Sane,
Another long answer coming up Sorry!!!
We cannot even begin to comprehend as humans, what the affect of sin had on us as humans. Sure, we see the results of it.. so much of what you described, the unfairness of life, and particularly when it affects those who are the most innocent... but reality is most of this unfairnes, is nothing to do with God at all.. but has everything to do with the fall.. with the entry of sin into the world and the change of mankind from being created in the image of God (which to me means characteristics which create life and produce attitudes of love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, self control.) to an image corrupted by sin which destroys and allows attitudes like hate, bitterness, envy, jealousy, rage to enter in.
Jesus talked to Nicodemus a Jewish religious leader, who came to him secretely to find out about what He taught. Jesus told him in John chapter 3, that the only way a man could see the kingdom of God unless He is born again.
Paul repeats this in 2 Corinthians 5:17, that Christians are new creations.. the old has gone and the new has come. You see, when you become a true believer, something very radical happens inside you.. you become something that is a new creation and you start to see life from a different perspective.. from God's perspective.
The old life which leads people to commit the atrocities we see around us, disappear in the light of God and the new creation we are.
But there is more to this.. why are babies born deformed? why are their floods? etc etc.. Romans 8:22 tells us that all of creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Sin entered the world, and the curse that was the result of sin on mankind, "death" was felt in creation too. In the same verse in Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve showed their shame at their nakedness, God killed the first animal ever to be killed. Not long after that the great flood came and changed the atmosphere of the world as we know it. We have no idea how sin has altered and affected creation. But we do know that "creation was subjected to frustration, not by it's own choice, but by the will of the who subjected it IN HOPE, that the creation itself will be liberated from it's bondage to decay".
When Jesus returns and when heaven and earth pass away as we know it, and God's kingdom reigns on earth, those things which we see as unfair in nature, in the world.. will all be restored to it's original description as "good".
There is also a promise in the things we see happening though. Jesus said, expect to see more famines, earthquakes, and other "acts of god" as the time for his return draws near.
What happens to babies who die young? There comes a person in every human beings life as to right and wrong, good and bad. The bible teaches that God is the judge and He is a fair judge who will judge everyone according to what he has done, but as to who will be there in glory is His decision. Some churches teach that there is an age of accountability, and everyone who dies under that age are 'saved". Jesus certainly said "unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"
Now.. change of subject and Why does God need worshippers. God doesn't need worshippers. He is surrounded by angels who worship him night and day without ceasing. But once you become a believer, you don't worship Him because He demands or wants worship.. you do it because you can't NOT do it. From inside and flowing out, in a way that is indescribable, is such deep love and gratitude for a knowledge of His love and all He has done for you... you just HAVE to worship. When we worship as believers, we are worshipping with unnumbered hosts of angels. What an awesome thought!!!
Finally ) (for this post anyway lol), again, the language Jesus uses in talking of the bread and the wine as his body and blood, is only figurative or as most Christians call it.. a symbol. Certainly Catholics believe it IS his blood and body literally, and other Chrisitans belive it becomes it spiritually, but what Jesus is saying, is that everytime a Christian takes communion, eats the bread and drinks the wine, he should spend time remembering that Jesus died on the cross and His body was broken, killed for his personal sins and that Jesus shed his blood to show how great his love was for us individually. Never, was there any idea that the bread and the blood became the body and blood of Jesus. As it says in 1 Corinthians 11:26
]For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you remember the Lord's death until He comes"
Sane,
I thank God you found your way to this forum. Please keep asking questions and reading our answers and our prayer will be that God through His Holy Spirit, will lead you into all truth. What you are doing is obeying what Jesus commanded and which we talked about in your previous post. You are thinking through all the issues and the cost of responding to Him. He asks you to come in faith and just believe. The time will come when you will want to stop asking questions, and start believing. Remember, if he is God and He is, then there must be some things we cannot answer.. or else he would not be God.
I'm not going to be around for a few hours (it's bed time here). Hope to catch you again in the morning with some more questions if you have them. *grin*