Atonement Algebra

August 14, 2009    By: Matt W. @ 8:22 am   Category: Atonement & Soteriology

Some people say the most universal language is math. With that in mind, I was goofing around this morning, trying to explain the atonement with math. Here’s my first attempt:

M = Me
J = Jesus
S = Achieving my exaltation
N = the time I’ve existed (infinity)
M^N < S
J <> S
M^N + J = S

Thoughts? Formulas?

9 Comments

  1. I appreciate your equations. I happen to have taken a lot of math so I always find this stuff amusing. I guess the only problem with your equations is the results is only as strong as your assumptions. (Assuming you’ve used good logic.)

    For example I will prove girls are evil from this classic proof:

    Assumptions:
    1. Girls are the product of time and money.
    2. Time is money.
    3. Money is the root of all evil.

    =>

    Girls = time * money (# 1)
    Girls = money * money (# 2)
    Girls = sqrt(evil) * sqrt(evil) (# 3)
    Girls = evil (since sqrt(x)^2 = x)

    Anyways, I really enjoyed your formulas.

    Comment by Joseph Smidt — August 14, 2009 @ 9:34 am

  2. Don’t tell my daughters!

    Very good point though.

    Comment by Matt W. — August 14, 2009 @ 9:57 am

  3. The Atonement is not supposed to make your head hurt.

    Comment by Craig Atkinson — August 14, 2009 @ 10:01 am

  4. I was always better at geometry than algebra — can you work this out as a two-column proof, or at least give me a Venn diagram?

    Comment by Ardis Parshall — August 14, 2009 @ 3:02 pm

  5. There should have been a smiley on that, wearing either a mortarboard or a duncecap.

    Comment by Ardis Parshall — August 14, 2009 @ 3:03 pm

  6. M = Me
    J = Jesus
    S = Achieving my exaltation
    N = the time I’ve existed (infinity)
    M^N < S
    J S
    M^N + J = S

    Assuming M^N (btw, why M^N and not M*N – they result in the same answer, in fact because N is infinity one could unreasonably, but accurately write “N-M”) is non-negative [and your given JS] then J < S!

    Also M^N (with N being infinity) being less than S, this forces S to also be infinity and since M^N < S, N must be the smaller infinity (countable integers) while S must be the bigger infinity (number of numbers between 0..1) – Othersize J equals zero!!!

    Comment by ed42 — August 14, 2009 @ 5:52 pm

  7. Its much simpler than that.

    M=me
    J=infinite atonement

    M+J=infinite atonement

    QED

    Comment by Steve G. — August 14, 2009 @ 10:13 pm

  8. JS.
    Problem is that sqrt is a non-linear operator that doesn’t operate on words, only numbers.

    But one can’t just use a square root operator willy nilly!!!
    Case in point.

    if (-2)^2=4
    then because sqrt(4)*sqrt(4)*sqrt(4) = 8
    Therefore (-2)*(-2)*(-2) = 8
    Even though it’s actually equal to -8.
    Be careful with your non-linear operators.

    So even if sqrt could operate on words (or concepts) we’d have to remember the absolute value. What’s the absolute value of something evil (negative), an unsigned value.
    And now |-2|*|-2|*|-2| = 8 is true.

    Comment by MadChemist — August 15, 2009 @ 1:08 pm

  9. .

    What Devin Pope told me.

    Comment by Th. — August 22, 2009 @ 8:21 pm