I disagree with this. I think sin is against God personally. As I said a couple of threads back, sin is, at its very essence, the claim that humanity knows better than God what to do with itself. A holy God takes that personally.
And yet, that same God of love requires that an animal, a creature completely lacking sentience, needs to be slaughtered, put through unimaginable pain and anguish and have its life snuffed out, in order to make up for the sin.
The wages of sin is death. The ultimate result of sin (both spiritually and materially) is death. The death of the animal is in place of the death of the offerer of the sacrifice. Still thinkin on the rest...
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I WRITE: Well, yes, I agree with this. But I don't think that it's self-evident. I mean, if I punch Joe Smith, I don't punch God. I don't harm God. I don't cause injury to God. Well, I guess indirectly I do -- because God cares for Joe Smith, and is displeased with seeing Joe Smith sustain pain. So to make up for this sin, it would be necessary for me to apologize to Joe Smith, offer him a bag of ice and do whatever I can to help heal the injury. And also I ought make amends with whomever was indirectly harmed by my punching Joe Smith, including God. But does it make sense that I should have to sacrifice an animal to accomplish this? Do the 2 even seem remotely linked? And furthermore, does it necessitate God becoming Man and dying on a cross to make up for that sin? Exactly why *A* I incapable of making up for that sin? And when you say "A holy God takes that personally" - that seems kind of glib and doesn't really satisfy my questioning. "Takes it personally" - so what? Why? That sounds so cliche and so inappropriate a description to ascribe to the Creator of the Universe -- I mean, it's an old stand-by movie quote for any jaded cop who's fighting crime all by himself "That's it - he killed my dog. I'm taking THIS case personally."
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YOU WROTE: The wages of sin is death. The ultimate result of sin (both spiritually and materially) is death. The death of the animal is in place of the death of the offerer of the sacrifice.
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I WRITE: You're not telling me anything I don't already know. My question is WHY. Why is the wages of sin death? Does that make sense to you? I call you a 'fool' and that deserves death? Wouldn't an apology do? Or do you think you should kill me in retribution?
Let me say that I understand the rationale behind the entiree sacrifical system. I understand how it all prefigures Christ's perfect sacrifice that atoned for all sin. What I don't understand is the necessary connection and the necessity of death to atone for sin. It just strikes me as so arbitrary.