Well, particularly for contrast with The Beers,
And in the Religion Forum - that comes with Papaya Leaf Clusters, for eschewing Any of the dogmatic words celebrated by massive overuse of the underclued.
About 1) which piques some associations -
Avatars are, by definition - Not those persons 'here' who have (via diligent internal Work + the aid of other Sages, most often) - come to "Realize" what it is They Are / and All Are. These are called Conscious Beings in the capitalized sense of that idea. (or "Fully Realized Beings", will do as well)
There have been quite a few, and most people know the names of several - none of whom are responsible for the subsequent and perhaps guaranteed? garblings of their Messages. 'Religions', coming well after the Fact - must be refreshed or they die out through irrelevance - so I have heard.
Avatars - arrive already Knowing, as infants (!) / Realizing that Truth which may not be expressed, given-away (since it is always inner generated or it does not Happen).
From this POV then, IMhO Jesus' 'doubt' (the dimension of which we could not possibly infer from the poor information or via any of the words) suggests something alien to other Conscious Beings, and especially to an 'Avatar': At such a level, mere "dropping off" of the physical body is simply No Big thing, so .. you see where that goes.
Of course, those of us who are not FRBs are no judge of the situation; but Eastern views are ~ that there are alive at all times (a few or many?) Realized Beings - most remaining silent. As in, "those who know do not say and vice versa". It isn't just a cute quip, you know? Sages do not proselytize. Always their first response to a face in front of them is, "do you have a Question?" The point is, I believe - only a Question asked is any reason to speak. Else it's wasted breath.
Avatars - are rarer, and it seems, may arrive even in consecutive 'incarnations' - though that idea too has been Bowdlerized into unrecognizability. Theirs is to 'Teach' by both example and an uncommon ability to get messages through the limitations of common Language.
Still.. there is no Idea so large that it cannot be reduced to incomprehensibility by successive egos in full parade. "Persons with sinecures" may be a fair description of the prime motivations, best I can tell.
Oh well. There's an Avatar in India right now; miracles and all. His fav comment seems to be (re the little 'demonstrations') "I give you what you want so that you will want what I have to give". He does not deal in religious dogma, except to symbolize all the major ones in a kind of flag. (Of 'Truce?' I imagine ;-)
Alas, by today there are legions who visit; if you want to experience that level of Being / or wish merely to begin from overt skepticism: you will be surrounded by diverse thousands from many countries; many from the US. 20 years ago, much closer approach was possible, even first-time. (First-degree hearsay, that)
Hey.. It's All
Ashton