Here's my theological question, honest. It seems to me that Christianity, by which I guess I mean many Christians, focus overly much on these parts of the New Testament: One, I am the way the truth and the light, and no one (gets to) the father except through me. Two, if you DON"T try to get in this particular door, you can't get in at all and God the all-loving, all-forgiving father has arranged for you to suffer eternal torment. That is the face of Christianity that really troubles me, because I think it's on exclusion from and even by God. Here is the face of Christianity that I see when I read the actual gospel accounts: Top of the line first and last message is this: Love one another and love God; God loves you. God loves EVERYONE, including prostitutes, Samaritans, tax collectors, all of the rejects of the world, and your job is to try to do the same. Everyone matters. Everyone is wanted, welcome, needed, loved. Don't worry about the things you worry about ("consider the lilies", etc.), trust god and love each other. If people hate you, love them. If people hit you, attack you, cause you pain, love them. Be kind, be loving, have faith. ALWAYS. I think that what makes Christianity really transcendant among religions is the focus on loving those who don't love you, the whole turn the other cheek stuff, which means reaching outside of your own club, tribe, block, etc., and loving your enemy. It seems to me an astonishing and nearly impossible directive, MUCH harder than I have generally seen talked about. And if all self-described Christians really focused on that, then it might really change the world. Unfortunately, that isn't where the focus tends to be put, in my experience. There are some wonderful and public Christians who do try to get us all to at least forgive, which is in the general direction of love -- like Sister Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking et al.