Re: Christianity and religion
It's as simple or as difficult as you want to make it. There is absolutely nothing one can do to win God's favor, it's not about being nice so He can love us, He already does.
If you wish to keep your faith simple , so be it, it's precisely about personal relationship. It's about personal accountability as well.
I love my child and I will always love her no matter what she does, no matter how much her behaviour might at some point please or displease me. Do my love for her truly is unconditional. However I have rules that I extend to her. Dietary rules, bedtime, playtime, entertainment content, homework etc.,etc.
The rules I have made for her are purely to guide her on a path of what is in her very best personal interests. As she gets older, she will make up her mind as to wether she wants to abide by my rules, or disobey and later on dismiss them entirely.
So what can I say regarding the consequences of breaking those rules? Junk food will weaken her body, as will poor sleep. Too much or not enough leisure time will impair her lifestyle choices, etc.
This may sound very simplistic, but I can't imagine I make a better parent than God. In any case I'm just rambling.
On the other hand, some of us just like musing about pre-adamic creation, dinosaur extintion due to atmosheric changes, the love of God, the wrath of God.......but it really isn't necessary at all.