The cross is offensive and that is about as unpleasant as it gets. Light is offensive to the dark.
Actually, there are some people who find the message within some versions of Christianity to be inherently offensive. I realize there are countless perspectives on the practice of Christianity, so it is unfair to generalize. But let me give you an example of what I'm talking about when referring to some versions of Christianity.
Some Christians hold the following to be true:
1. That everyone is unworthy of redemption through their own acts. That we are all wretched sinners who require spiritual salvation in order to connect with the divine creator and engineer of the universe. This can be quite offensive to a person who truly tries their best to be a good person, who never lies or cheats or steals or attempts to harm others, who is generous rather than selfish, who is merciful rather than hostile, who is tolerant rather than judgmental, who truly and sincerely tries to treat everyone the way they'd like to be treated. A person who behaves like this only to be told by certain Christians that their deeds still fall short of the glory of God . . . that can be offensive.
2. Most Christians hold to the belief that all humans are currently paying for the sin of Adam. Modern rationality tends to indicate that every individual should be evaluated personally on their own merit and not unfairly judged based on the behavior of another. Yet most Christians claim all humans since Adam are guilty of something that they didn't even do. That is offensive to some people. They find it insulting and irrational to be held morally responsible for something they themselves did not do, for an act they themselves did not commit.
3. Also, many Christians, and this is especially true for fundamentalists, believe there is only one mechanism for receiving spiritual redemption. They believe there is only one valid doctrine, only one divinely inspired text, only one dogmatic avenue for attaining salvation and if someone refuses to accept this singular way then they are bound for a firey eternal hell of pain and torment. Uhhhh, that tends to offend some people, as crazy as that may sound. Many Christians provide no provision in their dogma that others might be equally correct in their own faith.
So, I would respectfully disagree. The cross is just an image, a mere symbol, though I realize there are many Christians who idolize it and grant it a material status above symbolic representation. But I can see how how some others might find an offensive arrogance underlying the very belief system of certain Christians who provide that no others could possibly be 'right' with God if they don't hold to these Christian teachings.
