Forget the symbolism of martyrdom and righteous devotion to blind faith, do you not find it utterly disgusting aesthetically to see a dead guy on a cross hanging around the necks of Christians?
This is a limp, dead guy... held up by nails... on an execution device... proudly displayed on the bodies of believers.
Am I wrong for being so repulsed?
If Jesus were hung, electrocuted, or put to sleep, do you think it would be acceptable for Christians to wear a beautiful gold necklace depicting him hung on a noose, slumped over on the electric chair, or with a needle in his arm?
In my version of this Jesus would be in an electric chair hanging around my neck by silver chain. He would be fried and his skull cracked open. This execution of another time is not real to me because I do not like jewelery or necklaces. Maybe I should look into getting one and just hang it on my wall.
For a long time there was debate among historians over whether people were tied or nailed to the cross. It is now mainly thought that it was both, because if you just fasten them with rope their arms and legs shrink as the circulation declines and then slip out, while nails can and will pull through.
Also after a while, hanging from the ropes becomes painful, and the victim finds it hard work to breath, they could however, and did attempt to ease this by moving, which they could only do by using the nails to raise their weight, which is also painful, but it prolongs the suffering by helping breathing. The constant need to try and find ease between the pain of the ropes and the nails therefore kept the victim constantly squirming, which was regarded by the Romans as the main horror of that form of death. After a while, fluid builds up around the lungs and this could stop breathing, causing a quicker death. So it is thought that the practice of pushing a spear point into the side under the ribs, to let off the fluid, and thus further prolong suffering, grew up. By giving hydration in the form of water made unpleasant with vinegar, the victim could be kept squirming for three or four days.
I do not know if telling them this will make any difference, but you could try it.
( Some people have speculated that the idea that Jesus was lowered from the cross early after barely three days , much sooner than usual, thanks to Joseph bribing the guard. Was a sign that maybe he was not truly dead when brought down. Which could explain a lot. )
Yes what you say was the content of many priest's homily on Good Friday. They made their description as gruesome as possible.