The message of the crucifixion is perfectly clear: Teach only love, for that is what you are. If you interpret the crucifixion in any other way, you are using it as a weapon for assault rather than as the call for peace for which it was intended. The Apostles often misunderstood it, and for the same reason that anyone misunderstands it. Their own imperfect love made them vulnerable to projection, and out of their own fear they spoke of the “wrath of God” as His retaliatory weapon. Nor could they speak of the crucifixion entirely without anger, because their sense of guilt had made them angry.T-6.I.13:1-2, T-6.I.14:1-4
A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition.
The saying “Religion is for people afraid of hell, and spirituality is for people who have been there.” Religions are based on fear of a wrathful god. Christianity is based on the idea of sacrifice to appease a vengeful God. The crucifixion, Christians are taught, is a blood sacrifice to exonerate our sins before a judgmental punishing power.
In A Course of Miracles Jesus is telling us something quite different when he says that the point of the drama of the crucifixion was to demonstrate that Love will overcome any assault no matter how horrendous.
In Unitarian Universalism some of us covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and support for spiritual growth which involves the demonstration that we need not think alike to love alike.
Today it is suggested that we rise above the drama of attack and assault and persecution and see it for what it is: a misguided attempt to protect what we are attached to.
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