Is the Cross an Idol? - Part 2 - Claims vs. Truth

Continuing with a look at why the cross is not an idol...
In "Is the Cross an Idol? - Part 1", I examined how the World Mission Society Church of God misuses and misquotes their sources in an attempt to prove that the Christian cross is an idol.  But they are not the only ones that object to the use of the cross as a Christian symbol.  Beyond the WMSCOG's highly questionable practices, is there any substance to their argument?  Let's take their points in turn...

The WMSCOG says the cross was not introduced into Christianity until the 5th century.

Truth: The cross was a symbol of Christianity as early as the 2nd century.
Yes, the cross became the prominent symbol in the 5th century, but that's not when it was introduced.  The cross was already associated with Christians hundreds of years earlier.  Also, during the time when Christians were severely persecuted they used other symbols, such as anchors, which are considered as disguised crosses.  The anchor is found as early as the 1st century (in the cemetery of St. Domitilla).
Resources:
Wikipedia - Christian cross
Cross as an Early Christian Symbol
Anchor as an Early Christian Symbol
Harper's Book of Facts

The WMSCOG says the cross was a pagan symbol adopted by the Christian church because the new Christians couldn't let go of their pagan ties.  It really honors pagan gods like the Egyptian god Tammuz.

Truth:  Jesus died on an actual cross, which has no relation to the Egyptian god Tammuz.
A cross is a very basic shape that has been used since ancient times in many areas and religions.  That does NOT mean that Christians copied it from paganism.  The cross is an extremely meaningful symbol for Christians because it was the instrument of Jesus' sacrifice and because it has a history of Biblical significance.  If you wish to say that the Christian cross is pagan because other pagan religions also use a cross, you can use the same argument to say that kneeling in prayer is a pagan act because pagans knelt in prayer to their gods.  (Thanks to Ralph Woodrow for this example.)
Resources:
Ralph Woodrow on Babylon Mystery Religion and The Cross
Wikipedia - Cross and Crucifixion
Spotlight Ministries

The WMSCOG says that people worship the cross, thinking that the cross itself is something sacred that has the power of God, treating it like a charm, bowing down to it and kissing it in worship.

Truth: Christians respect the symbol of the cross, but we do not worship the cross itself; we worship Jesus who died on it.
It's not surprising that some may think all Christians will hold up their little cross to ward off evil as a magic charm since that's what they see in Hollywood movies--but those are movies, not reality.  Of course we know that the little piece of shaped wood or metal is not powerful in itself.  And some may view a Christian's actions on the outside (such as kneeling before a cross) and draw the conclusion of cross worship by mere appearances--but God sees what is in the heart.  Let God be the Judge of whether that person is worshiping the cross or worshiping the God who hung on the cross.

Any symbol can turn into an idol for someone when they care more for the symbol itself than the meaning behind it.  But that doesn't mean the symbol itself is evil, only the attitude toward it.  Unfortunately the symbol of the cross is not immune to such abuse, and there are people who have crossed the line from respect to worship.  But that should not diminish the true symbolism of the cross.
"Yet both the superstitious abuse and the puritanic protest bear a like testimony to the significance of the great fact of which it reminds us." (from History of the Christian Church)
Resources:
History of the Christian Church
Should a Christian wear religious jewelry?
Is the Cross a Pagan Symbol? 

There's still more to examine.  Coming soon: symbolism and Biblical references to the cross...

Click here to go on to Part 3.

Is the Cross an Idol? - Part 1 - WMSCOG's Distortions

The World Mission Society Church of God teaches that the cross is an idol.  They say churches that display the cross, or people who wear a cross on a necklace, practice idolatry.

When I first heard this, it bothered me.  I seek to live a life that pleases God.  Idolatry definitely does NOT please God.  Have I been practicing and condoning idolatry without even realizing it?  It was important for me to find out.

I've examined the claims of the WMSCOG, studied my Bible, and done some historical research.  I'm sure this will take a few posts to get through, but here we go...

"Cross is an idol" is one of the World Mission Society Church of God's official videos.  It tells the story of a woman whose husband died in a helicopter accident.  Her daughter hates everything that reminds her of her father's death, even toy helicopters.  She goes on to compare this with how Christian churches use the cross as a reminder of Jesus' death.  The video makes many statements connecting the cross to paganism, with sources given for these "shocking" claims.  By the time the 4 minute video is done, the viewer is left wondering if they've been deceived all their lives into pagan worship.  Is the feeling of guilt that arises from videos like this the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or is it an orchestrated part of a cult's mind control tactics?

The first thing we should know is that the WMSCOG makes many misleading historical statements about the cross!

Let's see what happens when we try to verify their statements using the same sources they cite.  These are direct quotes from the video...

"The cross originated from ancient Chaldea.  It was used as a symbol of the god Tammuz in Egypt. (Babylon Mystery Religion)" (minute 2:30)

Here's what Ralph Woodrow, the author of Babylon Mystery Religion, says about his own book. "So is it with the claims about pagan origins. What may seem to have a connection, upon further investigation, has no connection at all!"  Even the author of Babylon Mystery Religion says that there is no connection here.  This quote was misused by the WMSCOG.  They have neglected to share that the author pulled the book out of print after finding that the book he used for research (The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop) was full of faulty research.

"Cross...was despised...the disgraceful punishment of slaves and the worst criminals... (History of the Christian Church)" (minute 2:51)

Does this make you think the early Christian church despised the cross?  The quote comes from History of the Christian Church which was published in 1910.  You can find the quote here in Volume 2, Chapter 6.  Now read the full context:

"The oldest and dearest, but also the, most abused, of the primitive Christian symbols is the cross, the sign of redemption.... Upon this arose, as early as the second century, the custom of making the sign of the cross on rising, bathing, going out, eating, in short, on engaging in any affairs of every-day life; a custom probably attended in many cases even in that age, with superstitious confidence in the magical virtue of this sign; hence Tertullian found it necessary to defend the Christians against the heathen charge of worshipping the cross....  The cross was despised by the heathen Romans on account of the crucifixion, the disgraceful punishment of slaves and the worst criminals; but the Apologists reminded them of the unconscious recognition of the salutary sign in the form of their standards and triumphal symbols"

Do you still think that History of the Christian Church supports the idea that the early Christian church despised the cross?  How about this next quote...

"When Christianity began to be paganized, the cross was considered as a symbol of Christ. (Harper's Book of Facts)" (minute 3:15)

Here's where you can read Harper's Book of Facts online.  It is a digitized 1895 edition with a handy search feature.  I've searched it and can't find this quote anywhere.  Maybe the WMSCOG needs to recheck their source or be more specific with an edition or page number?  As it is, it doesn't look good for the WMSCOG.  If anyone wants to help me track down this quote, go right ahead.  I'll update this post if it's found.  Here's another reference to the same book:

"The cross was introduced to the church in AD 431. The cross was erected on top of the church in AD 586. (Harper's Book of Facts)" (minute 3:18)

This is meant to make us think that the cross was not used as a symbol until Christianity had been around a long time, far removed from the early church.  This is not a direct quote from the book but the information comes from the entry for "cross" on page 212.  Harper's Book of Facts says, "Crosses in churches and chambers were introduced about 431; and set up on steeples about 586."

The WMSCOG neglects to mention that Harper's Book of Facts also says that symbolism of the cross actually began long before that with the signing of the cross first being recorded about about AD 110.

We should also note that with the persecution of Christians in the early church, they often disguised the written symbol of the cross, for example as an anchor.  Also, crosses can be found in the catacombs much earlier than the 5th century.  Check here for more information on the Cross as an early Christian symbol.  And here's more about Christian symbols.

Do you see how the World Mission Society Church of God misuses their quotes and sources?  Do you find that acceptable?  I surely don't.  And that's one more reason the WMSCOG does not earn my unconditional trust and devotion.  More next time on why the cross is not an idol....

Click here to go on to Part 2.

Complete Trust and Devotion

Whenever my friends or I try to share our concerns with WMSCOG members (such as these contradictions or behaviors) we are met with the following responses.  Are any of them familiar to you?

• "The problem is that you're putting your own mind to it." (In other words, "We must be told what to think and not think for ourselves.")
• "God's words can't be judged by man's common sense." (In other words, "Even though God gave you the Bible and a sound mind, you are not capable of using them by yourself.")
• "You can't understand the Bible by reading it by yourself."  (In other words, "Only our leader can interpret the Bible for us.")
• "Do you believe the Bible?"  (In other words, "If you believed the Bible, you would believe our interpretation.  Never mind that many (ok, most) reputable Bible scholars disagree.")
• "God's sheep hear His voice."  (From John chapter 10.  In other words, "If you don't believe this it's not because it's wrong, it's because you are not one of God's people.  And if you are not one of God's chosen people, then I'm not going to waste my time with you.")
• "The secrets of the kingdom have not been given to everyone."  (From Matthew 13:11.  In other words, "God has not entrusted you with these secrets, and that's why you don't understand.")
• "The problem is that you don't understand God's administration."  (In other words, "It doesn't make sense because you don't understand it...and I'm not going to explain it.")
• "You refuse to accept the truth of God."  (In other words, "I won't consider problems with the teaching, the problem is with you.")
• "You haven't studied enough.  If you completed more of the WMSCOG's studies then it would make sense."  (In other words, "Again, the problem is not with the doctrine, it's with you, and I can use this line no matter how much you have studied with us.")
• "Satan is using you to attack me and try to take me away from the truth."  (In other words, "What you say makes some sense, and now I'm confused.  But I must not doubt!  I will trust in this 'truth' even if it doesn't make sense.")

All of these responses mean one thing--a refusal to consider any thoughts that don't line up with the "truth" as taught by the WMSCOG.  The following is a direct quote from a conversation between "Carly" and "Lizet" (two WMSCOG members) on Jamie's Blog illustrating this.  (The bold emphasis is mine.  The typos are from the original posters.)

Lizet: "...If you really believe in Father and Mother, these things [that 'Father' and 'Mother' had been married to other people and had children] should not change your faith...."
Carly: "...I had no idea about this matter [Carly had previously said that it's a false rumor that 'Mother' has physical children that came from her own body.]...are you 100% sure??  Of course they are Elohim no matter what but that doesn't make any sense, I don't understand...."
Lizet: "Yes, I am 100% sure, unless I was lied to when I first came to the truth, but I refuse to believe that was the case....  Pls let me know if i am the one who is wrong, althoug that would mean i was lied to.  In any case let's not allow these things to shake our faith."

Here's the main problem... and I'm speaking now to our WMSCOG friends:

Has the WMSCOG earned your unconditional trust and devotion?  How will you know if they are worthy of your complete trust unless you thoroughly test them?

Please watch these videos of other people who give their complete and unconditional trust and devotion to their leaders.  Would you agree that these other churches are not worthy of that trust?  And yet, they have convinced these followers of just that, so much so that they will use any and all of the above responses to avoid testing their leaders and finding them false.

How can you know that you are not deceived just as much as they are?  Don't just say, "Well, I know I'm not!"  A deceived person doesn't know they are deceived--that's the definition of deception.

The only way is to put the WMSCOG to the test, with an open mind, being willing to accept the results even if it proves the World Mission Society Church of God as false.  The people in the following videos have obviously not done that with their "churches."  I pray that you will.

(Please notice that the members of these groups are all very happy and sincere in their faith.  Happiness and sincerity are not the primary indicators of truth.)

Wayne Bent
A Russian Messiah
Brian Leonard Golightly Marshall
Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda
Harold Camping (yes, he still has followers)
Westboro Baptist Church

Now for something inspiring...
You may have heard of the Worldwide Church of God, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong.  After Armstrong's death, the church's new leadership realized the doctrines they had held dearly were actually false.  They were brave enough to stand up for the truth, despite resistance and splintering within their church.  And what emerged was Grace Communion International church.
Here's their uplifting story.  It's a long video, but well worth the watch:
"Called to Be Free"