Atonemnet is simply at-one-ment. It is to be at peace, or in harmony. It is friendship. What does it mean for the faith of Jesus? In terms of Jesus’ own teaching, it doesn’t mean much, at least not in the way that we think about it contemporarily. Despite the current majority opinion, Jesus did not come to die on the cross so that God would be capable of forgiving sins. What an uncharitable and irrational idea. The God of the universe—the One who created all things!—who is in essence Love cannot forgive apart from bloodshed? Nonsense! Such a theology hinges on just one verse, a very irrelevant verse at that, which has almost no historical usage and is surely not representative of even an ancient Jewish understanding.
Understood as satisfying God’s divine “need” for vengeance, atonement played no role in Jesus’ mission. In fact, Jesus’ mission undercuts this idea of atonement. Multiple times he forgave people. In none of those instances was blood involved. Prior to his ministry John the Baptist offered a baptism that symbolized repentance—the condition (or appropriation) of forgiveness. Forgiveness was recognized as coming through repenting of one’s sin, not through killing of any kind. Killing animals and offering them to God is nothing more than leftover pagan superstition that infected the Jewish tradition. While those are very harsh words, it is important that they be harsh, that God is not linked to such absurd barbarity.
The Scriptures even point out that such sacrifices are displeasing to God, though not unanimously. For example, Psalm 40:6 tells us: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have opened; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.” God doesn't require rituals-- especially rituals that are harmful to any of God's creatures--but ears that hear and a heart that is open. Likewise, the Psalmist also writes in Psalm 51:16-17 “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” What God truly wants from us is repentance. God wants us to stop doing evil and continually do good. We do not need to shed blood, not now and not then. We do need to make reparations, however. When we have wronged another, we need to try and repair the damage that we have caused. We don't do this because of fear that God will cast us into hell if we don't, but because love reconciles. This reconciliation is what atonement is all about. Harmony is God's plan, is God's desire. Peace is atonement.
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So if I am reading this right you are saying that Jesus never needed to go to the cross or shed His blood for our Forgiveness. My question would be to ask about verses such as:
Ephesians 2:13, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."
Hebrews 10:19, "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,"
1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
Revelation 1:5, "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,"
1 Corinthians 1:17-19, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
By these verses and many more it seems as though Jesus' death on the cross was absolutely a necessity for the atonement of sin. If it is important that we be Scriptural and historically accurate then we must agree with Paul as he wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit in Romans 3:21-31, " 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."
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