| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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| Vicarious Redemption | Sheeps | Monday, March 14, 2011 |
Question: I was interested in apologists, defending the Catholic faith, and a friend of mine showed me an argument made by a Christopher Hitchens. He proposes that Vicarious Redemption aka Jesus's death on the cross to save our sins, is immoral. There are plenty of Youtube videos on Hitchens explaining this concept and I haven't been able to find a solid answer in the CCC that says why Jesus's sacrifice on the cross is moral and not some sort of celestial dictatorship. |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Benjamin Mathew
Dear Sheeps, Christopher Hitchens' arguments against Christianity are not solid ; he preaches to his audience, and gives them whatever they want to hear. He changes his arguments to suit his audience, sometimes he denies that a historical Jesus even existed, and other videos he says that Jesus' death on the cross was immoral. Well which one is it? Did Jesus exist or not? Hitchens often smears words together, but when placed in debate, his strawmen arguments get thoroughly defeated (See debate with William Lane Craig). Vicarious redemption is the idea that God wouldn't have to use an immoral action to save the world (redemption through vicarious sacrifice), and thus Christ's death was not only barbaric, but is immoral. The first hole in this argument is that Hitchens bases morality on human invention (which is common in today's morally relativistic society). We know, however, that morality is based on God. Whatever God does is moral, and right, and good. It is important to note however, in all of the gospels, Jesus never asks to be killed. He prophecies that he will be killed, but he never asks to be killed. Hitchens' is mixing up predestination with prophecy; though Jesus knew he was going to die, he didn't cause his death or kill himself. Like any sin, God does not cause them, but allows them to happen, much like original sin. Here's what the catechism says: To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of "predestination", he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: "In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness". Hitchens is right that the crucifixion was immoral. In fact, this is one of the hinges of the Christian faith. God took upon himself human immorality, violence, rejection and responded with peace, love, and non-violence. Some people may ask, why didn't God choose another way to forgive sins? It is because God loves us. The incarnation was the best possible way for humans to come to know of God's love; this love is fully manifested in Christ who is always present to us. God went into our broken human nature so that we can be redeemed. God knows our struggles, our pain, and our brokenness, even to the extent of being tortured to death, but overcame them. Here is the link to the catechism with all of the information regarding the atonement of sins and Christ's crucifixion: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a4p2.htm For more information debunking Christopher Hitchens, follow the videos below by Fr. Robert Barron. He's the first Catholic priest on cable television since the Archbishop Fulton Sheen and he combats this 'new atheism'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBp9Tgkmk7w Mr. Mathew |
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