Well you got that wrong as well as everything else...
The Cross is empty because Jesus is not there...You guys like to keep Jesus on the Cross, suffering, in immense pain and you won't let him die...
The blood is not still running out onto the ground...Jesus is not shedding blood...It has been shed...
Jesus is risen...His time on the Cross is 'finished'...
This has to be one of the silliest statements I have ever heard.
The Catholic Church would rather Jesus Christ remain the VICTIM, instead of the VICTOR He is. Just as the members of that religion are VICTIMS, slaves to the authority of traditions and doctrines of men. And not VICTORIOUS through the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST.
The Cross is empty because Jesus is not there...
If the cross is standing and The Lord isn't on it then we should be on it. An empty cross is waiting for a victim.
A crucifix represents an historical event reminding us that Jesus did actually take our place, "There but for the Grace of God, go I". An empty cross says "There, go I" and what's missing from it is "The Grace of God", it takes the Good out of Good Friday and makes it horrifying.
If you want to read all sorts of evil interpretations into the Catholic use of the crucifix that have nothing to do with the way Catholics understand it then you're going to have to accept the same degree of cold analysis of your own practices.
This whole thread, and the many like it that proceed it and will certainly follow it, is an embarrassment. I don't know if it's more of an embarrassment to Catholics, Protestants or Free Republic itself. The fact that most of the partisans appear incapable of allowing that even the individuals on the other side might not be actual demons is a mirror of the pitiful state of American politics. I hope these threads say more about us as Americans than it does about us as alleged followers of Christ.
It's Jews and Samaritans all over again. The posting behaviour of a lot of the Catholics (with a few notable exceptions) on these threads is as shameful and disgraceful to the Church as the sexual activities of perverted clerics. Just as scandalous! Frankly people, we're acting like a bunch of Protestants. Of what use are the Sacraments and teachings of the Church if we still act like morons?
To the Protestants I can only ask: Of what use is your Bible-Only-Christ if following Him makes people act like you?
The way we interact with each other should demonstrate that the new atheists are wrong, not confirming everything they say about us.
see post 751, all the proof we need that prots never read the Bible