THE CROSS AS JEWELRY

[tim_from_pa]

On 10/19/2023 at 2:27 PM, choir loft said:

Is it doctrinal or blasphemous to wear or to refuse to wear the image of the cross as jewelry?

Millions wear some form of the Christian cross as jewelry.  Some versions are made of simple wood hung about the neck with string.  Others are of solid gold or other precious metal using a chain of similar metal to suspend it upon the neck of the wearer.  

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Does exhibiting a cross on one's person imply that person is a devout Christian or does it simply afford the wearer of another jewelry design?

Does one have to be born again to wear a cross?    Or is it blaspheme to wear one when a person hasn't made a personal commitment to Christ?

DOES IT MEAN ANYTHING AT ALL?

In Communist China one can purchase a Christian cross as jewelry.  Does it imply one is rebellious against the Communist government?  

Does wearing a cross imply the respective government of the wearer is in direct opposition to Biblical standards?   For instance, is it inappropriate for an LGBTQ person to wear a Christian cross as jewelry since that religion expressly forbids such a life style?

Is it appropriate for a non-believer to wear a cross as jewelry?

The political personal and popular possibilities may be endless.

What is your opinion on the matter?

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Then again, there are some Christians that believe the cross shape as we know it today is tradition, and not necessarily the shape of the cross Jesus was crucified on.  So like any religious symbol, is it a form of an idol? But like a business, pragmatically speaking one also has a trademark so others know who or what they are dealing with.  JW's believe Jesus was crucified on a pole.  If one looks at the historical shapes of Roman crosses, they came in all shapes and sizes.  I personally believe that the cross was shaped more like the letter Tau as Jesus carried the crossbeam of the cross where they hoisted him up (John 12:32)on an upright pole or frame already there (so it could have even been somewhat of a framework structure).  If one nails a sign up on top of the "Tau", the outline at a distance would resemble the conventional cross we see today as the sign would make the top part. Then again, our Lord may not have been lifted all the way up to the top of the pole, but to some intermediate point where the cross-beam attached.  This is just my opinion as to  possible ways this came about.  Again, wearing a cross is like a trademark of sorts, and some known symbol the wearer identifies with, whether the shape is historical or not. Personally, I do not care for that, nor pictures of Jesus due to the idolatry component I mentioned.