WHY was Jesus cricified?

[Jenny A]

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. . . ..

So you don't believe the dictionary is truthful?

You said that the sacrifice of Jesus was necessary because of the very nature of atonement. The point is that the dictionary definition of atonement says it the reconciliation of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. As an explanation of why Jesus was sacrificed, that really means no more than BECAUSE.

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.

Let's see if I get this:

Humans kill (surely you really just mean injure here) God
God's son who has done no harm to anyone (and is god) offers to be killed
God say OK son and self, good idea.
God kills son/self in very painful humiliating manner.
God resurrects son/self three days later.
Humanity absolved.

Clear as mud.

Daughter number one and her many brothers try to kill me.
I want a revenge killing.
Daughter number two who is blameless offers to die for her siblings.
I say peachy.
Daughter number two goes off and does herself in.
My remaining children and I happily reconcile.

Would it be better if Daughter Number Two only sincerely tried to kill herself but was later resuscitated by me? How about if it wasn't me my kids were laying into but each other and I claimed that was an injury to me?

----- I think this would be one messed up family Mom ain't helping. And considering my willingness to accept the death of daughter number two resuscitated or not, I'm beginning to have some sympathy for the kids If god were just, he'd think so too.