Catholics...a question

*Bre*

what is a crucifix for?

fauxbunny

Leaving people to hang from their extremities while the elements get them.

Amrice78

theh one you wear or the one on the wall in church?

ETA: ethier way it's a symbol of Christ's sacrifice

mrsfrank

it's a rememberance that Jesus died on the cross for us

Janimal

I'm Jewish.  And I know the answer.  But since you only want to hear from the Catholics.....hmph!

Stellasmom

Well, what is any cross for?

Its a religious symbol.

Are you asking about a rosary? (the string of beads with a crucifix attached)?

Amrice78

Janimal:

I'm Jewish.  And I know the answer.  But since you only want to hear from the Catholics.....hmph!

hmph, I answered and I'm nondenominational

*Bre*

no, not the rosary, like the ones that people have in their house on the wall.

its just a remembrance thing? you don't pray by it or anything?

 

(90% of my hometown is catholic and i have no idea about this...crazy)

kgb1411

fauxbunny:

Leaving people to hang from their extremities while the elements get them.

as far as I know, this is what it's for.  is there some other element to your question? 

aulrobbri

<<---- Church of God now but went to Catholic school for 9 years.

Crucifix is a cross with a representation of Christ. Symbolizes that Jesus gave his life for all of humankind. It also has the Latin INRI which stands for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

*Bre*

kgb1411:

fauxbunny:

Leaving people to hang from their extremities while the elements get them.

as far as I know, this is what it's for.  is there some other element to your question? 

smartasses. 

 

Stellasmom

*Bre*:

no, not the rosary, like the ones that people have in their house on the wall.

its just a remembrance thing? you don't pray by it or anything?

 

(90% of my hometown is catholic and i have no idea about this...crazy)

I'm sure some people do, but its not any kind of idol. Its really no different than an empty cross in symbolism.

Catholics just happen to include the suffering Jesus on the cross in order to emphasize his suffering and death for us.

Protestants leave the cross empty in order to emphasize Christ's resurrection.

*Bre*

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

Amrice78

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

ah this one I can sort of answer

the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross as a rememberance of his death - many protestants believe that the EMPTY cross is of greater significance/import because it focuses on the resurrection. 

LoriFalce

Amrice78:

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

ah this one I can sort of answer

the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross as a rememberance of his death - many protestants believe that the EMPTY cross is of greater significance/import because it focuses on the resurrection. 

That may be the party line now, but it goes back to the Reformation, and the break with Catholicism. Catholics had statues and human forms, so the Protestants removed them from their stuff. It was actually an easy way to change the churches, since at that time, most of the statues were additions to the plain crosses, not a single sculpture the way they are now.

Stellasmom

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

Its just a different spiritual focus...another of the many theological differences between Catholics and Protestants.

Oh yea....and what Lori said. lol. Early protestants were opposed to graven images.

Doug'sFiance

I just recently went to a Catholic goods store to by a crucifix for our new home... I got quite the education.  I went to Catholic school and consider myself a pretty good student of the cathechism but did not know the following:  many Catholics are continuing the tradition of many years past when there was not a priest in the area.  Think rural areas or places which in horse/buggy days were too far to travel for mass.  Many older crucifixes were quite thick and had a hidden compartment in the back.  The man at the store showed me some like this... they are cool!  The compartment can hold holy oils for annointing of the sick or small vessels to be used during Eucharist when the traveling priest would visit. 

And in response to the previous post about protestants not having Jesus' body on the cross it is simply personal choice, Catholic or not you can have one with the body of Christ (corpus) or without.

jenifairies

Amrice78:

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

ah this one I can sort of answer

the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross as a rememberance of his death - many protestants believe that the EMPTY cross is of greater significance/import because it focuses on the resurrection. 

ooh, you know what else? I went to a mormon church and they said they don't use crosses/crucifixes at all, because it was an instrument of torture and they choose not to show him that way. I got the face when I told them I was Catholic and that I had a crucifix necklace...

*Bre*

jenifairies:

Amrice78:

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

ah this one I can sort of answer

the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross as a rememberance of his death - many protestants believe that the EMPTY cross is of greater significance/import because it focuses on the resurrection. 

ooh, you know what else? I went to a mormon church and they said they don't use crosses/crucifixes at all, because it was an instrument of torture and they choose not to show him that way. I got the face when I told them I was Catholic and that I had a crucifix necklace...

how did you get in to a mormon church?

jenifairies

some friends of mine. i was in jr high and they invited me to church with them.

i wasn't too serious about any religion at all then, and i have none now.

redstars93

As a recovering Catholic, everything in Catholocism (sp?) leads back to guilt.

You hang a crucifix so that every time you see it, you are reminded how how bad a Catholic you are and feel guilty.

Oh wait. is that wrong?

Amrice78

LoriFalce:

Amrice78:

*Bre*:

I guess my follow up is, why does it seem to be mainly a Catholic thing? Why don't all Christians have them?

ah this one I can sort of answer

the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross as a rememberance of his death - many protestants believe that the EMPTY cross is of greater significance/import because it focuses on the resurrection. 

That may be the party line now, but it goes back to the Reformation, and the break with Catholicism. Catholics had statues and human forms, so the Protestants removed them from their stuff. It was actually an easy way to change the churches, since at that time, most of the statues were additions to the plain crosses, not a single sculpture the way they are now.

yes this is also true