the old photo albums and look at the pictures in them. Each picture has a story and we get to relive the experiences and the feelings experienced when the picture was taken. That is also how I view the cross that hangs on my wall. Not as an idol, I do not worship or pray to it, but when I see it I am reminded of the sacrifice that God made for me.
Okay Bigun65 but wouldn't you say that some christians treat their bibles and crosses and bumper stickers as their idols or stamps of faith? We are to take up our own cross not to merely rely on the cross. People should know how to serve Christ and others in love not in things.
Every once in awhile my children and I get out the old photo albums and look at the pictures in them. Each picture has a story and we get to relive the experiences and the feelings experienced when the picture was taken. That is also how I view the cross that hangs on my wall. Not as an idol, I do not worship or pray to it, but when I see it I am reminded of the sacrifice that God made for me.
Okay Bigun65 but wouldn't you say that some christians treat their bibles and crosses and bumper stickers as their idols or stamps of faith? We are to take up our own cross not to merely rely on the cross. People should know how to serve Christ and others in love not in things.
I can only speak for myself, and my cross. There are several examples in the Bible of people worshiping the creature over the creator. That is, created things over Jesus. Anything can become an idol, even man himself. In my case the cross on my wall is not an idol. In someone else’s case it could be, but so could many other things. Anything you put before Jesus becomes your idol. I know people who idolize their spouse or their children. Instead of putting God first they put their families first. Many people make idols of their job, their health or their cars. Family is important, health is important, money is important, symbols are important, but when they start to take a front seat to Jesus is when the problems begin.
This is another one of those cases where men or women take one part of the bible and not it's entirety and emphasizes their beliefs through portions. You forgot the REST OF THE CHAPTER Verse 19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.He said do not make Images and Worship them! The Arch of the Covenant had Cheribums on them, you think YHWH would contradict Himself?! He Knew what he was doing. Remember when he Said I will put my name upon My People, He talking up us Christians and Messianics(Tribe of Judah, Levi, Benjamin, even those of the Diasporatic Jews). We are identified through his Death and Resurrection on the Cross and our acceptance of Yeshua HaMashiach.Getting Back to the point, if God had really commanded what you emphasize as Idol Worship which is far off, Why was there Cheribums put on the Arch of the Covenant?Oh Brother Use all the Bible, not portions.
spiritsoldierEverone has to carry his or her own cross. new christians carry a lighter and mature christians the cross gets heavier and heavier. Idols are things that are worshipped. An empty cross represents the ressurection of Jesus whom we worship.
I have a gold chain with Jesus Still on the Cross, it's a reminder of what he's done. Does it even bare any significance whether he's there or not? Only a protestant would say so, and now even Protestants are saying it's ok! So don't worry too much on it, if you're not worshiping the image then HalleluYAH, if you are there's something wrong and you need help from the Bible and the Holy Ghost.
Would say this is one of those doctrines that can be twisted completley out of context God can read our hearts it the state of your soul he is concerned with if one carries a Bible a cross and it reminds him to put Jesus first or to let God be in control,or that we are to walk in Christ's path is perfectly fine with God (common sense is all thats required to get this)On the other hand if you have candles and an alter set up to a statue , a cross,Mary or any saint and you pray to it and worship it and or ask it for help then you guilty of Idol worship.We are not to pray to anything or anybody else
(Unorthodox Christian;30527)
This is another one of those cases where men or women take one part of the bible and not it's entirety and emphasizes their beliefs through portions. You forgot the REST OF THE CHAPTER Verse 19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.He said do not make Images and Worship them! The Arch of the Covenant had Cheribums on them, you think YHWH would contradict Himself?! He Knew what he was doing. Remember when he Said I will put my name upon My People, He talking up us Christians and Messianics(Tribe of Judah, Levi, Benjamin, even those of the Diasporatic Jews). We are identified through his Death and Resurrection on the Cross and our acceptance of Yeshua HaMashiach.Getting Back to the point, if God had really commanded what you emphasize as Idol Worship which is far off, Why was there Cheribums put on the Arch of the Covenant?Oh Brother Use all the Bible, not portions.
A text without the context is a mere pretext. Hard to present fully on a discussion board.
This is another one of those cases where men or women take one part of the bible and not it's entirety and emphasizes their beliefs through portions. You forgot the REST OF THE CHAPTER Verse 19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.He said do not make Images and Worship them! The Arch of the Covenant had Cheribums on them, you think YHWH would contradict Himself?! He Knew what he was doing. Remember when he Said I will put my name upon My People, He talking up us Christians and Messianics(Tribe of Judah, Levi, Benjamin, even those of the Diasporatic Jews). We are identified through his Death and Resurrection on the Cross and our acceptance of Yeshua HaMashiach.Getting Back to the point, if God had really commanded what you emphasize as Idol Worship which is far off, Why was there Cheribums put on the Arch of the Covenant?Oh Brother Use all the Bible, not portions.
A text without the context is a mere pretext. Hard to present fully on a discussion board.
(SpiritSoldier;30498)
Folks it is unfortunate that Christianity has done this they have created images and idols (crosses with jesus a man on them!) mainly the catholic church but still most protestants still have crosses as their symbols. Why do we need symbols as idols can't we worship God without pictures of painted Jesus? Yashua is painted in my heart I took down the picture my mom had because I don't know this man Jesus in christianity I know Yashua the christ.What do you think are these symbols bordering idolatry that was forbidden long ago?? Remember a wooden cross won't save you, a paper bible won't save you, a popular religion won't save you, a mystery man won't save you, a only the savior can save you.
Typical atheist response. There is a difference between keeping a image for respect and love, than worshiping it. Is having an image of a family member worship? Of course not. These are not idols. If you would like to read the Bible , I could show you some excellent verses that prove that this is not idolatry.
Folks it is unfortunate that Christianity has done this they have created images and idols (crosses with jesus a man on them!) mainly the catholic church but still most protestants still have crosses as their symbols. Why do we need symbols as idols can't we worship God without pictures of painted Jesus? Yashua is painted in my heart I took down the picture my mom had because I don't know this man Jesus in christianity I know Yashua the christ.What do you think are these symbols bordering idolatry that was forbidden long ago?? Remember a wooden cross won't save you, a paper bible won't save you, a popular religion won't save you, a mystery man won't save you, a only the savior can save you.
Typical atheist response. There is a difference between keeping a image for respect and love, than worshiping it. Is having an image of a family member worship? Of course not. These are not idols. If you would like to read the Bible , I could show you some excellent verses that prove that this is not idolatry.
If you would like to read the Bible , I could show you some excellent verses that prove that this is not idolatry.
I'd be interested in some verses.
I've been studying this topic myself and have some conclusions that I'd like scripture to challenge/strengthen. Here's the beef that I have with the cross symbol: 1- Shameful to ChristEven though the act upon it was glorius and powerful, Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Christ despised the shame of the cross. Was the despised shame of His lifetime really something He wants us to symbolize; as our identity as His followers? To Christ, this object was an insult He had to endure, yet we decorate our lives with it. I think we're wrong in doing so, for one: because He despised it. 2- Not to be madeBack to the commandment in the Old Testament; the versions of the symbol that we carry are both graven (such as a necklace) AND standing (like the ones all around most church buildings). Lev. 26:1 gives the command to not even make either of these kinds of images, yet the Christian culture is decorated with them. 3- Pagan Symbol= not to be used to worship GodA Roman ruler who was raised in paganism (Constantine), decided that Christ was actually the incarnation of the sun god Apollo, and thus, should be worshiped for the symbol of a previous name for Apollo: the same sun god named Tammuz. Tammuz's symbol is the tao ("†") cross. This has been a pagan symbol long before Christ (“The Two Babylons”, 1959, p. 198-199, 204-205 -and- "The Dictionary of Mysticism and the Occult" ). Meanwhile we’re told to not worship the Lord how pagans worship their gods (Deut. 12:30). 4- Wrong Shape?The meanings of the "cross" words in the Bible aren't defined by "two intersecting beams". Christ's cross wasn't even referred to as such a shape until about 300 years after His death... when pagan and Christian cultures we're trying to make peace with eachother (“The Encyclopedia Britannica”, 11th ed., 1910, Vol. 7, p. 506). Early Christians were able to hide thier faith behind a symbol that non-Christian citizens and rulers were pleased by. I'd think that if the Lord intended on me honoring His son with the cross, it'd be imporant enough of a specific shape to mention in His Word. 5- Celebrating the Darkness of Messianic TortureGod's people are now represented by a tool of torture and execution. I'd at least like to use one that's not a pagan symbol, if that's what the Messiah really wants. I believe Satan is enjoying the continual mockery of Christ's brutal death, even thousands of years later, at the hands of the Messiah's own followers, using a demonic symbol. The death of Christ alone would have been insignificant, short of His following resurrection as the true Messiah. The beauty of Christianity isn't the brutality of Him being slain and tortured, but the fact that He alone could conquer sin and death. Celebrating the shameful symbol of Christ's physical pain is a very carnal view of a completely glorious spiritual process. Is a wedding about the loneliness of two not yet married, or is it about the joining of two into one? Are graduation ceremonies held to dwell on the long hours spent on education, or are they held to rejoice in such an education being completed? In the same way, we shouldn't focus on a negative aspect of a savior by symbolizing and worshiping Him for is His death. The resurrection was the physical aspect of Christ that showed His power, not His death. Anyone can die. It's just a part of life. The cross was only Satan's attempt to eliminate The Son (which was used by Christ as an opportunity to show His power over darkness). Why remember Christ for just a symbol of darkness; because He faced it? Maybe we should remember Christ for His temptation. He faced that darkness too. ((I realize I need to support this section with some scripture)) 6- A Wrong FocusThe more emphasis that's put on somehting that's not a worthy aspect of our culture Biblically (the cross), the less emphesis we tend to put on aspects that God has created to honor Him with. We easily trade white-washed culture for divine instruction. People tend to not search for things if they feel they already have them. If we remove less-important ideals, we'll find the hunger to search for what is ideal by studying scripture. Cross symbols simply make us feel more secure spiritually because we can see a characteristic that associates us with Christ. Without this illusion of safety, we might actually loose apathy towards studying God's Word. These are just my conclusions based on the little study I have done. If I'm way off Biblically, I'd love to know it. I'm not looking for any arguments, but I do want insight that challenges these reasons I'm cautious of the cross in it's current form and use. Maybe I can be "won back" to the symbol if these perspectives don't fit His perspectives. hehe. Any input?
I'd be interested in some verses.
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