Don't wanna make polemics or something but

[sickofpalantirs]

Why does God, as higher being, as being of perfection, as creator to all, as "father" to all, as something beyond our comprehension and understanding require our love and our faith? More so, it's not a mere requirement, but a rule! And mind you, probably the most important rule of all. That sounds to me like he's an insecure leader who needs his followers to prostrate before him, to build him statues and worship him to bolster his ego.

That is how I see the Christian representation of God. Am I wrong?

It's not about God.  It's about us, and how we require a relationship with God to fill fulfilled in life.  Personally speaking the times when I have felt best about my life have been when I have been walking closely with God.

[Gil-Estel]

Hrcho, we must not indeed redeem the sins of our father/mothers. I want to distinguish doing sin from sin in general, which is missing the essence which has God given to us. Due to sin, we have become sinners. I realy believe Adam is a representative for menkind in general. Oh and I never said it was easy or anything. See the choice of Adam as the breaking of the world, like the closing of Valinor. Ever since, the entrance was shut and only due to the whole sacrifise cermonies and the strict laws people were reminded by the existance of God.
Why would people else need Christ? Even as a non Christian, that knows anything about Christian dogmatics, should be able to answer that question. What was it he should have made right? Only for Adam and Eve? Only for the real bad people?
Like I said, the simple fact that the world is pretty messed up. Ending recources, aid for those who need it always slowly. People denied food, safe water and medicines. People enriching themselves. And the list could go on for ever. That, to me shows the world needs redemption.

[Kev-La]

Well, I can return the compliment, by saying yours are a pleasure to read.

Thank you very much.

But let me return a question too.  Can I ask you, is there a deeper meaning to life? And since the possible answer to that question is: I don't know, is it something you're after? And if it is something you're after, how?

As you guessed, my answer to the first question is indeed "I don't know". Also, I don't know what would qualify as a "deeper" meaning to life. Every day of my life, I find what I regard as deep meanings in things. However, for me, they never have anything to do with the question of whether or not there is a supreme being. My favourite types of entertainment involve exercising what I believe is my very able imagination, so I don't think I'm lacking anything there. And I don't find life to be generally boring, unrewarding or shallow. On the contrary, I find it to be beautiful, ugly, gratifying, terrifying and, perhaps above all, very mysterious. And I've always enjoyed a good mystery!

[jdizzy001]

the 4 noble truths of buddhism are
1 life is suffering
2 there is an end to suffering
3 end suffering by ending cravings
4 end cravings by following the 8 fold path