A Secular Symbol of Death

Newbie First Class Joined: Jul 28, 2007 Posts: 37

Is the Christian cross a secular symbol? That is the current opinion of Utah state officials and U.S. District Judge David Sam. This peculiar notion was reached in 2007, after local atheists challenged the placement of metal crosses along the highway to honor state highway patrol officers who died in the line of duty. Now American's United, along with the Anti-Defamation League, the Hindu American Foundation, The Interfaith Alliance, and the Union for Reform Judaism, are challenging this ruling.

"U.S. District Judge David Sam ruled in November of 2007 that the cross is a “secular symbol of death” and held that Utah officials and the Utah Highway Patrol Association can continue to erect the 12-foot crosses. Americans United is asking the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the lower court ruling. The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said he is offended by the claim that the cross is merely a secular symbol. “The cross is the preeminent symbol of Christianity,” said Lynn ... In its brief, AU points out that the cross has been tied to Christianity for many centuries. “In upholding the display of roadside crosses on public land throughout the State of Utah, the district court embraced the State’s characterization of the cross the clearest and most universally recognized marker of Christianity as nothing more than a ‘secular symbol of death,’” asserts the brief. 'This conclusion is historically inaccurate, blind to contemporary realities, and offensive to believers and nonbelievers alike.'"

Officials contend that the cross is secular, not religious, and it is being used regardless of the personal religious persuasion of the fallen officer. So atheist, Mormon, Pagan, Jewish or Hindu cops would all get the giant "non-religious" cross as a memorial.

The idea that the cross is "secular" ties into the larger notion that Christian religious expression and tradition, due to its size and ubiquity, is "normal" and ultimately beneficial. The corollary is that non-Christian religious expressions or traditions are "abnormal" and considered suspect. But popularity and tradition doesn't remove religious context from a religious symbol, instead it subtly reinforces that faith's dominance and "right" to utter ubiquity. If the cross was truly secular, we wouldn't have 39 different emblems of belief for military markers and headstones, nor would minority religions fight to have their own symbols added to that list.

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Courtesy: The Wildhunt

Post Noob Joined: Jul 07, 2008 Posts: 58

The problem with symbols is that they can mean any thing you want them to mean and they often change there meanings without notice.

In the case of the cross it has such a long history that I don't see how you can claim it is secular but it has always stood for cusification which involves turturing people to death. I have no idea how some consider this peaceful.

It has also been used to represent conquest and mass murder starting at least with Constantine, the Crusades, Inquisitions etc. Once again I have no idea what that has to do with peace.

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 525

Quote:

It has also been used to represent conquest and mass murder starting at least with Constantine, the Crusades, Inquisitions etc. Once again I have no idea what that has to do with peace.

Exactly! The only way it can only come to represent peace is through Christianity, but THAT would be religious. Therefore, the outcome should have been that the cross is NOT a secular symbol of death. Our state legislatures too often treat Christianity as the default belief system.

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:04 pm

Why don't they just erect a huge ribbon in the deceased favorite color? They can put their name on it... You know the ribbons...you see them on the back of vehicle bumpers everywhere supporting everything from breast cancer awareness to support of our troops.

Post Noob Joined: Jul 07, 2008 Posts: 58

It is obviously a religious symbol of death, torture, war, conquest, indoctrination etc.

However if you've been indoctrinated you can come to believe the belief system Mr. Blair describes

War is peace
Ignorance is strength
Freedom is slavery
Sadism is morality

or something like that Rolling Eyes


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