Atonement

I've always had a hard time with the how's and why's of the crucifixion. It seems pretty much to have zero ontological plausibility or necessity. But then on strictly epistemelogical terms it also seems overboard. So what I'm trying to currently eisegete into my theological framework is an atonement theory that is based primarily on Christ's solidarity with humans. I have always given equal importance to the death and resurrection of Christ, and recognizing them as important absolved even from one another. But now that I recognize this about myself, it seems kind of silly to think the death of Christ would mean much without the resurrection and likewise. That's simple in itself, but years of bad fundamentalist folk religion can take time to sort out and unpack, especially when the boxes are unlabeled. So, what I'm thinking lately, is that the purpose of Christ dieing is because we are dead. And if we are ever going to be alive, then Christ has to get us there, but, like I mentioned before, we are dead. So Christ has to become dead to become alive to give us a shot at being alive. Well, I am still faced with some of the ontological problems I had before, but at least there isnt any transference of some kind of "guilt" consituted matter to deal with. And the strength I enjoy is that 1) this theory is constituted primarily around us being made one with God, which lies at the heart of atonement. And I like this too becuase it is not a unilateral effort towards such. And 2) consequently this also realizes human decisions.