This past week Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan, a former child star now known for various excesses, was revealed on a French magazine cover in a pose that suspiciously resembled the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Naturally, Christian organizations such as the Catholic League took the opportunity to gain attention by jumping up and down, and shouting, "I'm offended!" The purported offense occurs not only with the image itself imitating Our Lord's Passion but also with the timing, coinciding with Easter, which is supposed to be a Christian holiday.
A close study of history, however, reveals the suppositions of Lohan's pose and Easter being "Christian" to be incorrect. Indeed, any outrage could in actuality be expressed in the opposite direction, concerning the Christianization of pre-Christian iconography, traditions, myths and rituals, including both the motif of a god or goddess on a cross (the crucifixion) and the celebration of life's renewal in the spring (Easter).
The pre-Christian god on a cross
Although these facts are not widely known or understood - and a case could be made for that widespread ignorance being deliberately contrived - the motif of a god, goddess or other figure on a cross or in a cross shape predates the "Christian" or common era by many centuries. In various parts of the world we find numerous artifacts of a human figure on a cross or in a cross shape called "cruciform." Many of these images are clearly pre-Christian, based on the commonly accepted (although inaccurate) terminology defining the "Christian era" as having begun around what we call the year 1. Other cruciform artifacts date to long after the alleged advent of Christ but demonstrate no influence by or knowledge of Christian doctrine. These images, in reality, represent a common motif based on observations entirely independent of the gospel story, many rooted in nature worship or what has been termed "astrotheology."
The pre-Christian existence of the god-on-a-cross motif is testified to by the early Church fathers Tertullian (c. 160-c. 220) and Minucius Felix (fl. between 160 to 300). In responding to mockery by non-Christians, Tertullian remarks, "We have shown before that your deities are derived from shapes modelled from the cross...." The place where the Church father had previously shown this fact of Pagan cruciforms was in a chapter entitled, "The Charge of Worshipping a Cross. The Heathen Themselves Made Much of Crosses in Sacred Things; Nay, Their Very Idols Were Formed on a Crucial [Crosslike] Frame."
In the same manner, Minucius likewise charges of the Romans, "Your victorious trophies not only imitate the appearance of a simple cross, but also that of a man affixed to it." Looking to the physical artifacts that have survived the centuries of massive destruction, we are fortunate to find numerous images remaining of men or gods and women or goddesses on crosses or in cruciform, indicating that this motif was indeed ubiquitous.
Here are but a few of the images of gods and goddesses in cruciform that pre-date the founding of Christianity.
Greek god Prometheus chained in cruciform
Red figure vase, c. 350 BCE
Nubian man or god in cross shape
(O'Brien, Round Towers, 336)
Egyptian god Shu in cruciform holding crosses
(Nature, v. 43, 562)
In ancient Egypt, there were many such images of gods and goddesses with wings and arms outstretched, especially on the ends of coffins and sarcophagi, as a symbol of divine protection for the deceased as he or she passed into the afterlife. Such cruciform figures can be found, for example, on the four corners of King Tut's quartzite sarcophagus.
The god or goddess on the cross or in cruciform thus often represented renewal of life, including and especially at the vernal equinox or spring, which has been passed along to us as "Easter." As many know today, Easter is a pre-Christian festival that was Christianized in order to usurp Pagan worship.
In consideration of the fact that the divine figure on a cross or in a cross shape is a common religious and mythical motif long predating the Christian era, perhaps it is the Pagans and other non-Christians who should be "offended" by its use within Christianity! And in further consideration of the fact that this cruciform image of divine protection often represented a female, perhaps Lindsay Lohan is in reality simply resurrecting this long-lost and buried symbol of the goddess.
Sources and Further Reading
Lindsay Lohan's Jesus look incites anger, laughter
Cruciforms/Gods on Crosses
Was Horus Crucified?
Easter: Christian or Pagan?
Comments
Excellent article! Given that an historical study of the orgins of biblical stories reveals an astonishing array of mythologies long pre-dating christianity, it should come as no surprise that the symbols/holidays evolved and/or were adopted by religions along the way, specifically the Abrahamic ones. The "cross" has been, to me, a symbol of immense suffering christians have imposed upon others and that being said, I would think that Pagans should be offended that it was adopted...from representing renewal of life to representing a grossly torturous death.
Kind of depicts the fate of women who've been on the cross for all time especially in Islam countries
I always enjoy your articles and share them with friends! Love how you end with "And in further consideration of the fact that this cruciform image of divine protection often represented a female, perhaps Lindsay Lohan is in reality simply resurrecting this long-lost and buried symbol of the goddess."
Good stuff!
Long before the Christian era, crosses were used by the ancient Babylonians as symbols in their worship of the fertility god Tammuz. The use of the cross spread into Egypt, India, Syria, and China. Then, centuries later, the Israelites adulterated their worship of Jehovah with acts of veneration to the false god Tammuz. The Bible refers to this form of worship as a ‘detestable thing.’—Ezekiel 8:13, 14.
The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John use the Greek word stau·ros? when referring to the instrument of execution on which Jesus died. (Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:30; Luke 23:26) The word stau·ros? refers to an upright pole, stake, or post. The book The Non-Christian Cross, by J. D. Parsons, explains: “There is not a single sentence in any of the numerous writings forming the New Testament, which, in the original Greek, bears even indirect evidence to the effect that the stauros used in the case of Jesus was other than an ordinary stauros.
Stephanie, i completely agree. I was recently confronted at my place of work by a man proclaiming that Pascals Wager proved the existence of God. The man was clearly ignorant of the details of Pascals Wager. I explained to them that Pascal did not allow for the error of the church system. He viewed religion as being benign, but we know from looking back on recorded history that since it's conception christianity has caused immense harm to the human race. The Roman Catholic church stands head and shoulders above them all, from their barbaric torturing of women during the Inquistions to the library of alexandria to the genocide the perpetrated during the second world war. To quote Voltaire, "Fear is the parent of cruelty. Therefore it is no wonder that cruelty and religion have always walked hand in hand."
Suffering on the cross:
He was obedient and suffered greatly. So now you are obligated to be obedient and suffer greatly without complaining.
A non-sequitur only someone with the soul of felon could love... or a politician... or holy man... perhaps there is some overlap there.
A group of deceptive criminal predators fabricated a IMAGINARY man who suffered greatly on the cross and then they coerced hundreds of millions of REAL humans to follow that example. A world wide cult of suffering and punishment presented to the masses as LOVE!
Didn't Georgius Orwellius write about that in his scroll entitled 1984B.C.? ;)
A ceremonial connection to the Cross occurs in Masonry as well.
A Mason 'in need' will raise his hands in the form of a Cross, the 'Crux' of the matter being 'Cruc-ial'.
While in a state.. as if being robbed [You know hands up.]...he'll proclaim..."Is there no help for the Son of a Widow" ...in respect for their initial Grand Master [who represents an alternate form of a sacrificial lamb...at least to the members of the Order].
As a Christian, I can't help noticing that both Easter and Passover celebrate the victory of Life over Death. That is ample reason to respect the cross, along with its obvious use in pre-Christian worship. For myself, it is not Christianity that is the problem, it's the profound ignorance of most Christianoids on the origins of their faith and its percursors. They can't even read their Bibles with any grasp of what it says. F'rinstance, they seem never to have noticed that the words in Greek and Hebrew that they translate as "Hell" have nothing to do with the sadistic fantasy they have borrowed from Norse mythology and tried to pass off as Christian doctrine. Nor have they ever noticed that Jesus states very clearly in John 17:3 that his Father is "the only true God," proving that Church dogma trumps the words of the text they claim to hold sacred, "infallible" and "literal."
With love under will,
Bob, Adastra,
The Wizzard of Jacksonville
Churchianity is next going to complain that a "Sailing Ship' Cross Mast" should be removed as well?
The EXOTERIC Christian Symbol of a "Man/Male" hacked to a cross, the Symbol should have been "Androgenous", "Male/Female" I suspect--the symbolic CrossiFiction should have been taught--in the "Lower Degrees/Outer Mysteries" that it represents the SOUL's incarnation into MATTER. The Soul Spirit goes to it's Death into Matter/Mother/Female/Flesh. The spirit that actuates and gives motion to all matter--including flesh. Of course the "Higher" Ancient Esoteric Philosophical "Degree's"/Inner Mysteries--is likley much more Sublime and Beautiful--than this rather dull and milked down thumbnail explaination...Theosophy will fill the void of those Higher Intellects out there--its not meant for the rabble...who never read anything...just complain--the Destroyers!
"Their False Exoteric Views can travel half way around the World; Before Truth even has a chance to put its Trousers on..."
For the Skull and Bones imagery of Pirates, Recall that Christ died in the "Place of the Skulls" where Roman soldiers were rolling bones (because orthodoxy is a gambler's religion ie Pascal's Wager).
Lohan looks angelic in this photo, but apart from making the "Tau" or "Tav", she's not hanging on a cross other than the ones her christian critics are hanging her on. She reminds me, sadly, of the suffering Sophia. Its time for Female Solar Deity.
Another example of Christian arrogance.
>>Gnostic Guy Wrote<<
>>Its time for Female Solar Deity.<<
!!!!!Indeed!!!!!
>>For the Skull and Bones imagery of Pirates<<
The Skull and (Cross)Bones are also a >>SYMBOLIC<< Ritual contained within the Masonic Lodge. The MASTER Mason Degree--if my lousy memory serves me correctly.
Every empire in the history of our world has failed. There is no man-lead earthly nirvana at the end of this rainbow, either. The human heart is inherently evil. There have always been(and always will be,)blue blood elites whose sole mission is to corrupt,enslave,and dominate the propaganda-euthanized masses. Satan's ultimate lie is that man can become God; he can't. All the bogus science and new age propaganda in the world won't change this fact. Human leadership always eventually leads one straight off the nearest cliff, because its foundation is corruption. People are lost. The core of the average American's life is pursuit of materialism and pop-culture worship. Is it any wonder half the nation relies on anti-depressents or alcohol to enter zombieland, and numb the pain of emptiness? Only by the mercy and grace of God are we spared from His own wrath, and satan's powerful clutches: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jer 29:13
That was nice V. I don't entirely agree with you. But--for the most part you are correct! All >Materialist< Empires crash from East to West--and in that Future order.
“Life lies always at some frontier, making sorties into the unknown; its path leads always further into truth. We cannot call it trackless waste, because as the path appears it seems to have lain there awaiting the steps…thus the surprises, thus the continuity.” M. C. Richards.
"Diodorus held that nothing can be moved, since to be moved it must be taken out of the place in which it is and put into the place where it is not, which is impossible because all things must always be in the places where they are."
“Nature produces nothing but what is mixed and tempered…If nothing can come without a cause, and if a good thing can not afford a cause of evil, Nature then must certainly have a peculiar source and origin of evil and well as good." Plutarch
V - or Five. Interesting you'd use the "Materialist" symbol of Passive/Mother/Matter or the Left Lower Female hand of Christ in all Christian Symbolic Artwork. I also enjoy your, "People are lost. The core of the average American's life is pursuit of materialism and pop-culture worship. Is it any wonder half the nation relies on anti-depressents or alcohol to enter zombieland, and numb the pain of emptiness?" This is so True! The "People" have been chasing illusions! Look at the wreckage at ruin of Hollywood zillionaires. Money and Fame couldn't save them either! Drugs and phoney Rehab--its all a joke. A billion dollars couldn't sooth the interior weight demons of Oprah either...The wreckage on and caused by wall street and banks--and its greedy "People" gambling investors...massive debt...the balloon will pop folks! Priest Craft ripping off dumb darriere dunces of their hard earned cash...hawking their God for Profit...
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