Good Intentions, Bad Theology

I had an interesting experience that I am trying to sort out. I was reading a book on doubt called "The Thomas Factor" by Gary Habermas. He quotes heavily from "Telling yourself the truth" by William Backus and Marie Chapian. One quote stated in no uncertain terms that we were all loved and important, and that our lives have been "bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ."

The theology backing this claim was coming from atonement theology, which I don't agree with. The notion that I am born a sinner and will stop being a sinner at baptism and that this wasn't an option until Jesus of Nazareth was crucified appalls me. The notion that Christ died for my sins in an anthema to me.

But while reading this passage I could not help but feel genuine compassion towards me, as an individual and as a total stranger. I felt the spirit of God in the writing and in the reading of these words, despite the reasoning part of my mind telling me that it was wrong. I am not upset with myself for for feeling loved in this reading. Earlier in my life I probably would have been and I attribute that change to my oen healing and growth in the spirit. But I am still disturbed by the fact that the love and the logic weren't synchronized.

I could say that despite a spiritually criplling theology the writes were filled with enough of God's grace to express their true love but they were mired in the limited vocabulary of atonement theology. This point of view is needlessly cynical. My aversion to atonement theology is based on an initial disagreement with it. I have not yet examined it fully enough to have a proper critical reaction to it. Right now atonement theology just rubs me the wrong way.

So is it sufficient to be satisfied with the intention of the authors message while disagreeing with the reasoning behind the message? It doesn't hold up logically, but logic is merely a tool and breaks down in some of the more important theological matters. My mother frequently told me that she didn't like me at times, but she still loved me during those times. I understand that she didn't like my behavior and attitude, but the love was still there. When she said this I didn't like my mother very much, but I don't think that I every really doubted her love. My mother and I have butted heads most of my life. Now that I am no longer young we don't have those problems anymore.

I think that it is acceptable to feel the love of these authors: the spirit in which they wrote and the spirit in which I read it (which snuck up on me like a theif in the night) transcended the theological systems of author and reader. I am growing to realize that it is this spiritual connection to God to other people that is the most important thing in life. Theology should support that connection, not hinder it.

The movement of the spirit of God trancends theology.