Well, what is the difference between worship, honor, respect,
   love, friendship, gratitude?

   Iconography can provide, for some a, a focal point. They're not
   worshipping the stone or the image, but they're looking through
   it and beyond it, like looking through a pair of glasses, or a
   scientist peering into the quantum sized bits deep within,
   containing flowing and scattering energies...

   Jesus Christ, I believe, is helpful to many people because it
   gives a template that is helpful for many, a pattern.

   I don't know if it's necessary for all, but I can see how it can
   be helpful.

   Let's say you have an accident and you lost your right arm. But
   when you go to get plastic surgery, none of the doctors, nurses
   or staff have right arms.

   There are no pictures of people with right arms. There is no
   knowledge of right arms.

   So how can they reconstruct your right arm without a template?

   So for many people, having a template to work from, I believe is
   helpful in their journeys.