There are Christians and then there are Christians.

[Starboard Tack]

41. Well, I guess we could cherry pick all day long to prove a point.

I don't spend my time scouring the bible for shit, which would be an easy task. When people talk of Christian values, I doubt they refer to the ramblings ascribed to Matthew or any other disciple, but rather to the stories that overlap with their own sense of virtue.
I think, for most of us, including professed Christians, the bible is full of drivel. Yet, buried in that drivel are nuggets of inspiration that folk hold onto, regardless of their religious affiliation. That's what counts. Whether they really came from this guy called Jesus, or from the tooth fairy is irrelevant.

I have read many books in my life and learned much from reading them, even from some of the trashiest books and the poorest of writers. I remember very few titles or authors' names, but I remember the things that stuck, regardless of the source.

You seem to be stuck with the notion that Jesus was some kind of messiah, a perfect divine creature. I'm sure he was as flawed as anyone, like Ghandi and MLK, but he obviously left an impression on a lot of people. What kind of impression is entirely up to the individual being impressed.

For many years, I have had trouble listening to the music of Elvis Costello, much to the consternation of many friends. I couldn't forgive him for calling Ray Charles a dumb, blind nigger. It was so over the top for me, especially because I never saw him apologize. Eventually, I realized that one story had prejudiced me toward the man, but I'm still working on it. Humility does not come automatically, just because one embraces it as a virtue. Find me a man without any prejudice and maybe I'll start believing in a deity.