Salvation As a Mechanical Process

Christians have been taught that Jesus died on the cross to pay a fine or ransom to expiate or atone for our sins. Furthermore, they have been taught that the death of Jesus is the only way individuals can receive eternal salvation. In general, this notion is called the ""doctrine of blood atonement"" or ""penal substitution,"" or some similar name. One reason for this teaching is that the development of Newtonian mechanics has led us to believe that God's ""laws of salvation"" must be as e...