Over the past several months ownership of the medical practice my family uses has been in transition. Previously it was part of a large regional group; now it’s owned by a multi-state corporation with strong ties to the Catholic church. Thus far the new management has brought about no perceptible changes but for one: Every hallway, every exam room, every office and (presumably) every janitor’s closet is now adorned with a crucifix.
Somehow we’ve managed to stay out of the bathrooms at our visits so I cannot report on the proximity of these icons to the toilets. I should have checked. Next time I will.
Trapped in an exam room for an eternity thirty minutes (made bearable only by the fact that I was accompanied by my delightful middle child, the one whose easy-going nature makes it seem less necessary to schedule time alone with her) I had ample opportunity to ponder the crucifix’s place in the universe. I wondered (not for the first time) about the genesis of such a gruesome symbol.
How might the world be different, I wondered, if instead of Christ’s body, broken and abused — or even the bare structure of that torture — we looked each day upon a different symbol, one which brought to mind less of Christianity’s magical side and more of its practical application. A hand made whole. A single finger touching the hem of a garment. Five loaves and two fish.
But I guess the magical beliefs are where it’s at for those who decide this kind of thing. Without them, any old do-gooder could waltz right into heaven, and God knows we wouldn’t want that.
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Why does a crucifix mean that “magical beliefs are where it’s at” more so than a finger touching a hem of a garment would?
It takes a miracle worker to heal with the touch of a scrap of cloth, but any ordinary human can risk his or her life–or eventually lay it down–for friends, for good. Martin Luther King, say.
I understand you don’t find the crucifix inspiring or moving. But to me, the symbol very much brings to mind what I find to be the deep meaning of Christianity–that the love of others is as great as, or greater than, the love of self.
You’re right. I wasn’t very clear.
The crucifix to me says that the only thing necessary for salvation is to acknowledge that Chris died for our sins — faith, in other words. I sometimes wish that there was more of a focus on acts.
Of course I’m being very judge-y and stereotyping and cranky. :)
I’m no longer religious, but I do remember that one of the features that distinguished the Protestant churches was that their symbol was an empty cross – signifying that the important thing for them was the resurrection of Christ.
It was not until I married a Roman Catholic that the obsession with the passion and death of Christ was encountered.
Interestingly enough, the passion and death of Christ doesn’t need any belief in magic or miracles as it is more or less known to be historical fact. It’s the resurrection from the dead that demands an act of faith – one I regret I am not capable of.
I’ve read that the earliest Christians viewed the cross as a symbol of the betrayal and killing of Christ and they hated it. It was not until three centuries later that there is evidence of the veneration of the symbol by Christians.
Placing social services in the hands of a religious organization seems like a good idea at first but will usually (always?) result in a conflict between the demands of the religion and the demands of the social service. A good example is the current conflict in DC where the catholic church is refusing to provide contracted support to the poor if they can’t discriminate against gays (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111116943.html)
In my own area, the only hospital we have within 100 miles is religious-affiliated and in defiance to state law has stated they will not allow or refer any assisted suicides. it doesn’t matter what the law states, their religious priorities always come first.
One image the cross should convey, along with the manger in the Christmas story, is the humility of Jesus. The cross was a means of execution of criminals, especially lower class and slaves. What I cannot understand is the continuing alliance of supposed Christtians with wealthy corporate interests.
The depiction of Jesus on the crucifix also puzzles me as it borders on the use of idols (another reason for the empty cross in Protestant churches as it emphasizes that this is a symbol, not the actual object of veneration.)
When I asked my Mormon friend why they don’t have a cross on the outside of their church like so many other Christian churches (I’m not intending to start a debate here about whether they are or aren’t Christian, so please don’t…), my friend replied: “Sean, if Jesus had been killed by a machine gun, would you expect us to put that on our wall? If he had been killed by a bomb, maybe a package with wires hanging out would be better.”
I had never thought about the cross as a murder weapon before; but, yeah… it does beg the thought.
Let me piss off everybody with my crass interpretations….
I put all the bows that people adorn their cars with in the same category as the cross. It’s all just symbolism that speaks to the ego and separates us from each other. Churches are more like booster clubs now. The symbols I see every day are and my cynical interpretation of them is:
-Flag-Speckled bow – I am more patriotic than you because someone I know is serving my country.
-Pink Bow – I have (or I know someone) who has been through something horrible, so you should not mind when I stage huge walks with thousands of people that tie up traffic in your neighborhood.
-Jesus Fish – I forgive you, therefore I am better than you. Jesus said himself he didn’t want public displays of religion when he said, “But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you.”
-Slanted Bar on my door jam – I’ll remind you how my ancestors were persecuted more than your ancestors, even though that has nothing to do with the present moment.
-Baby on Board Sign – Be kind to me whilst I drive like an idiot because I have kids that I know not how to raise.
Haaaaaaa
I don’t think faith should have any place whatsoever in a place that is profiting from your medical treatment. Period.
I’m a pagan. Granted, I’m less…demonstrative..than I was in my youth, but a devout pagan nonetheless. If I went to a place, forked over my money for an exam, and walked into the room to see a cross on the wall? I would walk out. Not make a scene, not lecture anyone…just, take my money back and walk out.
Last I checked, the Hippocratic Oath didn’t have a sub-section about having to be reminded of a good man’s gruesome torture, while trying to keep in a healthy mindset.
My mother, who has been a devout Christian all her life, has brought up a similar question. How different would God (and Jesus’) worship be if those participating in it were to focus on the gift (eternal life) and not the cost (Jesus’ death)? More to the point, she asks, “How would you feel if you gave someone a gift and all they could do was talk about how much it cost you to give it instead of appreciating the gift itself?”
fwiw, Catholic Hospitals are, generally non-profits and comprise something like a third of the US medical treatment facilities in US cities.
My wife works at a hospital that was acquired by a Catholic healthcare group. The crosses and crucifixes went up, the facility blessed, and the Sister who was also the hospital administrator gave an introductory talk that, paraphrased, went “We’re Sisters of Mercy, and we take this Christ-based stuff seriously.” They’re not proselytizing the staff, but the mission of the organization is centered what they consider to be Christ-like charity.
Which is to say, revenue at the expense of their religion doesn’t necesarilly enter into any equation.
Along those lines, one of the more interesting aspects of ObamaCare (not to open a big can of worms) is the likelihood that the Catholic Church will get out of the healthcare business entirely should they be required by the Government to provide abortion services.
Would it be unprofitable for them to close up shop? You bet. Would the Catholics do it? In a heartbeat.
Would losing about 1/3rd of healthcare facilities be a problem.
I guess.
But, hey, this is America.
Funny thing, religious beliefs. Funny things indeed.
Sean,
Your Mormon friend is a Bill Hicks fan….
Bill Hicks has a thing about the cross, and he basically says it is like people wearing a rifle for Kennedy.
I wear a cross, and am a Christian. That said it is a Celtic Cross. If someone could come up with a better symbol, I would wear it. Move to the UK, we live in a Christian country, were it almost feels sometimes that it is against the law to be one.
I have big arguements with people about my religion, or sometimes their beliefs. One of my favorites is what has already been mentioned, the death of Jesus on the Cross is the truest part of the bible. Also that he rose again, the whole story is what is on the money. The Bible’s history is really interesting.
Here is the thing I do not get about a lot of religions, I will use my own as an example. A lot of my fellow Christian, seem to not pay attention to Christ, but to their Churches. For example : -
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Someone please tell me how you get the two first, and most important rules in Christianity to say hate gay people? Or any of the other things the far right in my religion say, and more importantly people seem to think I belive because I am Christian.
Rant over. Honest.