by Honesty 35 Replies latest watchtower bible
The cross was also the symbol of Nimrod, who was a Babylonian ruler and an apostate in opposition to Jehovah.
There is nothing that connects the cross to the biblical Nimrod of Genesis 10. Only Alexander Hislop's imagination.
because the symbole of the cross originates with pagan worship,like the ankh
As does a vertical pole. As does a circle. As does a pointed star. Virtually every geometrical shape was exploited by "pagan" cults around the world.
They do not understand the symbol
in him all things hold together
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you.......may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth
The stake, however, is an appropriate symbol for jwism
I might be wrong, but I think the Watchtowers rejection of the traditional cross comes more from Rutherford(?) trying to make his religion "differant" and finding ways to distance themselves from the more mainstream churches. One only has to look at many of the stances taken on things like Holidays, voting, blood, ect. to see that these are used as things that make the Witnesses "differant" and thus correct.
They get offended mainly because they feel they are correct in their view, and the one speaking of the particular doctrine in question is ignorant of the facts, or simply just ignorant of spiritual things in general.
Bingo, give the man a cigar.
I agree with Drew Sagan; it's just another tool courtesy of Rutherford to keep witnesses sorely separate from everyone else.
Hellrider, that was an awesome point. I can't believe that never once occurred to me. It just goes to show how I too always just spouted off memorized reasons for everything.
Crosses...Stakes This is what you should really worry about. Ban the Damm pretzels or worship them This should frighten the more superstitious (um, weak-conscienced) JW's -- the pretzel is associated with THE TRINITY !!!
Source: http://www.sturgispretzel.com/PrezHist.htm
610AD at a monastery in Southern France or Northern Italy where monks used scraps of dough and formed them into strips to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. The three holes represented the Christian Trinity.
The monks soft-baked and offered the warm, doughy bribe to children who had memorized their Bible verses and prayers. The monks called it a Pretiola, Latin for little reward. From there, the Pretzel transformed into the Italian word, Brachiola, which means little arms.
The Pretiola journeyed beyond the French and Italian wine regions, hiked the Alps, wandered through Austria, and crossed into Germany, where it became known as the Bretzel or Pretzel.
Calling the cross pagan was another way Rutherford was able to further segregate his followers and make them believe that only they were worthy of salvation by God.
See http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/cross.htm for a full history.
Does JW tells their supporters that upright stake or pale is fallistic symbol and it is of pagan origin. All the obeliscs, idol stakes are just like that - upright stake or pale. Does JW supports teaching that Jesus was crucified on fallistic symbol?
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 1Co 1:18
It is ridiculous . especially when you consider the fact that the WTBTS interpreters are not the scholars they claim to be and they still love to argue over what the greek word "stauros". In fact I would love to hear a debate from the real scholars and historians in relation to this.
jw's state only that worship of the cross is a sin. it is idolatry. as is worship of icons. it may be a point of debate whether having a cross counts as worship... but it's hardly a ridiculous statement. i don't understand what you find ridiculous
