Is wearing jewellery with the cross or the crucifix a form on idolatry?

[Alison Peebles]

And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:5-9)

God told Moses to make the bronze snake. God used it as a way to heal the people. The New Testament tells us that this was a symbol of Jesus (John 3:14).



Every Christian church I've ever seen has a cross on it or inside it.[/QUOTE]
I attend a Pentecostal church and I havn't seen a cross on the outside or the inside of the church. I don't know if that applies with all Pentecostal churches but I have seen people at my church wear a cross around their neck. I don't think the Pastors at my church do though.

 

[Sabertooth]

This is my impression. I believe that it comes down to context.

I am an amateur figure artist. I use custom lay figures to help me draw faces. Both my drawings and said figures can be considered to be graven images, but at no time have they ever been deified. They are stand-ins for mortal, if fictional, people.

The same can be said about store manikins, illustrated humans (fictional* & non-fictional) and, even, photographs of real humans.

I believe the key distinction is

1. An image that was created for the express purpose of being worshiped,
2. A copy of an image that has been worshiped, historically, or
   
3. A specific image that has been adopted by contemporary worshipers.**

Besides obvious false gods, even so-called images of Jesus, historical saints or angels can be such.***

A cross or other Christian symbol can be reduced to an icon (especially if they are excessively ornate), but they don't have to be.

*Most contemporary figures & illustrated characters represent mortal humans, but some represent revived/descendant images from ancient polytheism, such as

• Marvel Comics' Thor,
• DC Comics' Wonder Woman, Shazam, etc.

I refuse to include such in my collection on those grounds.

**This would only apply to localized figures. If a cultist were to bow down to their own lawn jockey, for instance, it wouldn't turn all lawn jockeys into idols.

***This wouldn't necessarily apply to figures in the context of Biblical illustration. The pivotal question would be, "Do you or anybody else BOW down to this image?"

 

[Radagast]

I attend a Pentecostal church and I havn't seen a cross on the outside or the inside of the church.

I know that Hillsong uses the † = ♥ (cross equals love) symbols. I've never heard a Pentecostal pastor say that there was anything wrong with the cross.

Several other Pentecostal churches use a picture of the Holy Spirit instead:

 

[Alison Peebles]

In the very commandment we are not even to make them, or carve them at all, so even making one or carving one is breaking the very commandment.

But to where a cross?

Did you make it or buy it?
Are you bowing down to it?
Are you worshiping it?

The problem is our God is a jealous God and if he sees you adoring it over him then yes, it is breaking the commandment.

But if you are just going to put it around your neck for faith in Jesus I myself see nothing wrong with it.

I dont see how God will get jealous over you having faith for his son and showing it with a cross.

I did not make the cross, I bought it and no I do not bow down to it or worship it. I only wear the cross as a symbol of my faith in Jesus but I still feel kind of weird wearing it for some reason.

 

[Sabertooth]

...but I still feel kind of weird wearing it for some reason.

Some can be created to be a talisman and prayed over accordingly, but they would be discerned on a case-by-case basis.

There is nothing about the shape of a cross that would keep a demon from using it, particularly a religious spirit.

 

[Radagast]

I did not make the cross, I bought it and no I do not bow down to it or worship it. I only wear the cross as a symbol of my faith in Jesus but I still feel kind of weird wearing it for some reason.

I wear the cross the same way. No reason to feel weird.

 

[Rescued One]

Before I left the Mormon church, my neighbor show me a vase she was making with a cross on it. I've never seen a Mormon wear a cross or have one in their home. They have many temples with statues of an angel on top.

Anyway, I thought and thought about the cross and realized that when I saw them on churches, those members were honoring Christ, not the cross. In the Vatican, Catholics were kissing the statue of St. Peter. Protestants don't kiss statues. Amish don't even allow photos of family members.

Idolatry is worshiping or bowing to a graven image or caring about something or someone more than God.

 

[anna ~ grace]

Is wearing jewellery with the cross or crucifix, may it be a necklace, earrings or bracelet etc a form of idolatry? Is doing this going against scripture?

No, dear.

 

[TuxAme]

Before I left the Mormon church, my neighbor show me a vase she was making with a cross on it. I've never seen a Mormon wear a cross or have one in their home. They have many temples with statues of an angel on top.

Anyway, I thought and thought about the cross and realized that when I saw them on churches, those members were honoring Christ, not the cross. In the Vatican, Catholics were kissing the statue of St. Peter. Protestants don't kiss statues. Amish don't even allow photos of family members.

Idolatry is worshiping or bowing to a graven image or caring about something or someone more than God.

So, what about Catholics? What do we do with a crucifix that protestants do with a plain cross?

 

[Alison Peebles]

I wear the cross the same way. No reason to feel weird.

I'm not quite sure where the weird feeling is coming from, I didn't make the cross someone else did. But if making graven images is idolatry, wouldn't buying & wearing a cross from someone else who made it make you an accessory to that sin? I mean like kind of like how someone someone is an accessory to murder? You didn't kill the person but you supported what they were doing,if that makes sense.

 

[Sabertooth]

I'm not quite sure where the weird feeling is coming from, I didn't make the cross someone else did. But if making graven images is idolatry, wouldn't buying & wearing a cross from someone else who made it make you an accessory to that sin?

I see three logical possibilities.

1. All crosses are idolatrous.
2. None of them are.
3. Some are under certain circumstances.

I go with #3.

 

[Radagast]

But if making graven images is idolatry, wouldn't buying & wearing a cross from someone else who made it make you an accessory to that sin?

Now you're starting to sound like the kind of ultra-strict Muslim that doesn't permit any kind of picture at all.

Making or wearing a cross is not a breach of the commandment against idolatry.

 

[Danielwright2311]

I did not make the cross, I bought it and no I do not bow down to it or worship it. I only wear the cross as a symbol of my faith in Jesus but I still feel kind of weird wearing it for some reason.

Then dont where it.

It wont save you, Only faith in Jesus will save you so you really dont need it.

 

[Alison Peebles]

Now you're starting to sound like the kind of ultra-strict Muslim that doesn't permit any kind of picture at all.

Making or wearing a cross is not a breach of the commandment against idolatry.

It's not my place nor I have the authority to judge someone for wearing a cross, crucifix etc. nor is it your place to judge someone who chooses not to wear a cross or crucifix. Only God himself has that authority, if people feel in their heart that it's wrong to wear a cross or crucifix etc or if anyone feels in their heart that they should wear a cross or crucifix as a symbol of their faith, that's their choice.

 

[Radagast]

nor is it your place to judge someone who chooses not to wear a cross or crucifix

Oh, I wasn't.

I was just pointing out that a total prohibition on pictures has never been part of Christianity.

But I'll unsubscribe from the thread now, since you're not finding my input helpful. Indeed, I'm now confused as to what the purpose of the thread was.

 

[Alison Peebles]

Oh, I wasn't.

I was just pointing out that a total prohibition on pictures has never been part of Christianity.

But I'll unsubscribe from the thread now, since you're not finding my input helpful.

I never said that I didn't find your input helpful, but i'm allowed to ask questions and seek the truth. I wasn't trying to be rude by my last comment.

 

[drjean]

This is a good question.
While I do not believe the 613 Laws were ever for gentiles, one would declutter his life if he could easily keep some of them

I used to have different masks from my travels decorating a room... but realized that those masks, while simply art for me, represented other's worship idols etc. I got rid of them.

I have a bull nosed mirror my brother wants because it has an eagle on top (Early American)... gladly I will send it.

I have prints of the masters art paintings... why? well, they are of beautiful scenery... God's creation. ...verdict still out on whether I will get them into my van or not

I have a collection of crosses, both from my mom's and mine own. I also have a sterling shema to wear... but?

TBH I have minimalized to fit into a van to live in, but would have anyway to clear my home of anything that would take my time away from thinking about God, His love, His creation...but I do have a cross in the van with the verse about God knowing the plans He has for me...it's comforting and motivating.

 

[David Kent]

The cross around your neck could be there to remind you of Christ, to remind you of your Christian identity, or to tell others where you stand. In all of those cases it's a symbol, the same as if you wore a sign around your neck stating as much.

Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to remind us of him.

And yes it is idolatry and not Christian. Pagan religions in the past used cross symbols, including the Egyptians, so how can it be Christian?. Churches should have crosses on them.

Did the Jews wear crosses to remember the thousands crucified by Antiochus Epiphanes, of the hundreds by Titus?

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

I would say no. I mean if you were actually worshipping the cross then it would be idolatry, but if you are wearing it as an outward representation of what you believe and devotion to Jesus then it’s not idolatry.

 

[Rescued One]

So, what about Catholics? What do we do with a crucifix that protestants do with a plain cross?

I can't speak for all Catholics. I only said what I saw in the Vatican which had to do with a statue.