Further Discussion

I recently decided to research a particular issues based on some assumptions made by a family member, which turned out to be misplaced. It all revolves around an idea which is part of an ongoing conversation in the emerging church, but which has (sadly) been misinterpreted and scandalized by those who don't understand the meaning behind the discussion.

That idea is about how people, both inside and outside the church, view the crucifixion and it's purpose. This is an issue with which I have been wrestling for quite a while, and I will attempt here to explain how and why. . .

When I reached my mid 20's, I started seeing the church in a whole new way, and I didn't like what I saw. There seemed to be a lot of ideas and actions, which just didn't fit with the God I believed in or with what the Bible seemed to teach. This led me on a long journey of searching and re-thinking, basically trying to find the truth. During this time, I continued my relationship with God, but stopped going to church because I felt this was where my confusion had begun. I did, however, start looking for a group of people who had questions similar to my own. Much to my surprise, there were groups all over the internet searching for answers and having discussions about the very issues which were on my heart. It was pretty amazing, and my relationship with God grew as a result of taking part in these conversations.

At the beginning of this journey, however, there was one, monumental stone in my path to growth and discovery. And that was the violence of the crucifixion. This was around the time that the movie, "Passion of the Christ" came out, and I reluctantly went to see it. I knew it would not be pleasant, but what I did not know, was that it would cause me to question God. I was completely mortified and horrified by the violence that was, as I had understood it, part of God's requirements of his son. I was confused and angry, because, up until this point in my journey, I had come to experience God as loving and caring. It felt like I had been tricked, and that God was completely different than how I had personally come to know him to be. So, not knowing exactly what to do with these feelings, I stopped all communications. . .stopped seeking, stopped praying. This went on for several months until finally I felt like I could face my questions and doubts. The first thing I did, was to talk to God about these things, and surprisingly, I discovered that he was still loving and caring. . .not violent at all.

So, now we come to the idea that has caused so much controversy. It can be summed up in the following quote, which hopefully now, after reading my story, will be easier to understand:

“How then have we come to believe that at the cross this God of love suddenly decides to vent his anger and wrath on his own son? The fact is that the cross ISN'T a form of cosmic child abuse — a vengeful father punishing his son for an offense he has not even committed. Understandably, both people inside and outside of the church have found this twisted version of events morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith."
Apologetics Index

From my own personal experience, and from the similar stories of others, the fact of the matter is this. Many people cannot reconcile the violence of the crucifixion to a God who is supposed to be loving and caring, and just because you disagree with their doubts or dismiss them as sacrilegious doesn't make the issue disappear. Especially when you have so many people out there (like myself) who are no longer able to accept the messages taught in churches and professed by other Christians at face value due to the incongruencies therein.

Fortunately, since the experience I related above, I have continued searching for an answer to who God truly is. I have found a lot of answers and have received a lot of confirmation in my search. . .but until recently, I had sort-of tabled searching further into the whole crucifixion and violence issue. I hadn't really encountered any suitable explanations or new interpretations that were different enough from what I grew up with and no longer deemed thorough enough to satisfy my questions, so I just waited and did a lot of reading and thinking. However, this recent discussion has really helped me organize my thoughts and has caused me to search a little deeper.

Let me begin the explanation of what I have recently discovered with another quote, which I found particularly helpful:

"I think the gospel is a many faceted diamond, and atonement is only one facet...Atonement-centered understandings of the gospel (can) create vampire
Christians who want Jesus for his blood and little else. He calls us to move beyond a gospel of sin management’ to the gospel of the kingdom of God. So, rather than focusing on an alternative theory of atonement, I’d suggest we ponder the meaning and
mission of the kingdom of God.”
Apologetics Index

This statement leads me back to my original post which started this whole discussion. ALL aspects of Jesus' time on earth are tied together and vital to promoting God's Kingdom. Well, for me, it was obvious how his message to live lives of peace, love and justice could promote God's Kingdom, but I was still a little cloudy on how his crucifixion fit into the picture. Anyway, I finally came across some explanations of atonement that really helped put everything together for me. Here they are:

Six Theories about Atonement (greatly condensed):
Ransom Theory - Through our sin, we placed ourselves under the authority of Satan. Jesus comes and offers himself as ransom for us. . .and we're set free to live for and with God again.

Substitutionary Theory - God's merciful act of absolute goodness and selflessness in giving himself through Jesus on the cross satisfies or cancels out or absorbs God's anger about our human evil.

Christus Victor Theory - Our enemy is death. By entering into and overcoming death, Jesus opens the door for us to enter eternal life.

Perfect Penitent Theory - Jesus' acceptance of death on behalf of the whole human race, is seen as perfect repentance for us (or, on our behalf).

Moral Influence Theory - The cross demonstrates Jesus' self-giving, his complete abandonment to God's will, for the sake of the world. When that sacrificial love touches us, we are changed internally so we want to stop being selfish.

Power Weakness Theory - By becoming vulnerable on the cross and accepting suffering from everyone, rather than visiting suffering on everyone, Jesus is showing God's loving heart. The cross calls us to welcome God's kingdom through self-sacrifice.


These may be familiar to some of you, but I was surprised that there were so many different theories. What struck me more, however, was that I couldn't agree entirely with every one of these, but I couldn't disagree entirely either. Strangely enough, I found this to be immensely helpful. It made me see that I don't necessarily have to adopt one of these theories as my own, but as a whole, they give me a clearer view. . .maybe not the whole sky, but at least a nice big window. And for me, that was all I needed.

I know, for some of you, that might be a little too inconclusive, but I would rather leave you to draw your own conclusions.