It's purpose is not to impose guilt. From a utilitarian standpoint it is simply a necessary step for salvation. One must confess sins (aka their evil), in order to be forgiven. This confession need only take place between a person and God (although Catholicism might teach differently, most of the NT and all of protestant Christianity backs me up. I can provide examples if you desire) and then one must ask for forgiveness through Jesus. His death on the cross was a sacrifice for mankind's evil deeds/thoughts (aka sins). Jesus' death is significant as opposed to a random other person because 1. He is the Son of God. 2. He lived a sinless life, symbolic of the Old Testament's sacrifices which were to be blemishless. 3. He was promised throughout OT. He's the promised Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour.
I totally agree. That is why it is hard for me to see those priests as actual Christians. I believe again you are speaking of Catholicism more than Protestant Christianity (which is guilty of its own vices). Although, many Catholics, like Cantousent, have theologically correct interpretations of the Bible. There are other contradictory things in practiced Christianity that disappoint me too, and are not biblically correct. This doesn't mean that Christians should just shove it though. Admonish them with scripture, which should be their primary source for theology.
It disappoints me that things get tacked on to Christianity. For example, the Republican party. Don't be a hater just because of those stereotypes.
I was complaining about this to my buddy the other day. You'd never catch me saying "Mary Mother of God". That is ridics. God has no mother. Jesus, however, did have a mother. John 1:1-2, though, say that Jesus is God. So in Catholicism, because of their eccentric and excessive view of Mary as holy, they like to say, "Mary Mother of God." As if she is as great as him, or as if it gives her more power, or something. I have no idea why they do that. She is in the gospels (and maybe some of Acts) but nowhere else in all the New Testament. The Messiah was going to come. He just happened to come out of her womb.
I think there is way too big of a fix on Mary and not God in the Catholicism I see around. Also, why pray to saints? I must ask, because Jesus gives us the ability to pray directly to God. Who has more power? God, or a dead saint? I have no way of knowing if the saints can even hear us, but I believe God knows everything, so he knows when I speak to him. I'd rather tell it directly to God instead of going through some strange intercession of another human who sinned just like me. The focus should be on God, not some holy person. Paul was holy, but he always tells the people he writes to in his letters that he does things for God's glory, not his own. Okay, enough of my rant (but this is why I'm not Catholic).
As for the name of Jesus as the Son of God and not the Sun of God: half of that is a play on words. The other half, as you mentioned, the Jesus is the "light" of the world, illuminating amongst the darkness; it is true that the sun also illuminates. This, however, is not the defining characteristic of Jesus. More important is that He is the Son of the God most high, the Creator, the One you'll have to answer to someday, and this Jesus died for you. So that is why. It's just a matter of what characteristic is most important. It also ties in with OT stuff, like the Son of Man in Ezekiel and Daniel's prophecies.
^_^
Anyway, I agree that the current "State of the Religion" for Christianity is not that great. If all who claimed to be Christians did what they are told to do in the Bible, you'd see a big difference. The love of God should be pouring out of us into others. I don't see that happening. I can easily see where a lot of your criticism comes from and I'd agree with you on a lot of it. The Bible, however, is not the problem. It is the followers. They make up their own things, or ignore Biblical precepts or ideas, and this is what happens.
