Would Jesus really want you to look to the cross?

The cross was an early sign of pagan worship to many many false gods (such as the god Tammuz) so surely the true 1st century followers of christ would have never been tainted with such idolatry. And hey to add insult to injury they kill Jesus on one. Why then do modern day christians look to the cross as a means to salvation. It seems it is tainted in poisonous pagan traditions stemming from Satan the Devil. We see churches all over the world with crosses, flags of countries with crosses, people wearing crosses, people having them on there wall etc etc. Yet not so long ago God was showing Ezekiel what would happen to such false worshippers (Ezekiel Chapters8&9) for bringing shame upon themselves. Do you think that because 3rd Century politics changed the view of the cross that it is ok to forget that God abhors the idolatry of graven images.