Salvation due to Moral influence of Christ the teacher not substitution was put forward by New Testament. Early theologians like Origen, Clement, Polycarp, Augustine, Byzantine theologians supported it. Kant, Abelard, Rashdal and Bonheoffer of modern age supported it in modified form. But latter wrong substitution theory was stressed by Protestants to make readymade pill of salvation appealing to lazy humanity. “You just believe (vocally!) and it is accomplished by Christ”, they said.
But, in spite of giving a fickle euphoria, that never regenerated. Escalating war culture in Europe proves it. Only moral influence theory, supported both by New Testament and reason, can do that as in my case. I am reinterpreting it according to this new age. For that I had 5 year theology course and 55 years of Christ following life with constant research.
Our sinful nature is due to our original sin-disintegrated weak personality, when we fell from love-heaven. When one goes against spiritual Love-God to indulge in anti-love pride-actions (sin), his internal love bond weakens. Love-God holds everything together—our soul, mind, body, universe and paradise. Disunited internally due to weakened internal love-bond, inside-weak us can’t control turbulent passions to fall to more sins compulsively. Only cure is Heavenly Father’s love and repentance (for crucifying him due to our universal depravity), which Christ can give with his Moral influence. Punishment may temporarily repress one’s passions, but only one’s internal love-integration can usefully control it. Love can’t be taught by torture. Our courts now try to cure the criminals by loving, feeding and protecting them in hotel like jails, while the toiling citizens take up the cross of supporting them.
But the negative teaching of N.T. which springs from Christ-forbidden bloody old testament contradicts its truths. The negative passage of Isaiah supporting wrong substitution theory must be exposed and condemned. It is falsely asserted that positives spring from the negatives. This passage
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed”, should be corrected as
"But he was wounded by our transgressions, he was bruised by our iniquities; but his wholeness made us whole, and with his health we are healed.” Didn’t we crucify him?
Those theologians including some of the fallible apostles’ purported statements making negative equal to positive is most misleading. Substitution theory represents Father as a blood-thirsty king bent on his self-centered idea of justice. So a scapegoat is needed in Christ to spare humanity! Rather if He is the creator impartial justice convicts Him, not the created things. But I have arrived at the true Heavenly Father following Christ in orphan and destitute rearing and Muslim ministry. See my post, How I came to know Heavenly Father as ideal love-repentance.
I shall answer now in modern context the following wrong accusations by the Protestants against Moral influence doctrine.
It underestimates the seriousness of sin.
Answer- No! We never underestimate our sin which are weakness, but put forward a love-correcting method used by Christ. No assertion like “Christ has already done that for us” will do.
It teaches that humans have to save themselves.
Answer- Certainly the sinner has to take initiative and then Christ will help. A forced salvation is hell indeed.
It teaches salvation by moral effort alone.
Answer. - believing Christ to follow is also the most needed initial moral effort. If we follow his love-injunction, we become unbreakably love-integrated being helped by him. That is salvation.
It does not support the uniqueness of Christianity.
Answer- false! We preach that out of all religions’ teachers, only Christ lives and helps penitent sinners.
It denies the essential importance of the passion and death of Jesus.
Answer.- real importance of passion and death of Christ is that generates repentance in us, understanding that our nature has become so degraded to do atrocities on saints. There are no magic properties to it.
It underestimates the wrath of God against sin.
Answer.- Absolute love Heavenly Father has no wrath against our sin, our soul sickness. Rather He considers Himself responsible for our sicknesses. Wrath does not cure sickness.
It contradicts various biblical passages.
Answer,- Substitution theory contradicts many more catholic made bible’s most important N.T. passages and our most important reason too. By catholic’s reason bible was compiled. So our reason is important. Bloody O.T. of massacring Jew god is cancelled by Christ.
Alas! The religious establishments rely more on humanity for power and money than on God. So they must make an easy pill like substitution theory for lazy humanity to squeeze money out of them.
The ancient picture of humanity running for salvation and God’s court restricting it must be reversed now. Rather soul-suicide oriented heaven-fallen humanity is stampeding compulsively to pride-hate hell and Father is trampled in Christ to stop their dash to suicidal hell (Rev-12,7-12 and IndianPuran). This can explain prevalent atheism and conversion of the crucified robber and my atheist father and uncle.