Harry,
I've been following your arguments for some time and can't restrain myself any more. Religious beliefs (note the stress on 'beliefs') are some of the most difficult things to comprehend. Often, questioning them can lead to conflicts and excommunication if the questioner is a member of the faith in question.
In Christianity, faith is based on believing the truths contained in the Bible. Even Jesus alluded to this when he told Philip (one of his disciples) just to believe that he had known (seen) God only by knowing Jesus (or His deeds) – Mathew, Chapter 12. This is one Chapter of the Bible where Jesus teaches about the basis of Christianity. Many other instances are recorded in the Bible where belief is stressed as the key to Christian spirituality (e.g. Luke 24:25). Without believe many religious teachings would have no meaning to adherents.
The Holy Bible has been read for thousands of years and yet every Biblical scholar has a different interpretation. That alone indicates that God's Word is no ordinary word. The Bible has never been boring; we read it every day yet we never tire or fully understand it, like we do with ordinary books and novels. We believe the story as told by God and those who lived with and witnessed Jesus. We reach and believe many history books, some written by researchers from information gathered from interviews, yet it is evident that the Bible story is first-hand writing, by people who lived with Jesus.
If your arguments will lead you to better understand and embrace Christianity, I'm all in your support. I'll only caution you to be wary of becoming sacrilegious and, in the process, becoming another Salman Rushdie! We know that even in African traditions some beliefs are so strongly held that those who question them risk a curse, often with dire consequences. Belief is everything in life.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, preached at a time when the world had sinned so much that God had to send His only Son to save us! With God-given power, He could have preached to the whole world from one point – all humanity seeing and hearing Him. Yet, He had to make himself ordinary man, suffer the struggles of ordinary people, and experience the lives of ordinary people. Only this way, would he change people – in any case luxury and opulence (as exemplified by the modern televangelists) was frowned upon by God. Jesus came for the poor, downtrodden, sick "mwanachi". These are not the people to afford TVs, even if they existed then! Instead He had to suffer with the people – a true leader, as opposed to those modern preachers who live in affluence while their flock that wallows in poverty. He was went to the people, not people going to him.
One thing we must understand is that Jesus did not need a physical church to preach. His "church" was the world! To him the church was the whole area occupied by humanity. Note that towards the end of His worldly mission He instructed His disciple to continue the ministry of Christianity. Being mere mortals, the apostles could not preach to the "whole Church" at once as Jesus did. So they had to build meeting places (churches) where Christians congregated to receive the Word of God. But Jesus acknowledged that a place of worshiping God (under a tree, in a tent, on the mountain top, in seclusion) was sacred. In other words a church is anywhere people come together for prayer but that place must not be used for anything else (remember when He furiously overturned tables and chased merchants who had turned a hose of God into an auction center?).
Church-going (i.e. assembling of believers, not necessarily in a building) is an occasion for Christians to share spiritual experiences, offer spiritual support and guidance to each other and give "mass" supplications and pleas to God. As we all have different interpretations, the church gives opportunity to less Bible-schooled to listen to those who may have expert knowledge. Priests are trained to interpret religious teachings and dogma as commonly understood by majority Bible scholars. Hence church-going provides this opportunity.
Like political rallies - politicians would never reach all their constituents are they relied on the mass media only. A personal "touch" is more important than those over-rated cyber communications.
So, Harry, go on argue and be better informed. And one day, you'll embrace the Church, Christianity and the Bible.
Mathias
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