[100% ILL]

The basis of your argument is that life in itself is enough, and religion breeds a fear that disrupts life, and causes it's believers to view non-believers with a self righteous piety that is condescending and works against the basic doctrine of the said religion (in the case of christianity). Of course in the case of secular humanism it is the person and the physical life that is viewed as the important thing and the exsistence of God is viewed as a necessity of the weak minded. Every religion claims to have the truth and everything else is a lie.
The basis of many religions is works. A person must do good in order to attain that reward that is heaven or nirvana etc etc. The religion then outlines what is "good" and sets forth requirements that a person must follow to be considered a follower of that particular belief system and so forth.
Your assesment of christianity< was largely generalized and often incorrect, but I get the impression that you are not particularly concerned with the truth as much as insuring that you are not bothred with religion of any kind.
I don't blame you.

Everyone now a days it seems is trying to push their agenda. The right wing has embraced religion or, so it seems, to get to the hearts of the people. This in turn pushes the "christian" leaders to the forefront to push their agenda. Leaders like Pat Roberts and Jerry Falwell, who I find equally as disturbing as any far left liberal. Because they claim to be christian leaders, but do not abide by it's basic fundamentals. This gives the christians who are, a bad testimony. Jesus healed the sick and made the lame walk again and caused the blind to see, but he didn't charge money for his services, and many times he instructed the people he healed not to tell anyone who it was that had healed them. But today televangilists are raping people in the name of Jesus.
I noticed at one point you mentioned the baptism of an infant, and you asked the question why isn't the birth in itself enough? why this need to baptise the child. The answer from a biblical standpoint is simply there is no need. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention or alude to sprinkling a baby with water for any reason. Baptism is Biblicaly a way of expressing or identifiing yourself with Christ in his death burial and resurrection. This is a conscious decision on the part of someone who has already believed. The catholics, presbyterians, lutherans, and methodists practice this but it is not biblical; Yet they still call themselves christians. I do not understand.
You hold the belief that we as humans in and of ourselves are complete and beyond us there is nothing, and view religion as a way of mass controlling people, and you are not incorrect in many ways. The Roman Catholic Church hid behind a cloak of Christianity and powerfully dominated a large portion of the world, with fear and intimidation. Constantine claimed to be a christian as well. Throughout history leaders have aligned themselves with different religions to achieve their goals. You mentioned domination in your post in reference to christians. Biblically speaking that domination is to be spiritual not physical. A true Christian is to be Christ-like, not do whatever he wants and then say well I'm a christian so it's right. Love is the principle thing in christianity not hate. Just like God loves us but hates our sin. But I will not go on about it, I will say this. Life in the physical sense is great and it can be very fulfilling and rewarding. But deep down inside where only you allow yourself to go. In that part that you hide from everyone else, there is that part of you that knows there is something beyond ourselves. Religion cant fill it It can't be fulfilled by money or power. Rich people always want more , and those with power are never satisfied with the power they have. Religion is a false sense of security that offers no absoloutes, only more questions.
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29.

The bible holds that, like many religions, man is not complete in and of himself, but it takes it a step further. It gives the outline of the rules of God, the Ten Commandments, shows us that we cannot meet them and are doomed to the punishment of God. But it goes even further, God himself became a man so that he could die(take our place) and receive the punishment of God for sin on himself. It's called Grace. The Bible teaches that there is nothing you can do, that it's already been done for you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
There is no mention of the believer exacting judgment in fact we are to do the opposite.
I mainly wrote this because I didn't want you to hold as truth that christians are vindictive hatemongers. Many people call themselves christians, but I don't belive they truly are. Matthew 7:21-23 says Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that dayLord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
As far as the validity of the Bible itself, The King James version is the version I read. It is commonly held to be the first English translation of the bible from the Hebrew(old testament) and Greek (new testament) in 1611 by King James I. In subsiquent years after the fall of the Roman empire there were translations that were more diluted and one such translation is that Alexandrian text from which the majority of the newer translations are derived. And yes there is a difference, and most of the so callled christians of the day subscribe to these newer translations. Only about fourteen lines of the original text are in dispute as to there authenticity, those are in the new testament and have nothing to do with foundational doctrine. The discovery of the Dead sea scrolls, was significant in proof that the text was original, and thus the King James translation to be an accurate translation of the original text into the English language.