The meaning of Jesus as God and Saviour -

Why should I believe in Jesus as portrayed by the 'gospels'?

Question 1:
Why should I, as a pre-requisite to salvation and deliverance, have to believe something about Jesus and God that
seems absurd and sacrilegious to me?

It would seem more reasonable to be allowed to call upon the name of Jesus for revelatory proof of his identity and
demonstrated proof of his saving power. Even so, many absurd and contradictory ideas have been advocated on
the premise of Divine revelations and visions.

Given that virtue, piety, humility and charity are to be found in virtually all races, nationalities and religions, how
does believing a strange religious dogma about someone named Jesus (and calling upon him, based on the belief)
reasonably qualify as the [essential prerequisite criterion] for God's salvation?

The so-called 'plan of salvation' seems to me very unreasonable and deplorably unjust; it seems to portray God as
having the worst characteristics of mankind. I see nothing wonderful about it. The devotees of Hitler no doubt
thought his ideas quite wonderful and reasonable (for them) even if it meant hell for all non-'Aryan' races. The
Christians’ heaven is inextricably tied in premise to the exquisite everlasting tortures of hell for ‘non-believers’.
Hitler’s plan and actions pale in comparison to what Christians describe as ‘God’s will’ and plan for mankind.

In my search I eventually relinquished Christian fundamentalism as unreasonable - in particular the central

teaching that the blood and suffering of Jesus, the (so-called) only begotten son of God, was required to appease
the just wrath and retribution of God for mankind's sin; and that no one can be saved without accepting Jesus as
God's ransom and sacrificial lamb.

I rather subscribe to the notion that Jesus is a perfect expression in human form of the Christ (the Word), “that
Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world”. And to as many as believe on (nurture, cultivate and
develop the consciousness of or faith in) the indwelling Light, God gives them power to become His children
(realize and manifest their true spiritual divine nature) . As it is said – “God in you the hope of glory”.

I can therefore accept Christ as God within us and Jesus as an ascended spiritual Master [having realized Christ-
consciousness and/or God-consciousness] whose aid we may solicit for deliverance from all manner of suffering.
Anything more would require my understanding to be divinely assisted.
I cannot believe that everything in the Bible is of God based on the authority of learned scholars or on other
people’s religious experiences. Even so, the interpretations of professed believers and prophets are quite diverse.

I propose that: believing in a supreme power is reasonable; prayer and fasting as a mode of seeking
God/good/wisdom/etc is reasonable; putting something to the test to see if it works is reasonable - even if it is
calling upon the name of a deity (be it Krishna or Jesus).
But even so, a satisfactory result does not of itself prove or mean that the Bible in its entirety is the revealed Word
of God – for every individual belief should past the test of reason and/or intuitive revelation. And my intuitions,
however divinely felt, does not constitute proof for another's acceptance.

The only outer evidence of truth is that it works, so Jesus said "let your light so shine that men may see your good
works and glorify God. But then again outstanding piety and miracles are not exclusive to any one religion or any
belief system, as most Christians seem to believe. There are more saints with miraculous powers in the Hindu
tradition.
My point is that, unless one has a personal, convincing revelation, it is unreasonable to request as prerequisite to
‘salvation’, the belief that Jesus was (uniquely) God in the flesh saving man from (otherwise inevitable) everlasting
destruction through his sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, my question as at paragraph 1.

Thanking you,
L.L