>>By the way, I eventually did read the whole Bible, and yeah...it's full of inconsistencies and contradictions. It's incredible to me too that anyone could believe it all. Just as incredible as it is to you.<<

It's not that they believe it all so much as they are not comprehending what they are reading to a degree that I find utterly shocking. James gives no impression that Christ had ever walked on earth and has surprisingly little to tell us about this remarkable man who was supposed to be his sibling!!! He says nothing about the life of Jesus. Doesn't mention any crucifixion and exhorts his readers to bear the suffering as the prophets bore theirs but never mentions Jesus suffering as we would expect of a Christian. How do Christians manage to ignore this?

>>But I am very interested in Jesus himself...much more than I am in the Bible...just as I am interested in all the great spiritual teachers. I consider them to be way beyond the organized religions that were established in their names.<<

You can't convincingly separate Jesus from the bible. Nor would I recommend doing so.