Michael
Gerald, I deeply admire your passion to discover truth. You are clearly an open-minded individual in search of becoming more informed–I respect that in people. One thing that helped guide me in my faith journey was when I contrasted the sting of death across the religions. You can find the grave of Muhammed, Joseph Smith, Buddha, and many others, but not Jesus Christ. He is the one, still-living (in Spirit form) God. His single life on earth has so magnificently altered society (morals, legislature, calendars, etc.) that I had to take a deeper look at who He was and what He stood for. His message of grace, unconditional love, and eternal life in heaven set Christianity even further apart from other religions. He taught that attaining heaven was based on believing in His love/sacrifice on our behalf whereas other religions teach a salvation based upon the accumulation of ‘good deeds’ of the certain individual (you and me). I find great comfort and an amazing sense of peace knowing that God has reserved a place for me in heaven. That assurance comes from what God has done for me, not on how many good things I do. Since I am far from perfect (and always will be) I have placed my hope and faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. And you are right, if His life and teachings are false then my faith is indeed empty and worthless (and I’ve wasted the last 10 minutes in writing this). But if what He said is the Truth then my eternity is secure. I encourage you to investigate deeper into the life of this man we call Jesus. Read His words, examine His life, and you might find a new perspective in your personal journey.