He died on a cross

ClassAvenger

Do any of you ex-Jehovah Witnesses still believe that Jesus died on a stake, or a cross?

drwtsn32

Well, I don't even believe in Jesus or the Bible, but...

The Bible does say he had nails in his hands. If he died on a stake with his hands over his head, as depicted in the WTS publications, wouldn't only one nail have been used?

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Rbi8 John 20:25 ***
25 Consequently the other disciples would say to him: "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and stick my finger into the print of the nails and stick my hand into his side, I will certainly not believe."

But does this really matter to Christians? Isn't the important thing that he died for our sins? JWs make too big a deal out of the cross/stake thing, IMO.

ClassAvenger

Yeah, it sounds like a dumb question, but I just wondered. I've never been a JW, but I wanted to know if ex-JWs rejected this doctrine or learned differently and accepted it. Just a doubt, and yeah, the important thing is that he died for our sins.

gitasatsangha

I never bought into the torture steak medium rare thing even as a JW. Romans crucified people.

It was just another wierd JW way to try and diminish Jesus.

bluesapphire

There's evidence that early Christians believed he died on a cross not a stake. Even if you don't believe in Jesus, you have to acknowledge that those closest to the time when he was supposed to have died would know better.

Besides .... isn't a stake a fallic symbol?

DJ

Here is a link to a research paper done by a poster named Leolaia. http://www.stanford.edu/~sarahjr/jwcross.pdf

All of these minor details really don't matter but imho it is best to have an understanding of what you believe so that you are armed, so to speak.... and your mind is settled. love, dj

gitasatsangha

Rutherford was an iconoclast. He seemed hellbent on destroying any symbols of the Russell years.

peacefulpete

Actually it is true that the Romans used a single pole at times, yet the evidence is that by the time that the gospels were written the cross shape was in use. The one being executed carried the cross beam to the site where it was attatched to the pole already in the ground. The issue for Rutherford was the pagan and subsequent Catholic use of the cross in their symbolism. He was right to see a connection (altho hardly first) he was wrong to ignore the research of his day that revealed the pagan elements in most all of Christianity. It is not insignificant that the christian god/savior was also said to have died upon a tree in contradiction of the statements that say cross. This suggests to me that history was not being reported but docetic (neat word meaning christianity without requiring a real body for Jesus) symbolism. The tree symbolically represented life in numerous ancients cults. A number of other gods were hung upon a tree in mythology.

nowisee

what difference does it make?

freedom96

I think the WTS only introduced the idea of a single stake because they wanted to be different.

Here is one thought though on the subject: Of all the witnesses that claim (because the society says so) that Jesus died on a stake instead of a cross, I bet not one single one of them can tell someone why they believe that. All they are doing is repeating the same shit the society spews out.

He died on a cross

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