Evolution of the Atonement Doctrine

The Atonement Doctrine – the prevailing belief that Jesus' life was sacrificed to atone for the sins of mankind by order of a vengeful God – is one of the great stumbling blocks to understanding the true nature of a loving God. The atonement doctrine originated in ancient times when the blood of an animal was spilled in order to appease the spirit world. This was driven by primitive men with a great deal of misunderstanding and fear. The spilling of blood, both animal and human, became a part of primitive worship in those long-ago days. In later times, Moses furthered this idea of sacrifice as a ritual for the Hebrews, who regularly slaughtered animals as part of their worship practices; and even further on, Paul expressed this idea as the atonement doctrine, "the shedding of blood." And so, it can be seen that the concept of atonement is rooted deep in the past when the shedding of blood was thought to be a necessary offering to a deity that was shrouded in mystery and fear.