Matthew's Journal

I'm not a Christian; I used to be, a long time ago, but it got to the point where my parents were bascially forcing me to go to church. That, and a...difference of opinion...with my Sunday School teachers, led to me reassessing my values and when my parents finally agreed that I didn't haven't to come to church I lost interest in religion.

I'm now predominantly an atheist, but with pagan influences from time to time. I pick which gods I give attention to, create my own belief system, operate a fairly general and liberal moral code, and that suits me.

I think the cross is an important Christian symbol if you are a Christian because, among other things:
1. It gives a sense of mutual identity - it means the same everywhere in the world
2. It's a symbol of the core belief of your religion, i.e. Jesus's sacrifice and subsequent resurrestion
3. It's a symbol you can take pride in, i.e. it defines you as a Christian and is a mark of everything you believe in