He happens to be quite smart (for instance, got interviews at all of the top 5 business schools in the country). He takes a very logical approach to life and to religion. He explained that he sees Christianity as a crazier set of beliefs than even Greek mythology because Greek mythology teaches lessons that are very applicable to real life whereas Christianity sets up absolutes that are difficult to reconcile to a world with shades of grey. He's a believing, though not practicing Hindu. He mentioned that it's tough to believe that there's a God who is our Father. Quite presumptuous. Pretty unlikely. Also, this thing about Jesus dying for our sins and now we only need say we believe and be saved is also pretty ridiculous.
So, I pretty much agree with his points. It is ridiculous to think that just saying, "I believe" will save one person that isn't as good as another person who doesn't. I understand his concerns. However, I also think someone could just try to talk to God and see what happens. Maybe try to live the way he asks which does have some definite rights and wrongs and see what happens. And then, maybe, if He is real, he'll let you know. So, as crazy as all of it is, it's actually true. And I know because he's let me know. And he'll let anyone know it's true, but they have to do it his way; ask him, live the way he asks.
Concerning the Savior's actions: I can't think of a "why this was necessary" except for 2 points, neither of which I believe other Christian churches would state are true, in general.
1) If we didn't need to return to dwell with God again after this life and also become like Him, it wouldn't be so necessary for someone to take away our sins. The "and become like Him" is important. Because I could see it being okay for someone with sins to be allowed to come into God's presence. Seriously. Satan has been allowed to at times (Job mentions this, and more importantly, Satan was an enemy to our Heavenly Father in the premortal life.) However, if we're supposed to become like our Heavenly Father, but we've made mistakes, some serious and some not so serious, then we all fall short of the glory of God and could never become like him without some major help. That help is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It's harder to understand the true need for the Atonement without understanding the plan of salvation.
2) Relates to number one - people have terrible things happen to them and these things could/should affect them forever unless there's a power that can wash this away. That power is the Atonement. God needed to do something to help us for our sins (#1), but he also needed to do something to take care of all the bad stuff that happens on this Earth that should affect people forever. It doesn't have to though, and that's because of Jesus' Atonement. It's the power to help what can't be helped without some "miraculous force". The thing is, the miraculous force is an earned force. It's earned by Jesus.
2a) God has the right to be involved in our lives because his son came to earth and earned the right to be involved in life. We can heal people through the priesthood and faith in the Savior because the Savior earned the right to have power through the Atonement. That's why faith in him is necessary to be healed. It's his power, earned through the Atonement, that makes it possible. Once again, he came to earth in part to be able to affect things that couldn't be affected without him earning the right to do so.
So, as I said, I understand my friend's points. I could easily be just like him because his viewpoints are actually pretty reasonable. However, he's wrong about God. God is our Father and loves us and cares enough to be involved in our lives. More experiences than I can name (literally, hundreds of subtle experiences along with a couple of life-changing experiences) have absolutely convinced me there is a God that is actually our Heavenly Father who loves us and has called a prophet and established his church in these days. I am very lucky to know this. It's a little crazy, I admit, but it's also completely true.
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