Many religions wear symbols of their dedication or “religiosity”.  Despite their sincerity, some may wear prayer beads, crosses, or tattoo themselves as reminders or as objects of worship.  Yes, it is wrong to worship anything but God; however, is it wrong to wear a cross just because it’s pretty?  Or would it be an unwise idea due to the societal connotations?

Sincerely,
A Little Glam

Dear A Little Glam,

Wearing a cross is not inherently a sin, but there are some principles that reveal it to be not a very good idea.  The problem with crosses and other religious garb are threefold:

1. As you stated, some people use crosses, rabbit’s feet, rosary beads, etc. as forms of worship and superstition.  This is wrong.  God soundly condemns superstition, the occult, and idol worship (1 Cor 10:7, Acts 19:19, Matt 4:10).
2. God tells us that it is our character that should proclaim our Christianity – not our clothing (1 Pet 3:3-4).  In an attempt to look the part of being faithful, many people wear crosses, slap “WWJD” bumper stickers on their cars, and tattoo themselves with the words “Jesus Freak”… which rarely leaves the impression they intended.  Let the world know you are a christian because of who you are and how you live.
3. Crosses are designed to be beautiful, ornate, and elegant nowadays – which thoroughly negates the message of the cross.  The cross of Christ was anything but pretty.  It was a torture device intended to inflict the highest degree of pain possible upon the Son of God.  We here at AYP sometimes wonder if Jesus had been killed by electrocution if everyone would have little electric chairs hanging around their necks…

Suffice it to say, wearing religious jewelry, at best, sends a mixed message – at worst, it sends the wrong message.

Why can't women be popes or nuns or whatever?

Sincerely,
Women’s Rights

Dear Women’s Rights,

Women can be nuns, but nuns are Catholic – not christian (the pope is also not a christian, but a Catholic).  In the church, the leadership is made up only of men.  Elders, deacons, and preachers are all men (1 Tim 3:1, 1 Tim 3:12, 1 Cor 14:34).  This isn't because men are better than women; it is because men and women have different responsibilities.  Being an elder, deacon, or preacher does come with honor, but it also comes with a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1, Heb 13:17).  We all have roles to fulfill in the church, and each role is different.

This post is a follow-up question to “Not Nice Nicene” – AYP)

Thank you so much for answering my question in a timely manner.  Every Sunday during our worship service at church, we recite the Apostles’ Creed, and I cannot see anything in it that goes against the Bible.  Am I missing something important?   When we recite, "I believe in the holy catholic church...", I am under the impression it means I believe in the universal church.  I am of the Methodist faith, and I really want to do what is right in keeping with the Bible.  Am I correct re: the Apostles’ Creed?  Thank you so much for helping me. Sincerely, Creed Control

Dear Creed Control, There are several things unscriptural about reciting the Apostles’ Creed.  First of all – it really isn’t the apostles’ creed at all.  Paul said that the only thing he preached was the message of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:1-2).  He also said that if anyone preached anything other than that message, they were wrong (Gal 1:6-8).  So a creed named the Apostles’ Creed is already hypocritical – the only creed the apostles had was the Word of God. Furthermore, there are several phrases within the Apostles’ Creed that are vague at best – and at least one sentence that directly contradicts the Scripture.  We have highlighted it below in bold:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
 the Maker of heaven and earth,
 and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
 born of the virgin Mary,
 suffered under Pontius Pilate,
 was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
 and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
 from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost;
 the holy catholic church;
 the communion of saints;
 the forgiveness of sins;
 the resurrection of the body;
 and the life everlasting.  Amen.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He told the thief next to Him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).  Jesus clearly said that He was going to be in Paradise after dying on the cross… not in hell.  The Apostles’ Creed is a direct contradiction of Scripture. This just goes to highlight the problem with human creeds – at very best, they say the exact same thing as Scripture (in which case… they are redundant and unnecessary), and more likely, they say things that are wrong.  The best thing mankind can do is throw off all creeds and accept nothing but the Bible.

I need to know what the difference is between the Nicene Creed and the creeds of Christendom, and why were the creeds of Christendom created?  Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Noting The Nicene

Dear Noting The Nicene,

The difference between the Nicene Creed and all other creeds found throughout various denominations is that the Nicene Creed is older.  A creed is simply a statement of beliefs that unifies one group together under a common belief system.  The Nicene Creed is one of the very first, if not the first, creed written as an addendum to Christianity.  The Nicene Creed, written in the 4^th century A.D., was an attempt to unify all churches under emperor Constantine.  It was the beginning of Catholicism.  All creeds, by very nature, start a new religious movement.

And that is the problem with creeds… they modify Christianity and create a new and different religious movement.  God clearly states that we should never add or subtract from His Word (Rev 22:18-19, Deu 4:2, Deu 12:32, Josh 23:6).  The Bible is supposed to be our only belief system; any creed alters what God intended.  Any message (even if it claims it is christian) that isn’t the Bible is a perversion (Gal 1:6-9).  All creeds are human inventions that create new religions instead of bringing unity.  God intends for there to be one pattern for the church – the pattern found in the Scriptures (Eph 4:4-6).

I was baptized in a Baptist Christian church; currently I am converting to Catholicism.  I was wondering, the nun that runs the program said my baptism in the Baptist church should be fine as long as it was with water and the spirit.  I was wondering if you could tell me if that is the way I was baptized, or am I going to have to be re-baptized into the Catholic church?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Between Faiths

Dear Between Faiths,

If we understand you correctly, you want to know if your baptism in a false religion will qualify you for conversion to another false religion.  We really couldn’t say; we try and provide Bible answers here.  Neither Catholic nor Baptist doctrine is our specialty.  You’ll notice the Bible never refers to God’s people as Baptists or Catholics – God’s people are known as christians (Acts 11:26).  God doesn’t teach that all denominations are acceptable.  In fact, God hates denominationalism.  There is only one church pattern (Eph 4:4)… one church pattern that follows the New Testament’s teachings.  Many say that they serve God, but saying that you serve God is not the same as being a christian (Matt 7:21-23).  Christianity rejects the traditions of men (Mk 7:8).  If you want to serve God and go to heaven, you have to reject Baptist creeds and Catholic catechisms – no more listening to those who forbid marriage and tell you to abstain from certain foods (1 Tim 4:2-3).  Seek God through the purity of His Word and His Word only (Jhn 14:15).  Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” to see what the Bible requires of us for salvation.  Don’t accept groups that pick and choose what verses they want to hear and avoid the rest – they pervert the gospel (Gal 1:6-7).  The sum of God’s Word is truth (Ps 119:160).  Accept no substitute.