Fair enough, I sort of understand where you are coming from.

I trust the Bible so I can only go by what is taught. I don't have a problem with Jesus giving himself as a sacrifice but I think it would be wrong to say that it was required of God to make a sacrifice. No one requires God to do anything but He requires it of us. Maybe we are just looking at it from different angles.

The penalty of sin is death. We have sinned against God so we can only pay with our life. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God and therefore was sinless and death was not required of him, but he gave his life anyway and died in our place to atone for our sins. God did not require child sacrifices at any time but he does require an atonement for our sins or else we must face death and separation from God.

Also, through the sacrifice Jesus fulfilled prophecy and showed his complete obedience and trust in God till the end. Because Jesus trusted God and stayed faithful, God raised him from the dead and exalted him. This conclusively showed all that Jesus was the Christ and that the God of Jesus was the true God.

I agree that Arius seemed to have a much better understanding of things but it's hard to say since most of his writings were destroyed along with him.

I don't follow the Catholic literal understanding of the eating of flesh and drinking of blood. He did say, "this do in remembrance of me." Jesus said, I am the bread of life. He also says to Satan "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." and Jesus is God's word to man living in the flesh. Perhaps it all ties together.

That's my thoughts on the matter at least. It is something I have to seek more understanding in for sure.