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//The theory is - as you know, Naomi! - that God had to allow Jesus to be tortured and killed so that a pure man could enter the Kingdom of Heaven, because nobody else could get in otherwise,//
That makes no sense at all, Boxy - even with the exclamation mark. God HAD to allow Jesus to be tortured? Why? Who made him do it? And why couldn't anyone else get into heaven unless Jesus suffered and died? Being omniscient, God must have known that Jesus was a pure man without putting him through that horror. As far as I can ascertain, God's the boss, God makes the rules, and being omnipotent, it follows that he can change the rules whenever, and however, he likes - can't he? Since he is omniscient, and knows the secrets of all hearts, he can surely pick out the genuine cases and forgive their sins if he so chooses - just as he can allow them into heaven if he wants to. It's his house.
On the occasion in question, God certainly lived up to his well-documented sadistic nature by demanding blood and pain in return for his favours. Why people worship him and think he's the best thing that ever happened to the human race continues to elude me - but if someone would care to explain it - without pasting biblical texts - I'm very willing to listen.