THAT'S GIRARDIANISM, NOT CHRISTIANITY:

Christian Passover Seders are often connected to the idea that the Last Supper was a Passover meal. But the arguments for observing Yom Kippur are less obvious. While Yom Kippur is mentioned in the Bible -- as is a Passover meal, at greater length -- Christian theology generally understands Jesus's death to have fulfilled and transcended religious laws.

While most Christians believe that moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments, still apply to them, they believe that ceremonial and civil laws do not -- which includes keeping kosher, mixing fibers and observing all festivals, including Yom Kippur.

Romans 10:4 says that "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there might be righteousness for everyone who believes." Hebrews 8:13 is even more clear: "By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

This is particularly relevant when it comes to atonement; Christian theology posits that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, and that everyone is thus already forgiven through his sacrifice. This means that a day of atonement, every year, is superfluous.

So why do Christians observe Yom Kippur? It varies, depending on the congregation and discipline. Some do so in an attempt to connect more deeply with the life and practices of Jesus. As Jon Levenson, a professor of Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School, told the JTA, "There's this notion that church tradition has gotten farther and farther from the real word of God, and that somehow the Jews and their Bible is closer to the real word of God."

Others focus on the holiday because they see it as theologically significant, albeit in a different way than Jews do. Jesse Rogers, a Twitter user who was defending Christian Yom Kippur in the comments of a tweet, commented that his congregation's observance centers around meditating on Jesus's love for "even those who killed him." He also said that "every Yom Kippur dinner ends with the sharing of snacks and a small prayer."

This, of course, made me curious; Yom Kippur dinner? I reached out to better understand his practice.

Via Twitter direct message, Rogers explained that his congregation focuses on the idea of Jesus as the scapegoat. This term comes from Leviticus, which directs how to make a sin offering on Yom Kippur with two goats, one of which will be chosen as a sacrifice and slaughtered to atone for sins. 

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