Q&A: Making the Sign of the Cross
Making the Sign of the Cross
Question
This week I saw a friend make the sign of the cross. After we spoke about it, it seemed that he meant it as a kind of expression of success, a sort of “cultural” borrowing from Christian soccer players who cross themselves when they score a goal.
I told him that in my opinion there may be a prohibition involved, because this is an act distinctive to idol worship, or at the very least falls under the practices of the nations when they contain an element of idol worship (which in my view is true even if we say that Christianity developed and is no longer classified as idol worship).
Can one say that this is forbidden? Inappropriate? Completely permitted?
Answer
Simply speaking, even if there is no religious intent here, the act is forbidden because of following the practices of idol worshippers (Yoreh De'ah, beginning of siman 178). However, when there is a custom that has lost its original meaning and no longer uniquely characterizes idol worshippers, there is room to permit it. But regarding this matter, it seems to me that that is not the case. To be sure, one could apparently discuss this from the angle that not all forms of Christianity are considered idol worship (there are different forms of crossing oneself in different denominations, but I am not expert in this), but it seems to me that in any case this does not affect our issue. As long as the practice is part of a foreign rite, it is forbidden. Especially since the source of this practice is certainly early Christianity, which was idol worship according to all opinions.