[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Sign of the cross, a gesture of ancient Christian origin by which people bless themselves, others, or objects. On an accompanying figure, that of Ashur-nasir-pal, is a similar cross. Its purpose was restricted. The Vestal Virgins of Pagan Rome and the nuns of Catholicism wore it on their necklaces. Whatever Constantine’s motives, the cross had nothing to do with Jesus Christ. “All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Writers during the 19th century indicating a Pagan origin of the cross included Henry Dana Ward, Mourant Brock, and John Denham Parsons. Share It was revered throughout the pagan world long before the advent of Christianity. . History shows that the cross was used centuries before Christ. United Church of God is a 501(c)3 organization. They believe Jesus was … The sign of the cross was originally made in some parts of the Christian world with the right-hand thumb across the forehead only. There are slight differences in how it is made between the various rites of the Church, but they are all legitimate. St. Cyprian explained the ritual in the 3rd century by reference to Christ’s redemptive death on the cross.The sign of the cross is used throughout Christian liturgies, in moments of need or danger, at the beginning and end of prayer, and on numerous other occasions. It became a symbol of Christianity only after the time of Constantine. The apostle Paul says: “Christ purchased us, releasing us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: ‘Accursed is every man hung upon a stake [“a tree,” King James Version].’” (Galatians 3:13) Here Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:22, 23, which clearly refers to a stake, not a cross. Why, then, was this pagan symbol promoted? History of the Cross: The Pagan Origin, and Idolatrous Adoption and Worship, of the Image - Ebook written by Henry Dana Ward. A pagan sign of the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and the Egyptians, this cross was a symbol of the Roman god Mithras and the Greek Attis, and their forerunner Tammuz, the Sumerian solar god, consort of the goddess Ishtar. Summary: The Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus was not executed on a cross but rather on a simple upright stake or pole.Jehovah’s Witnesses consider the cross a pagan symbol that was introduced into Christendom in its apostasy. Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre.” Hot cross buns are related to “Israelites baking sweet buns for an idol, and religious leaders trying to put a stop to it.” Eventually, “defiant cake-baking pagan women” were successful and a cross was added to the buns to Christianize them. The Sign of the Cross The Catholic sign of the cross originated in Babylon as a grand charm before prayer which drew the initial of the name Tammuz, Tau, or T. This same T can be found on the garments of Catholic priests. Since the fifth century The Celts have used the simplest representation of a cross, a circle and a superimposed cross, to explain the interconnectedness of the world. Start by marking “History of the Cross: The Pagan Origin, and Idolatroous Adoption and Worship, of the Image” as Want to Read: ... To ask other readers questions about History of the Cross, please sign up. The swastika, called crux gammata, composed of four Greek capitals of the letter gamma, is marked on many early Christian tombs as a veiled symbol of the cross. The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics says, “With the 4th century magical belief began to take a firmer hold within the Church.” ^ par. The tau form of the cross had been used as a pagan Egyptian symbol and then adopted by "Christians," called Copts, in Egypt. The cross also suggests the movement of the sun, not only throughout the day from sunrise to sunset, but also its journe… It became a symbol of Christianity only after the time of Constantine. The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures.” Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites. Why True Christians Do Not Use the Cross in Worship. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read History of the Cross: The Pagan Origin, and Idolatrous Adoption and Worship, of the Image. It is the Greek word xyʹlon. As our booklet, Is God a Trinity? Idols were not to be worshipped by the earliest of Christians, and the cross was no exception to this rule. Publication download options The cross is, in fact, pagan in origin. After the C… “It was not till the time of Constantine that the cross was publicly used as the symbol of the Christian religion” (ibid). the four sections sometimes represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter or the four elements of the earth: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The cross is, in fact, pagan in origin. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. What Does the Bible Really Teach? Privacy Policy Terms of Use. There is no biblical record that the early Christians ever used the cross as a sign of their faith. Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow | Learn more... With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! The cross is, in fact, pagan in origin. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the 'cross' of Christ.”. You’ll often find statements like the following by Cindy Jacobs in her book Deliver Us from Evil:. The historical record shows that Christianity adapted the influences of pagan worship, which included the symbol of the cross. However, it is seen by many as pagan or occultic, or even anti-Christian. In a section titled “Cross, Crucify,” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words records this: “In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system, pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. (Exodus 20:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:14) With very good reason, therefore, true Christians do not use the cross in worship. rosʹ] never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle . History of the Cross: The Pagan Origin, and Idolatrous Adoption and Worship, of the Image [Ward, Henry Dana 1797-1884] on Amazon.com. What Does the Bible Really Teach. Around his neck is an almost perfect Maltese cross. PRIVACY POLICY, Why True Christians Do Not Use the Cross in Worship, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/bh/E/wpub/bh_E_lg.jpg, Share | The cross is used extensively in black magic and in innumerable religions. The “peace symbol” or “peace sign” is widely used today. Conveniently, the original form of the letter 'T' was the initial letter of the god of Tammuz. The use of the Christian cross as a Christian symbol began after the time of the Constantine, which occurred three centuries after the coming of Christ. The Cross Is of Pagan Origin THE cross you see on the steeple of a neighborhood church, on its altar and as pendants around the necks of many of your neighbors is actually a pagan religious symbol. (A Copt is a member of the traditional Monophysite Christian Church originating and centering in Egypt. EARTH SYMBOL - Also known as the sun cross, solar cross and as a Hopi medicine wheel. “The Greek term signifies an upright stake on which criminal were executed, with no suggestion of a cross-beam. In other parts of the early Christian world it was done with the whole hand or with two fingers. The crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross conferred a new significance to the use of the cross in Christianity. This came to … The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures.” Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites. Where Did the Symbolism of the Cross Originate. Christ Himself warned His followers: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 506). This was, in fact, one of his primary motivations in accepting and sanctioning the Christian religion. We explain how it has caused as much grief as it has comforted. The sign and image of tlie cross is now, as of old, in the forefront of the pagan assault upon the simplicity of the faith of God in Christ, Tlierefore it is timely to present to the public a history, showing the pagan origin of the image, with its entrance among Cliristiaus, and its final adoption in the Church Catholic and Universal. Only in the fourth century did the cross come into prevalent use in Christianity. The evidence for its pagan origin is so convincing that the Catholic Encyclopedia admits that ‘the sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both East and the West, the introduction of Christianity. Some people believe that since a cross symbol was used in some pagan religions, Jesus could not possibly have been crucified on a cross. The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by Paganism to the same magic purposes, was honored with the same honors. Constantine, who is widely regarded as the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, recognized the value of religion in uniting his empire. TERMS OF USE *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. For example, in the British Museum is a statue of the Assyrian king Samsi-Vul, son of Shalmaneser. For many will come in My name…and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5 Matthew 24:4-5 [4] And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. History of the Cross: The Pagan Origin, and Idolatrous Adoption and Worship, of the Image It adorns the churches of most Christian denominations. The sign of the cross was made from forehead to chest, and then from right shoulder to left shoulder with the right hand. 7, pg. The historical record shows that, just as Jesus and the New Testament writers foretold, various heretical ideas and teachers rose up from within the early Church and infiltrated it from without. So a simple beam was sunk into the ground. There is no evidence that for the first 300 years after Christ’s death, those claiming to be Christians used the cross in worship. Even the Druids used the Tau when venerating trees by scrawling the symbol into the bark of their sacred oaks… “As Christianity gained followers, the pagan symbols were converted into Christian ones. The origin of the cross is indeed very pagan. The cross far predates Christianity, and its roots are in ancient religious worship. Even then it was used to ward off unwanted spirits and defend against evil of all kinds. The history of the sign of the cross goes back as far as Tertullian, the early church father who lived between A.D. 160 and 220. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol of life—the ankh, a tau cross surmounted by a loop and known as crux ansata —was adopted and extensively used on Coptic Christian monuments. The sign of the cross was made simply with the fingers (the index or the thumb) on the forehead or lips or breast (as Latin-rite Catholics do at the beginning of the Gospel lesson) or with the whole hand over the torso. The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures.” Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites. Notice this from the Encyclopedia Britannica: “From its simplicity of form, the cross has been used both as a religious symbol and as an ornament, from the dawn of man’s civilization” (11th ed., 1910, Vol. In Norse mythology, the hammer of Thor is seen as a Tau Cross. Be the first to ask a question about History of the Cross … The History Of The Cross: The Pagan Origin And Idolatrous Adoption And Worship Of The Image, was published in 1871 and examines the connection between Christian and Pagan symbols. What Does the Bible Really Teach? The religious symbolism of the cross has its roots in ancient paganism. . In the fourth century, however, pagan Emperor Constantine became a convert to apostate Christianity and promoted the cross as its symbol. 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