WHY was Jesus cricified?

[orangebox21]

Where did God get his nature and character from?

Nature is inherent to a being. If God is eternal, then He didn't 'get his nature and character' from anywhere, He always had it.

The thing is that God tells us in the Bible that we have to forgive and turn the other cheek- why can't he unless you kiss his ass?

This is a very interesting point. God does command that we forgive one another. Who was the command for and why was it commanded? The command was for believers because they are forgiven. As far as my understanding goes, the non-believer is under no obligation to forgive anyone anything. We (believers) forgive others because we were first forgiven (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13, Matthew 18:21-35, etc.).

By the very nature of what atonement is.

If ever there was a non-answer, that's it.

Atonement has two meanings: "the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ"; or "reparation for an offense or injury." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atonement The first simply defines atonement as the cruxifiction of Jesus which answers nothing.
You might as well say because I said so. The doesn't apply. Jesus' death didn't provide reparations to anyone. Certainly it didn't right any wrongs.

So you don't believe the dictionary is truthful?

By the very nature ("reparation for an offense or injury.") of atonement. Either definition applies. The first definition (above) is a specific example of an atonement as it relates to Christian theology.

To see how odd this really is consider the following scenario. Jim kills Jane's daughter Anne. The judges orders Jim executed in the criminal case, and awards Jane $100,000 of Jim's estate in the civil case. Looks like reparations to me.

But on appeal the Appellate Judge decides to execute his own son as atonement for all the defendants past and present (not just Jim). The son, who's a little soft in the head agrees. The son is electrocuted after have been beaten. The Appellate Judge lets Jim go, and reverses the award of damage.

How is the crucifixion different?

Jim would have killed the judge not Jane's daughter.
The judge's son would have offered himself.
The judge's son would have a fully divine and fully human nature.
The judge's son would have been guilty of no crimes against the judge.
The judge would be God.