When Jesus Christ was crucified he was laid on a large wooden beam that had a cross beam at chest height. This formed a "cross" as we see it used symbolically today in the Christian faith. The cross is used as the symbol for Christianity because it resembles the act of Jesus Christ laying down his own life to save us from our own sin. This act, among others, is the main reason why Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or savior.

The original words in the ancient manuscripts that were translated "cross" in some Bible translations was actually "stauros," which means pole and xylon which means stake. The word "crux" meaning cross does not appear anywhere in the ancient Bible scrolls and manuscripts.

According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: "STAUROS denotes, primarily, an upright pole or stake...Both the noun and the verb stauroo, to fasten to a stake or pole, are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two-beamed cross. The shape of the latter had its origin in ancient Chaldea (Babylon), and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name)...By the middle of the 3rd century A.D. the churches had either departed from, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the pretige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross piece lowered, was adopted..."

The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, vol. 14, p. 273, says:, "In the Egyption churches the cross was a pagan symbol of life borrowed by the Christians and interpreted in the pagan manner."

Further, The Catholic Encyclopedia says: "the sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both East and the West, the introduction of Christianity. It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization." In later times the Egyptian Christians (Copts), attracted by its form, and perhaps by its symbolism, adopted it as the emblem of the cross."

According to the The Companion Bible, appendix: "crosses were used as symbols of the Babylonian Sun-god...It should be stated that Constantine was a Sun-god worshipper...The evidence is thus complete, that the Lord was put to death upon and upright stake, and not on two pieces of timber placed at any angle."

So, the cross comes from pagan Egyptian and Babylonish sources. It was a symbol of life, was also a symbol of the god Tammuz, and of the sun-god. It was adopted by the church possibly around the middle of the 3rd century A.D.

The original words used to describe the instrument of Jesus' excecution was stauros, which means pole, and xylon, which means stake.

Whether one believes that Jesus instrument of execution was a upright pole, or if it had a crosspiece attached, not all Christian religions honor any symbol representing the device used for Jesus execution.

From my own personal viewpoint, to revere the instrument of Jesus execution in any way, would be tantamount to venerating the weapon used to murder a good friend. I view Jesus as a mighty king, now ruling in heaven, not as a man being executed in a most cruel way, so not all claiming to be Christians venerate the cross.