Cosmic Child Abuse? Answering Moral Objections to the Atonement With Mike Winger—I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Radio
Recently, I filled in for Frank Turek hosting the I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist show on the American Family Radio Network. I asked Mike Winger to join me in answering moral objections to the atonement.
For two thousand years, Christians have understood the death of Jesus to be substitutionary—a sacrifice that paid for our sins. From the earliest creeds to the teaching of the New Testament to the writings of the Church Fathers to today, this has been a core belief of Christianity throughout its history. But in modern times, this idea is being repudiated as “Cosmic Child Abuse.” On today’s show, we address these questions:
• What is the historic belief of the Christian church on atonement?
• Why does God have wrath and how can that be a good thing?
• Is penal substitutionary atonement a late invention of medieval Christians?
• If God required the sacrifice of his Son, doesn’t that make him a Divine child abuser?
• If I can just forgive people without a sacrifice, why can’t God?
