After hearing a good, but depressing story in a sermon two weeks before Easter, which should have shed a positive light on topics related to John 3:16, but did just the opposite in my listening, my dander became increasingly raised, as I contemplated the cruelty of God… (Don’t ask); concepts of the Atonement and of salvation; and about the tendency to want to bask in the assurance of one’s personal salvation at Jesus’ expense — or, while oblivious and indifferent to the suffering of the rest of the world — including the unseen world of animal torture, of course. I could not bring myself to venerate the cross on Good Friday, any more than I could venerate meat hooks in a slaughter house. I pictured Jesus hanging from the cross by meat hooks, instead of nails — just so we could have a “Happy Easter”. And I thought of the Amos quote (recently added to the Quotes page), while stewing over the impending religious holiday that, once we leave the church, centers on dead lambs or dead pigs, and more dyed eggs than anyone would ever want to eat, from hens less lucky than the one pictured at the bottom of the home page — dreading exchanging Easter greetings, and trying to sound cheery and sincere. It’s easier just to leave the church quietly without getting caught up in a conversation with anyone. (Apparently, I hang out at the grave too much, to expect, or to notice the miracles of resurrection around me these days.) Pretty negative, eh?! Well, I don’t usually come across that way publicly. But those are the kinds of thoughts that come to mind whenever there is a holiday, and particularly a religious holiday whose home celebrations focus on the obligatory “traditional” foods. (I don’t have any difficulty with Pentecost — because I don’t associate it with food or other social expectations. I guess Easter finally catches up with me by the time Pentecost rolls around. But then, it’s a new season, isn’t it.)

After going though that inner turmoil, I was very happy to read a timely post that appeared on the Episcoveglist, which originated on SERV’s list, and asked (and received) permission to post it on my site. Here is a concept of the Atonement that I can relate to in a very positive way. I particularly like the parts about achieving “an identity with, a solidarity with, those against whom we have sinned”, and the “sense of belongingness with our fellow creatures”:

Subject: SERV> Atonement
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:35:54 -0400

One of the ways to get inside the idea of atonement is to contemplate its
root: AT-ONE-MENT. When we atone for our sins we render ourselves both at
one with ourselves - i.e., become psychologically whole again - and, at the
same time, achieve an identity with, a solidarity with, those against whom
we have sinned. As vegetarians or vegans, we atone for the crime of flesh
consumption and thus become closer to possessing a sense of belongingness with our fellow creatures, as well as becoming more “wholesome” ourselves - or, at least, that is how it should work!
Rod

Thanks, Rod. Your post got me out of my “Good Friday slump”. (I didn’t include your last name, because I didn’t know how public you’d want to be.)

“SERV” stands for Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians.

Please visit their site at: http://www.serv-online.org.

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For another point of view that I can relate to, see:

http://my.execpc.com/~paulnue/less_fest/goodfriday_2003_ser.htm

http://my.execpc.com/~paulnue/nutshell.htm

http://www.wvchurch.org/talks/girard_oct02.htm

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Added 7/1/2003:

Pentecost has come and gone. As you might be able to tell by now, I’m trying to make sense of religion, Christianity in particular, in light of my beliefs in God. (They don’t match.) Here are two things I found recently that shed some light on my over all quest for religious meaning lately:

The first comes from a book review of The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium, by Walter Wink — on sale at Amazon.com for $11.16 — check out the rest of the reviews by clicking on the book title.

“This dominance of violence, ranging from literal torture and death to softer forms of humiliation and degradation, are described as the explicit focus of Jesus’ life and message. His death, rather than being a violent appeasement of a blood-thirsty God, is revealed as the only nonviolent means of defeating the powers - embracing the unjust suffering of violence as a means of bringing humiliation and reproach to the powerful.”

That puts a whole different spin on things, doesn’t it? I can live with that.

The second:

“Institutional Christianity seems fearful of inquiry, fearful of freedom, fearful of knowledge — indeed, fearful of anything except its own repetitious propaganda, which has its origins in a world that none of us any longer inhabits.”
– Bishop Spong, Why Christianity Must Change or Die

Now if any of this bothers anyone, maybe it’s time to rethink what our mission as followers of Jesus is and/or should be in the world, instead of griping about my attitude. A good place to start might be to read Walter Wink’s book.
(A dangerous place to start might be to read Bishop Spong’s book. A friend of mine read it, and left the Church shortly afterwards. That isn’t the goal.)

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To carry my eternal Good Friday further, here it is 7/9/03. This week I had another “flash” [brief vision] of the crucifixion. Instead of nails, I envisioned Jesus being fastened to the cross by steel jaw leg-hold traps. Gruesome. But it really paints a picture of agony in 21st century terms, doesn’t it?

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Updated 8/21/2004:
I just found this. It reminds me of my meathook comment above.
http://www.graphicwitness.org/coe/cowtif.jpg