Why to the Abrahamic religions feel the need to represent themselves with symbols?
The Abrahamic religions date back to a time when most people were illiterate. Writing was useless for communicating to most people, so symbols were used instead. A cross made it easy to figure out religious affiliation. Catholics have a rich history of symbols used to represent the different saints as a tool to communicate and remind us. I go to St. Marks parish, and St. Mark is pictured with a book (he wrote one of the 4 gospels) with a lion (which represents the style or tone of the gospel he wrote). The cross is a powerful symbol to us, and rituals have a profound effect on humans. By making the sign of the cross and venerating the cross we are reinforcing the central message of our faith: that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. This helps us adhere to the message, and as flawed, sinful humans, we need all the help we can get.
