Why do some Christians have Jesus on the cross and some don't?

Answer 1

To symbolize that Christ died for our sins and rose again as well as the fact that He died on the cross.

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Church requires that there be a Crucifix (a cross with a corpus {Christ's Body} on it) to celebrate Mass which is the re-presentation of Our Blessed Lord's Sacrifice on Cross. Please note, that although Easter proved Our Blessed Lord's victory over sin and death, it was His Death that actually accomplished our salvation; and it is His Death that gives us the grace (through Holy Communion) of following in His Footsteps.

Answer 2

Some christians do not want to have a carving f Jesus on the cross as they fel it is idol worship.

There are three major kinds of cross used in Christian worship.

The 'Christus Rex' is a cross bearing a figure of Jesus crowned in glory. This type of cross is used throughout the Christian Church but especially in the orthodox church.

The crucifix - or cross bearing a dying Jesus - is used mostly in the Roman Catholic Church as they accept statues and images of saints and Jesus, and use them as a focus for worship. Also, the Catholic belief in the sacrifice of Jesus at the mass goes hand-in-hand with more emphasis that the Catholics place on the death of Jesus.

The empty cross, however, is used mostly in protestant churches. This is partly as a result of the decision not to have 'graven images' in church and partly the symbol of the conquering of death by Christ. This empty cross represents the resuurection of Jesus. Protestant churches, as well as remembering the crucifixion, also celebrate the resurrection a great deal, and hence this plain cross will be seen in most protestant churches.

Answer 3

The crosses on which he is displayed are called crucifixes which are usually used by Catholics or the religion of Catholisism.