Would you wear a cross necklace as a fashion item?

[Stabilosaregreat]

So I really like cross pendants but am not an enthusiastic church goer.

If I wear a cross pendant will people automatically assume that I am a religious person hope not?

The people who shout loudest or who get the most public attention are not necessarily the most representative of a religion. Or of atheists. I understand why people assume the shoutiest people represent the religion. But that doesn't make it right for them to do so. It wouldn't be right for me to assume that fundamentalist Muslims reflect the views of all or most Muslims on Islam, for example.

I can't control other Christians' public pronouncements (and am frequently embarrassed by them), but I do work within the church to change our governance and theology so that these attitudes die. I think that's as much as anyone can do.

If i see someone wearing a cross I assume they are a Christian unless it's a very big blingy thing and the wearer is very young

fair you speak a lot of sense.

The problem is, fairphyllis, that wearing a cross would associate me with the sort of Christians that you don't want to be associate with!

I'm an atheist and wouldn't wear one. Crosses aren't very commonplace as fashion items anymore (at least not in my experience), so I would assume that anyone wearing one is a Christian.

As an atheist I wouldn't wear one. But then as an atheist I wouldn't feel comfortable appropriating any symbol which is very strongly tied with a religion, as personally I would feel that would be both hypocritical and somewhat offensive of me to do it.

That's not to say that it is hypocritical or offensive to do it, just that it would make me feel that way. I wouldn't wear a cross or a hijab or a kippah, I wouldn't have buddha's in the house. I'd feel like I was appropriating something which for many millions of people had a symbolic meaning and just turning it into an accessory or adornment.

Wouldn't bother me if someone mistook me for a Christian if I did wear a cross though.

I would only wear one if I was cosplaying as Scully from the x files.

No, I wouldn't

There are loads of crosses in fashion at the moment on t-shirts, long sleeved tops, leggings, shirts, necklaces, earrings, ear cuffs, bracelets, rings, mobile phone covers and probably more.
There are even upside-down crosses on some of the items.

I really like the sideways cross necklaces that a lot of celebrities have been wearing lately.

Wear it if you like :)

Actually that's why I do wear a cross sometimes - it's important that as a symbol it doesn't become the sole preserve of conservatives.

If someone else perceives me as a fundy because I wear a cross and does what? Refuses to talk to me or befriend me? then that is a bit sad but ultimately their problem and loss not mine. Hopefully by being open about my Christianity and my politics in my life (where appropriate) people of good sense will see that my view of the world is more nuanced than they might assume.

I wouldn't exactly say that I don't want to be associated with conservative Christians. They are part of the Body of Christ too. But I do think many of their opinions are seriously misguided and a significant number of them do active harm to others and to the Gospel.

I sometimes wear a small silver cross because I'm a Christian. I'd be a bit confused if someone wore one who wasn't a Christian - I'd probably start by assuming they were.

What about those people that have cross tattoos, like this. How do they come across then ?

I saw quite a few of those types of cross tattoo on me recent hols. Personally, I don't find them either stylish or beautiful but I don't like tattooes full stop.

I bet you a squillion pounds that if you wore one you would not get any comments beyond 'that is pretty'.

I wore a cross for years. It was a gift from my SIL. I only stopped wearing it when DD died because i put in in the coffin with her.

Never got a single comment. Not from angry Christians or angry atheists. Not when I wore it to the school I worked in, not when I flaunted it at nightclubs and National Trust Properties.
This.is.a.non.issue.

I do. Am an atheist.

Dev, that's what I think. It's like some of these posters are living in a different world to me. The cross I wear daily is a little like this and I have been wearing it for years with not one comment or double take.

We'll, obviously I don"t recoil in horror or refuse to talk to anyone wearing a cross! You wouldn't even realise I had noticed it.

But I would use it as a potential indicator of something about you.....and would look for other cues that might suggest you were a Christian.

Hak, that sounds quite sinister

Does it? Don't you notice clues about people when you meet them? Doesn't everyone?

Yes, but not quite in the way you seem to be

What do you mean?

From your other posts on this thread you have a deep distrust of Christians. If you made an assumption that my blingy cross pendant and "other indicators" (whatever they are...) then I can only infer you would treat me differently than say, someone you knew to be a non-Christian. Am I correct ?

sorry, an assumption that I was a Christian

to be fair, Hak, it's not just your posts on this that have left me with a rather taste in my mouth

which is unusual on a S+B thread

Wow, thank you, all the views are really interesting. I suppose I won't wear it after all as I wouldn't fell 100% comfortable. I think aesthetically crosses can look striking and beautiful but as a symbol the cross is loaded with cultural meaning from religious, goth, death, and pop culture / fashion. I like that it is an 'old' symbol for some reason though and I like seeing other people wear this type of jewlwery.