There's a lot in what you've been asking all_i_want, and i will try and break it down to a few points.
ok, lets say we take these texts as they are. still, there are a lot of things that dont make sense in it. concept of a god that needs worshipping just doesnt float my boat. why would the almighty 'force' his followers to worship him? why threathen them with 'hell'? and really, why create a place called purgatory (i think there was some way of reducing the days you spend there.. dont remember how though 
could you explain the concept of going to hell with my quote below in mind?
Actually I think if you look at the bible in totallity you will not find a concept of a God who needs worship. You will not find a concept of a God who needs anything or anyone. What you find is a god who desires our love. To me I find a perfect parallel in creation. I don't need my kid's love, but damn if I don't want it badly. As her creation I think God really want's us to be in relationship with her. In fact one of the most confronting images of God in the bible is of a jealous lover. I think that's where the lines in Love & Peace or Else come from...you know... "lay down your treasure, you don't have time for a jealous lover".
As regard to Hell, I think spiral has answered this pretty well. The bible explicitly states that God wishes that no-one would be lost to him. It's back to that free-will thing. If people can't really have the capacity to choose against God then it's not really free will. The whole point of Jesus death was God's plan for a way to satisfy both justice and his love and provide a way to restore us to relationship with him.
And there is no mention at all of purgatory in the bible. Man-made concept.
also i still dont understand why islam is any less legitimate than christianity. the written records started the year its book started coming and lasted for all this time. if we are going to discuss historical accuracy those records are not any less accurate.
I am not questioning the acuracy of the Koran, it is no where near as old as the bible- but I do have some big problems with it on other levels. Firstly it's message is not falsafiable as A_Wanderer has been good at identifying. Christianity is (see my previous posts on this subject). There are also many other problems I have with the message of the Koran in particular that it endorses the killing of infidels where as Christianity teaches to love your enemies. At the end of the day though it is the simply logic that they can't all be right- and I find something very unique in the christian message. Of eleven major religions of the world, ten of them teach salvation through human effort. Only Christianity recognizes the frustration and futility of mankind's own efforts and declares that our salvation rests in the provision and grace of God.
talking about religious atrocities, do i need to mention MILLIONS of women burned at stakes by the church in the middle ages. those atrocities are just as vile as the ones that happen in iran or saudi arabia. any kind of religious fanaticism is dangerous.
I don't think it was "millions' but that's not really the point. I'm with you on this point, I think there have been tragic injustices carried out in the name of god or the church- and I think it is plain evil. For the most part these things were not done for any christian purpose at all, they were done for political expediency or greed or hate and they deserve the disdain that they recieve. I personally believe the institutional church through the middle ages become more of a political entity than the loving, living, caring family that Jesus had in mind, and power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely as they say. No wonder the reformation came. But don't write off the underlying truth of the christian message because evil people have hijacked the institutional church for their own means.
lets take hitler for example (he's more or less my fave example to explain this) did he go to hell? more or less every religion would say 'hell, yeah!' but really, what did he do wrong? did he do anything contrary to god's will? who on earth could do something contrary to GOD'S will? i know, freedom of choice, youd say. well, where is the freedom if you know youd do something and not what is prescribed? if its gods will to give its subjects the freedom of choice, it is not his choice to forever damn the souls of the ones who dont make the choice god would like.
'do this, or go to hell' i dont really have much of a choice do i?
I think you have a very narrow view of god's justice. Freedom without consequences for actions is just chaos. Someone must be held accountable.... otherwise where is justice. Are you happy for God to just wink at the actions of say hitler (using your example). Geez, that is certainly not a god I could respect. And yet that is the thing about christianity that is just so jaw dropping. Imagine, God is so gracious as to provide a way out of the justice issue- offering to take the consequences for us. It speaks to me of the enormous passionate nature of God.
thats only one problem i have with religions. dont even get me started on the needy, egomaniac god model they present to us. 'you have kneel before me five times a day' or 'you have to visit church every sunday'. the god i believe is not the kind that constantly 'needs' things from his subjects.
That's also the God I believe in. That is the christian conception of God, think you got sold a lemon somewhere along the line as far as what christianity is.
