...but what I take away from the above is that god is really keen on blood sacrifices. Why is that?
I'm still not really sure why we should correlate Jesus' death with our sins. Did he effectively say, "Look, you people have pissed off god, and he demands blood. I'm going to let him spill my blood (actually, some of you will do it for him), even though I effectively AM him, and as long as you believe this tale, you'll go to heaven."
Then there's further paraphrased statements: "If you've heard this tale and don't believe, you'll go to hell. Now, some folks won't get to hear the tale, so their fate will be judged on other factors. Like kids--they haven't been around long enough to sin too much. Oh, and Mongolians, South American jungle tribes and such. They just have to act right to get in. I guess we'll have to deal with those who've heard some of the tale, but it was told wrong, or they were molested by those who told it. I'm sure we'll make exceptions for them."
I realize the above might be considered blasphemy, but it's just my lighthearted way of examining these points. My intent is not to make fun or merely scoff, I'm just trying to get at the heart of the beliefs.
No Disrespect Intended...
...but what I take away from the above is that god is really keen on blood sacrifices. Why is that?
I'm still not really sure why we should correlate Jesus' death with our sins. Did he effectively say, "Look, you people have pissed off god, and he demands blood. I'm going to let him spill my blood (actually, some of you will do it for him), even though I effectively AM him, and as long as you believe this tale, you'll go to heaven."
Then there's further paraphrased statements: "If you've heard this tale and don't believe, you'll go to hell. Now, some folks won't get to hear the tale, so their fate will be judged on other factors. Like kids--they haven't been around long enough to sin too much. Oh, and Mongolians, South American jungle tribes and such. They just have to act right to get in. I guess we'll have to deal with those who've heard some of the tale, but it was told wrong, or they were molested by those who told it. I'm sure we'll make exceptions for them."
I realize the above might be considered blasphemy, but it's just my lighthearted way of examining these points. My intent is not to make fun or merely scoff, I'm just trying to get at the heart of the beliefs.