One of the things most non-JWs (as in normal people) find strange about JWs, is that they believe Christ died on a pole, rather than on a cross. I remember how the cross, when it would be mentioned, would be seen as almost a satanic symbol. I never fully understood what the big deal was with the cross, because, as we read the Bible at the meetings, every once in a while we`d stumble across the word "cross" in the Bible (the NWT wasn`t translated to norwegian until some time after 1990, I think, so I never saw it the time I was in). Well, the NT talks about the cross all the time:
Matthew 27:40 - and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Mark 15:30 - save yourself, and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15:32 - Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
Luke 23:26 - And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus."
John 19:19 - Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
John 19:25 - So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag'dalene.
...and only ONCE it is mentioned that Jesus was crucified on a "tree", or "pole. The explanation (or as close to an explanation) we ever got, was that the word translated into english as "cross" was a wrong translation from the greek word, that is, the greek word SHOULD have been translated into "pole". I`m not sure, this may have been explained in detail in some Watchtower or something, but I was very young at the time...(zzz..). I have always wondered about this, especially later on in life, after having studied history, knowing that THE method of dealing with insurgents at that time, was crucifiction. The romans crucified all over the place, noone had (as far as I know) ever heard of nailing someone up on a straight pole. So I was wondering: Do anyone here know the detailed reasons for the JWs insisting on that he died on a "pole" or "tree"?. What IS the greek word for cross, and CAN it be translated into "pole"? And if so, is there any good reasons why it should be translated into "pole", other than the JWs attempt at making themselves "different" from other christian sects? Also, I have not read the NWT. Have they changed "cross" into "pole"/"tree" in the NWT? Please share, if anyone knows anything about this.