Why do christians use a torture device as their symbol?

We use the cross as our symbol to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus did for us.

That's a very good question.

Jesus' death was a sacrifice which paved the way for us to have our sins removed and to enter into Heaven. The cross symbol is (or should be) a reminder of His sacrifice, which was in turn a sign of His eternal love for us.

A spear wouldn't do, since the Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side with one only after He died, not before.

A whip, meanwhile, was not the instrument which actually caused His death.

Jesus was for peace -- but remember that for Christians, the most important act that Jesus ever committed while on this earth was that He offered Himself as a sacrifice for all humanity.

Everything else He did was important too -- healing people, teaching people about goodness and peace and charity -- but as important as those things are, they are not as important as His death and Resurrection.

It was upon the Cross -- not upon a spear, not upon a whip -- that Jesus died for you, for me, and for every other sinner past, present, and future.

The cross is a very ancient religious symbol predating Christianity by hundreds of years. Mithra was said to have been nailed to a cross, and other deities also died on crosses, poles, or trees. Christianity simply borrowed the cross--and everything else--from other religions.

The fish symbol is actually a stylized representation of the female genitalia. It was originally drawn vertically, not horizontally. Christians again appropriated it for themselves, assuming that it had something to do with Jesus telling his disciples to be "fishers of men."

The church steeple is said to have a pagan origin, too, in the ancient Asherah poles that represented the penis and were symbols of fertility. This is also the meaning of the obelisk, and in the link below, you can see an obelisk within a large keyhole-shaped enclosure, which was another stylized rendering of a woman's genitalia. That picture is, of course, the Vatican. Publically, they will deny that it has anything to do with pagan sun-god and fertility-goddess worship, but privately, they know better. The symbolism is so obvious and so bloody LARGE that it is impossible to ignore.

The cross not only symbolizes the sacrifice of his life, which he made for us, but also the fact that he triumphed over it & has been resurrected. That is why most Christians wear an empty cross instead of a crucifix.

I see the fish symbol often, as well, so I guess it just depends on where you live.

Not sure... but I really wish they'd look into that. It was originally the symbol for Tammuz (the god in the bible where all the women are at the wall Wailing for his RETURN). It was actually a dagger in a sheath and was used in sacrifices (animal and human alike). But I'm betting that if Jesus had died in this day and age, in the electric chair, they would all wear little chairs around their necks and say he was going to return on a bolt of lightning

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the use of any idol or image in worship, including the cross. That dates all the way back to the 2nd commandment of the 10 commandments. They also know that the cross had pre-Christian ties to it that dated back to the worship of the God Tammuz. The original Greek word that is often translated as cross actually means, "tree, stake, or pole." It never referred to two pieces of wood placed together in any form. Wood was scarce in bible times and would not have been wasted on anyone considered a criminal.

Because the cross serves as a reminder of what Jesus went through for aur atonement once and for all. As for the "fish thing" I can't say. I know what the legend is about and if you wish to contact me, I'll explain it for you.

Well,every religion has got some symbol.

Christians have cross,Jews have star with six corners,Moslims have cresent as their religion symbol.

But do you think it is because they are very fond of torture.For example,president Bush likes to torture innocent people in Guantanamo Bay.And offcourse he is a christian not a jew.

So,may be it is because they like torture.Atleast the behaviour of Mr.Bush tells this.

As a reminder of the great price paid for a gift we did not earn, but which, nonetheless, is freely given. And a reminder that now we must go out into the world and do the same.

"Pickup your cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24)

The cross represents his suffering for us. It reminds us of all that christ went through to save us. ( the whippings , beatings and persecutions) Also it reminds us to die daily (spiritually)

because if we put our flesh first than we can't let God take control of our lives. Also the fish ( similar to darwins) just represents a reminder too. For us to be fishers of men. which means to daily go out and pull others to christ too.