I hope this thread doesn't get hijacked and go haywire but these are some random thoughts/musings on Christianity I had. I just so happen to be a Christian but perhaps not in the orthodox sense. Feel free to read it and provide your input but PLEASE no disrespectful comments or personal chastisements.
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The way I see it is Jesus is a metaphor for us having to go through hell to get to heaven. Even if Jesus did rise from the dead, I don't know what that has anything to do with why we are here. One persecuted individual 2000 years ago performing miracles is supposed to mean... what?
The bible makes a lot more sense if you see it as a type of fable written by scholars and sages who wanted to answer the age old question of why we are here. We must all make a sacrifice to get to heaven (a place of peace & goodness where we want to be). God sacrificed himself in the form of a man (Jesus) to give us an example of how much we would have to give up to get to this place. God also sacrificed his most beloved right-hand angel (Lucifer) to create Hell as a place where we would go if we did not sacrifice ourselves. God created Lucifer whom he knew was going to be evil and hence he knew he would have to make hell. In other words, God in all his glory and greatness created the CHOICE to be evil and constructed a destination where such choosers would dwell. What reason is there to strive for peace if there isn't a choice for an alternate destination? Goodness and peace would be just as bad as hell if no other option was given. The utopian societal construct of a place where morality need not exist since goodness is prevalent is the inspiration for communism which has led to countless chaos over the years. Scholars knew that the freedom to choose was more important than either a heaven or hell to begin with (and interestingly enough choice is the only thing the almighty God doesn't have any control over).
Also the greatest sacrifice in my eyes would be to go to Hell so that the rest of the world could go to heaven. When people think of going to heaven they think of THEMSELVES and THEIR family/friends going to heaven. What about everybody else? Isn't the thought of wanting to go to heaven for yourself extremely selfish and satanic in and of itself?