The present day Christian doctrine of atonement, which is, that Jesus gave his life on the cross for the sins of others, and that one may achieve paradise by believing in this idea of atonement, is based on the supposed sin of Adam. In fact, Eve was held to be more responsible than Adam according to the Bible since she persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden “fruit”.

The Bible says:

“And the man said, ‘the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat’ “. (Genesis 3:12)

To present Jesus as sinless because he did not have a father, makes it more questionable, as Jesus was born just of woman and it was woman, according to the Bible, who gave the forbidden fruit to Adam. And, again, what does the Bible say of a person born of a woman?

“What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous”. (Job 15:4)

Again it says:

“How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4)

The belief in atonement rests on the supposition that every human being is sinful. The Bible refutes this idea. Several persons have been mentioned to be righteous, such as Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth.

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Juda, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaran, and her name was Elizabeth.

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”. (Luke 1:5-6)

Since Jesus’ mission was with the Israelites, as he himself declared (Matthew 15:22-24), the question of atoning for the sins of all mankind does not arise. Furthermore, if death on the cross would have been pleasing to God, if it would have been the instrument of human salvation, he would not have so earnestly prayed for his relief the night before the crucifixion.

The Bible says:

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That is to say, ‘My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?'” (Matthew 27:46)

The fact is that Jesus did not die on the cross and was spared this humiliation. Thus, there is no basis for the doctrine of atonement.

The Old Testament narrates different ways and mean which can bring forgiveness of sin. This shows that the idea of forgiveness and salvation only through believing in the death of Jesus on the cross, is not supported by the Bible. It says:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land”. (II Chronicles 7:14)

The Bible points out that there are different kinds of sins. Some of them will not be forgiven at all. This also contradicts the belief of atonement.

The Bible says:

“Wherefore, I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men”, (Matthew 12:31)

It has been emphasized over and over again in the Bible that everyone shall bear his own burden.

“But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden”. (Galatians 6:4-5)

“Every man shall die for his own sin”, says the Biblical law which Jesus did not come to change:

“But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord conmmanded, saying, ‘the fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin'”. (II Chronicles 25:4)

In Ezekiel, this way of judgment has been presented in these words:

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.

“The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

….But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and rightful, he shall surely live, and will not die”. (Ezekiel 18:20-21)

The Bible most plainly and firmly has laid down the condition that one must forgive others in order to be forgiven by God. In whatever dogma, theory, or doctrine one may believe, one must act; one must forgive others in order to be forgiven by the “heavenly Father”.

‘The Bible says:

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Any doctrine which contradicts the above teaching does not present the views of Jesus. These Biblical teachings refute the present doctrine of Atonement, and show that it does not present the true viewpoint of Jesus.