"This would be a reasonable point, if i were an infallible deity.  However, last time i checked..."

Wait!  Is this a variant on the old canard that an infallible, omnipotent, omniscient deity wouldn't have had the Scriptures written in Greek and Hebrew which are dead languages?  Cuz you know they weren't dead languages at the time and some would argue they aren't dead even now.  Or is this a subtle jab that God would have made the Scriptures with a Universal Translator?

What if it happens that God respects our intelligence more than skeptics would wish us to suspect?   Have you compared and contrasted the Christian scriptures with other scriptures?  For example, the Mormons and the Muslims allegedly have direct dictation.  Is that closer to what you'd expect out of an infallible deity? 

"However, when i look at the most vocal and powerful section of religious america at the moment, i am surprised that they still feel able to refer to themselves as christians - followers of Christ.  They quote heavily from the book of revelations, but never from the sermon on the mount, strangely enough."

Fair enough, although of course technically speaking the inconsistencies of believers (of any position) do not nullify the system believed.  But ok, that's a credibility problem in your eyes.  But if you found Christians who were living it out, would that cause you to drop your diversionary objection?  :)  For I don't see how that alleged abuse directly connects to my question to you.  :)  At any rate, for what its worth, I quoted the sermon on the mount today.

"In the same way as a short story makes the best kind of book to adapt into a film, i think that a holy book of at most a few chapters would make for the best religion.  Maybe even a single paragraph."

Ok, but strictly speaking the first Christians had nothing but the 'Old' Testament to work on for Scriptures.  There is no evidence that Paul, for example, thought he was writing Scripture, or anything holy.  Luke's Gospel and his Acts appear to have been used in one of Paul's trials.  The Christian religion was already established before any of the NT documents were written.  I am perfectly comfortable taking the NT just as historical documents and letting the pieces fall where they may, completely dropping the notion that they are 'holy.'  In other words, I won't submit them as 'holy documents' produced by an 'infallible God.'  Would you nonetheless insist on receiving them that way?