I wasn't sure WHAT to think about them for a long time.
But what I read at the six screens website changed my way of thinking.
http://www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com/1torturestake.html
The arguments provided at this link spurred a paradigm shift in my thinking, it changed EVERYTHING.
I previously operated under the principle of the two vessels, one clean and one dirty, say a stew-pot and a chamber pot.
The two come into contact with each other, is the dirty made clean or is the clean made dirty?
I applied this to many things that had a demonstrable origin in pagan religious systems, holidays, crosses, and so forth.
I always said that if just one example could be found of true worship taking what had been pagan and cleansing it for use could be found in the bible, JUST ONE; my system of logic would fall apart.
I considered the issues of gentiles becoming clean, meat sacrificed to idols (don't ask, just eat) but they weren't a clincher, then I read the above link.
There is no question that the cross is a pagan symbol from long before Jesus' time.
There is little doubt in my mind that the cross was used to execute Jesus.
In light of that, 'let him pick up his torture stake and follow me' becomes 'let him pick up his cross....'
That is where my system fell apart completely.
Symbolic use of a pre-christian pagan symbol by Jesus himself. I found that to be conclusive.
Looking back, I could see I had been straining out the gnat (apologies to jgnat) and swallowing the camel whole up to this point.
I had to construct a wholly new, internally consistent logical system based on this 'new light'
I am still not comfortable with crucifixes, where Jesus is actually depicted upon the cross, but I am getting over my queasiness where crosses are concerned altogether.
As for those Icthus, or Jesus fish, they are a pre-christian pagan symbol as well, they symbolize the vaginal opening of the earth mother, so it's camel/gnat time again!
Roller (of the 'always open to honest discussion' sheep class)