What a noble concept - a man sacrifices himself to save the human race from sin. It seems noble and feels noble - even Thomas Jefferson (who did not believe in the resurrection) rewrote the Gospel in order to provide us with this self-sacrificing example without clouding it with mythological miracles. Thing is - like a Monet, it looks beautiful from a distance but on closer inspection it makes absolutely no sense.
The propitiatory sacrifice basically says that Jehovah (with foreknowledge) CHOSE to create a situation where people would sin so he would have to sacrifice himself in order to satisfy his own sense of Justice. Does that make sense to anyone at all? Let's take this slowly.
Adam and Eve defy Jehovah and commit sin. Every child disobeys a parent at some time - part of parenting is punishment and forgiveness. Why is it that I can forgive my child and yet Jehovah cannot forgive Adam and Eve? Am I more powerful than Jehovah? I don't need to kill anything to satisfy my own sense of justice - I just mete out an appropriate punishment and then forgive them. Why can I do this and yet Jehovah must have his son tortured to death in order to appease... HIMSELF!
Why must there be a propitiatory sacrifice?