Absurdity Within "Christianity is based on Four Absurdities"

There is a reductionist bit of illogic going around that requires an answer from a logic standpoint. The bit is called “Christianity is Based on Four Absurdities”.

Normally I don’t address ecclesiastic positions. But this one takes the form of an Atheodicy, and it needs attention.

The following Atheological argument presupposes that there exists a Christian God, which is then deemed absurd. The counter argument presupposes that there is a Christian God, and the absurdity is challenged under Christian understanding of that God.

”Absurdity #1: The Scapegoat solution, or the premise that the guilty can be pardoned by the death of an innocent. It simply makes no logical or moral sense to punish an innocent party for the crimes of another. A judicial solution of this nature, passed in any earthly court, would be deemed insane, and the judge would be immediately disbarred and whisked to the nearest mental asylum.”

It is absolutely possible for party B to pay a debt incurred by party A. It happens all the time. What the absurdity-author finds absurd is that death is involved. However, to Christians death is merely a passage. Death is a serious threat, not to Christians, but to Atheists who see themselves ceasing to exist.

There is no non-coherence here. It is non-coherent, however, to claim that paying the debt that another incurs is “scapegoating”, or insane.

”Absurdity #2: The notion that in order to forgive sins, God had to sacrifice Himself to Himself.”

Actually it is absurd to think that God HAD to do it this way, rather than that he CHOSE to do it this way. Radical Reductionism as is being done here actually removes meaning from the concept. What was accomplished was that the mechanical payment for the deficit (incurred from Good Behavior Expectations minus Actual Behavior) was paid by God in full view of man, for man’s comprehension of the deed. What remained was a spiritual expectation of man.

The entire concept is based on cause and effect in the sense of action– consequence. The action of bad behavior results in consequences for the person behaving badly. Consequences are identical to debt: an action results in a corresponding reaction, or consequence. Atheists reject that there is objective morality, and thus there is no consequence for actions, because there are no bad (immoral) actions. Under the Atheist belief system, then, action–consequence disappears, and the justice being administered by God no longer applies to them, so justice is absurd.

”Absurdity #3: You must believe that God sacrificed Himself to Himself in order to obtain salvation; failure to believe this absurdity results in eternal torment.”

If you choose to be separated, then you will be granted that choice. Whether that choice results in torment remains to be seen. Much of the biblical language is in parable or metaphor form. However, if one expects it to be pleasant, that expectation is not justified.

”Absurdity #4: That Jesus' death qualified as a sacrifice. Real sacrifice entails real loss. Jesus didn't really die, nor did he suffer any permanent loss. So where is the sacrifice?”

See #1. Party B paid a debt for party A. Sacrifice in the biblical understanding is paying a debt. If you choose to believe that there is no debt, or that is wasn’t paid off, then it is still owed.

Defining Debt: If behavior G is expected, but behavior B occurs, there is a deficit: G – B; this deficit originally could be recompensed by a physical act accompanied by a spiritual act, both by the originator of the behavior. Under the new covenant, the deficit was physically recompensed by God, but the spiritual act (belief and re-pointing one’s life) is still required of the individual.

There is nothing absurd or non-coherent in any of the Christian understanding. However, it is absurd and non-coherent to strip out meaning from a concept in order to form a Radical Reductionist attack. This Atheist attack is not logically justified.