On Monday the priests began to assemble in the great church. Many Christian women also came with Isabella to hear the discussion. A little later Umar Lahmi, Muaz and some other Muslim divines also arrived and the priests were perturbed on seeing them and they began whispered conversation among them. Just then Umar Lahmi addressed them.Umar Lahmi: As decided yesterday, the Divinity of Christ and Atonement will be discussed today. Since it will be difficult to deal with both these subjects simultaneously it will be better to take them up one by one.Peter: Both the problems are in fact one and interconnected, so you may take any one of them you like.Umar Lahmi recited some verses of Surah Furqan. This changed the colour of the face of Isabella; she was so affected that she fell down in a swoon and her companions helpedto raise her up. Peter and Michael asked the reason of her upset but she did not reply and warm drops of tears began to trickle down her face. She was revived with great difficulty and said on enquiry that she was having such fits for the last month which they should not mind but carryon the discussion. Some of the priests suspected that she was affected by Islam, but her assumed reply removed the suspicion and the proceedings of the meeting were resumed. After this interval Umar Lahmi got up again and spoke.Umar Lahmi: Gentlemen, we have been told that the basic principles of Christianity are Divinity of Christ and Atonement, so I want to put just one question which will also solve the problem of the Divinity of Christ. What was the need of the sacrifice of the “Son of God” as an atonement ? For this purpose any pious man could have been selected who would have given his life as atonement for all sinners. Why in particular was the“Son of God” crucified?To answer this question holy Peter was again selected, but he was in such a plight that he got up falteringly and spoke with a wavering tongue.Peter: For atonement the “Son of God” was necessary, for all men, whether prophets or apostles are sinful and a sinner cannot atone for other sinners. Since Lord Jesus Christ was the only “Son of God” and free from sins, so he was sacrificed for the sake of all the sinners.Umar Lahmi: Right, but just say what was crucified, whether it was divinity or the humanity in Christ. If the divinity of Christ was crucified, then itmeans that God as one and without any partner bore all the tortures of crucifixion and that death came on the personality of God, that is, “God” died. But if the humanity in Christ was crucified, then your answer loses all its force, as in that case crucifixion of a human being and notof God could have suited, for in both cases it was humanity in Christ that was sacrificed and not his divinity.Peter: Surely, Lord Jesus was perfect divinity and perfect humanity, that both these were fully represented in him. But his humanity, like his divinity, was free from sins and so his sacrifice was necessary. As other human beings are all sinful, therefore, they could not suit for atonement.Umar Lahmi: That is, because there was no human being in the world free from sin, “God” Himself had to come down, and His divinity was not crucified but His humanity. Suppose a person free from sins was needed for atonement, why did not God create a sinless man to die on the cross for atonement?Peter: God alone knows His secrets. We cannot say why He did not do it and came Himself to the world for thepurpose. But this much we know that God’s coming to the earth for atonement indicates His great love and affection. That is, God loved His creatures to such an extent that He sent here His only “Son” to give his life as a recompense for others. This purpose could never have been accomplished by sending merely a man.Umar Lahmi: If God had such a great love for His creatures, why did He not send this Son in the very beginning tobe crucified? Was there no humanity before Christ for God’s concern? Whydid He manifest His love after thousands of years?Peter: We do not know about this mystery. God’s mysteries are known to God only.Umar Lahmi: My question still stands. Reference to mystery again and again does not serve the purpose. Now if you say it was humanity which was crucified, then God’s coming down was purposeless Some other person could have been sacrificed.Peter: I have given my reply. Man being sinful could not serve for atonement. Christ’s humanity served for atonement and it was an embodiment of innocence and sinlessness.Umar Lahmi: Since Christ’s humanity was innocent and sinless, it became necessary to put on it the burden of the sins of all humanity. Holy priest, even you cannot understand your logic. How can I? What harm would have been done if this “Son of God,” instead of taking on him the burden of others’ sins, had done some such good which would have dominated the sins of all? In this case neither the burden of sins of all should have been put on sinless Christ, nor had he been crucified, nor even would it have given rise to the controversy of divinity and humanity. The remedy ofsin is doing good. Christ on coming to the world should have done such agood as to atone for all the sins, not to commit suicide for atonement.
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