A quick warning. Here's where I start presenting stuff that's not your typical run-of-the-mill American evangelicism. If you were raised a certain way, you will likely think there are doctrinal errors in what I'm about to present. That's fine. I'm always open to the discussion. Here we go.
Have you ever heard this typical explanation of Jesus's death, and why it atoned for the sins of the world? It usually goes something like this:
God created us and loved us. However, in the Garden of Eden, we rebelled against His rule, and fell into a cycle of sin that separated us from Him.
God wants to get us back, but there must be justice done. We are now evil creatures, and evil creatures need to have their sins atoned for. Yes, God is perfect love, but He is also perfect justice. And justice cannot allow our rebellion and evils to go unpunished. So God had a plan. He would send down His son. And the son would die on the cross, and on the cross, God would unleash all of the wrath He had stored for humanity upon His son. Jesus would pay off all the legal debts of our sin. If you put your faith in Jesus, God would look upon you as if you'd never sinned at all, because Jesus had already paid that debt on the cross.
Usually, a court of law analogy is used. You are the defendant. God is the judge. He fairly sentences you to Hell, but then Jesus comes in and says that he will take the punishment instead. God agrees, Jesus takes the punishment, and you are found innocent. You're free!
And now that I've explained the typical presentation of the Gospel, here's an article explaining why it's mostly wrong:
This is important. I believe that a lot of atheists are jaded by the view that they have of God. I can't really blame them. An accurate picture of God is of vital importance, and I believe that the penal substitution model that is so often pushed is damaging in many ways, and people see God as less beautiful than He actually is.
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