Jeep,
Thanks for the book suggestion. I'll check it out.
Zenchiku,
How are you defining the words "faith" and "belief?" What is the difference between these words?
I agree with Zenchiku that Jesus was an icon of God (of sorts). I agree that the gospels (not just John's) portray Jesus as "God with us." The arrival of the Jewish messiah was representative of God returning to Zion, God coming to deliver his people, God intervening to save mankind, God bringing judgement, etc. In this way, Jesus did arrive as the image of God.
Now (of course much of this is semantics), to say that Jesus = God and to say that I can use the words interchangably whenever I wish is a different matter.
It is somewhat difficult for our linear mind to grasp the way of the ancient mind. To say "Jesus is God" or "Jesus = God" are two different things, in my opinion. Jesus was God in the sense that I mention above. Jesus does not equal God, as Jesus himself points out.
RB