Is it not a anti-christ-like symbol? When somewone wears a cross, it conveys their belief in Jesus, but it’s also the devise that tortured and killed Jesus. This seems odd to me.
As much as I hate those Jesus fish on the backs of people’s cars (better-than-you advertizing), it seems the fish would be a better symbol for christianity.
Wearing a cross is odd, but Christians do it because Christianity is odd. The central doctrine of Christianity is that “the lamb of God takes away the sin of the world”. Jesus freed everyone from their sins by suffering, dying, and being resurrected. The cross reminds Christians of those central events in humanity’s salvation history which are supposed to define Christianity. It’s like flying the American flag, whose red and white stripes represent the bloody founding struggle (and the pursuit of peace) that is supposed to define the US as a nation.
Another way to think about it: the cross is a symbol of a sacrifice that must be remembered. In Christianity, Jesus is a sort of hero who sacrificed himself to save others. His sacrifice must be remembered, just as we remember our fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country. And just as we have various symbols to remind us of those soldiers’ sacrifice, the cross reminds Christians of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Finally, the fish is not about better-than-you advertising. It’s about letting people know that you believe Christianity is the truth. Christianity started as an evangelistic religion, and while some people have made it a private matter, many people still believe they should bear witness to their faith for everyone around.
Note: I am a hardcore atheist. But I was raised Christian so I know their perspective.
The Christian Cross has multiple meanings. In Roman times it would have signified a threat, “Obey Rome or this is where you will end up.” It represented Rome’s power to execute its enemies. People were hung on crosses to terrorize the populace. The cross represented state terrorism.
So when Jesus died on the cross, it meant the end of what he stood for–the man of peace executed by the empire of war. It represented failure–the ignominious death of a criminal. The miracle of Christianity is that the cross was transformed into a symbol of the power of life overcoming the power of death. Thus, the Christian cross symbolizes God’s power to transform life.
Apparently the Cross is there to remind people that Jesus died on the cross ‘for them’. Frankly, I’ve always found the original sin theory to be nonsense. Jesus died because of us, not for us. Though his stoical acceptance of death is inspiring in the same way that Socrates was.
As for the fish symbol, it’s important to understand the esoteric meaning of it:
altreligion.about.com/library/gl … vesica.htm
Actually, it could equally be seen as a way of showing his followers that he believed what he said, that death was nothing to be feared.
It could have been and is portrayed that way in places. But I read that it was unexpected and a devastating shock to the disciples. The Easter event apparently involved a reinterpretation of Jesus’ life in terms of his death and resurrection.
Yes. Jesus did not die by choice, he died because people killed him.
Maybe the symbol worn by christians makes them want revenge for his death?
Pure conjecture?
Ive been saying this for years. Ive got alot more respect for christians who display the fish than the cross.
Ive got a lot of respect for people who think this. 
Yes. I’m just throwin’ things out. I said ‘maybe’, jeez. 
Well, in the case, maybe Winnie the Pooh symbolizes Beelzebub for children and Ronald McDonald is the Antichrist. Do ya think?
Hi All,
The cross has more about it than what has been said. The cross is also the depiction of the struggle of spirituality in a world that shows animosity towards spiritual people. It reminds Christians that suffering isn’t over and that to follow Christ means to pick up your own cross on the way. Of course he died because people killed him, but only if you have people willing to redeem (in the sense of the Old Testament) in this way will you have compassion and mercy.
As Felix says, the cross wasn’t always the symbol of Christianity because it was a symbol of failure and ridicule that declared the superiority of the Roman system. Only when Christians realised what Paul preached was right, that the wisdom of God ridicules the wisdom of man in a paradoxical way, were they able to stand up and say “Yes, I am a follower of the Way too – kill me if you want, but you will not succeed!â€
Shalom
This is a real example of a death symbol in cross form. Satanists use the reverse cross. I don’t know the history of why since it’s also a sacred and god-like symbol of the Catholics.