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First of all, no matter what anyone says here to answer you, someone will come to argue about it because they have endless debates (even between fellow Christians) about what exactly the interpretation of the bible (hence God's word) is. But I will give you my take on it based on the cumilitative debates and discussions I have had on the matter:
1. The old testament was "over-ruled" by the new testament, and the new testament was created after Christ was crucified. By "over-ruled" I mean that many of the harsh requests placed on people in the old testament were pacified by Christ's sacrifice which created a religion called "Christianity" which was, in essence, easier to be a part of than Judaism (which solely believes in the old testament).
2. Christ's sacrifice was to suffer for the sins of all of mankind. That is why people worship the cross because it symbolizes the grave pain he went through for YOU and YOUR sins. By YOUR sins, I mean everything you are, as a sinner.
3. You are born a sinner because adam and eve ate from the forbidden tree. This is a story that Christians believe about the first man and woman (which is the opposite of the Darwinian belief in evolution from apes). God gave them paradise but told them one thing: do not eat from that tree (I believe it was the tree of knowledge). But Satan appeared as a snake and convinced eve to eat from it, and so she did. When God found out, he got angry, and made them mortal, gave them problems, and from that point forward all humans were then born sinners.
4. As born sinners in the old testament you have to do lots of odd stuff. You are supposed to kill gay people ("put them to death" ), divorced women are not permitted to marry, and even animal sacrifices were requested of humans to compensate for sin. In the spirit of animal sacrifices, Jesus came about and became the ultimate sacrifice: The Son of God who allowed himself to be tortured and beaten and then nailed to a cross to die for all of mankind's sins.
5. The rules of Christianity are pretty standard for any religion: Don't kill, don't steal, don't lie, treat others as you would treat yourself etc. If you do break any of the rules, you should ask God for forgiveness and you shall be forgiven.
Personally, the most important aspect of Christianity to note is the "all are born sinners" concept. This is not a positive thing as it forces Christians into a mental state of guilt and innadequacy, even if they are not aware of it. This is why Christian schools are so widespread: the concept of Guilt is far easier to place within people at a younger age than at an older age, and this is why many people who used to be Christians didn't just choose to disregard it, but they detest the way it made them feel. Of course, Christians who encounter such a situation have no idea how to empathize with it because according to the bible those who do "succumb" to Satan are the ones that permit doubt and questioning come into their minds, which is a bad thing.
However, this "guilty mentality" is very useful in controlling people because not only does it force them into a state of pacified following, but it entices them to try to "enlighten" others too as in doing so they will levy the weight their own sins place on them, as in the bible it states that all those that do not welcome Christ as their lord and saviour will be going to hell... so as a devout Christian it is your job to help them go to heaven and in doing so are repenting for your sins.
Hence the influx of types of Christianity where they come knocking at your door trying to awaken you.
"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."
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