Mr. PAUL Kokowski, in his letter (GC 22/03/11) explains the deep spiritual and moral meaning of the Cross and the Crucifix and indicates that these Christian icons must be respected.

Kokowski is perfectly correct and the Cross and the Crucifix as Christian religious symbols must be respected and people of all Faiths or no Faith should learn to understand the moral – spiritual meaning of these icons. To many who do not know or understand the Christian religion, the Crucifix could be a terribly abhorrent object of worship – an almost naked mutilated corpse hanging on a piece of wood. To the believers, however, the Crucifix is a beautiful thing conveying a deep spiritual lesson.
When Kokowski advocates, “let us keep our religious signs and symbols from atheistic clutches”, he seems to be calling for greater understanding and respect for the icons of all religions. For example, when Muslims deeply venerate the Koran, they are not indulging in Bibliotry (i.e., book worship) since the Holy Koran is not merely paper, cardboard and type but rather, it is an object of deep spiritual meaning.
Similarly, the very ancient icons of the world’s oldest religion, Hinduism, equally convey moral and spiritual messages. Many Christians, when they see the icon of Lord Hanuman (in the form of a monkey), would disparagingly say the Hindus worship a monkey. (Lord Hanuman, in fact, encapsulates the qualities of Valour, Success, Strength, Loyalty and Devotion). But such a remark is exactly like saying Christians worship an abhorrent, almost naked, mutilated corpse hung on a piece of wood (the Crucifix).
The images and symbols, that are the icons of all religions do carry deep moral and spiritual meanings and messages and we should enrich our knowledge and understanding, and indeed our spiritual experience, by learning of the meanings of such icons and, above all, treating them all with respect.