Is God Mad As Hell?

Okay this conversation is one that plagues the people of God and often alienates many from joining our churches or staying in our fellowship. This very thought of Jesus has been used to demonize others who do not believe as we believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life... and no one gets to the Father except by Jesus. This has become a certain mantra or a battle cry that leads to a superiority mindset that is quite popular in Christendom. Here are questions we will address: 1. Is the religious life focused on this life or the next (and if both, then in what proportion)? 2. Is it about meeting God's requirements, whether they are many or few? Or about living by grace in a place beyond the dynamic of requirements? 3. Does it lead to a preoccupation with our own salvation and goodness (or lack thereof)? Or to liberation from self pre-occupation? 4. Does it result in an emphasis on righteousness and boundary drawing? Or is the emphasis on compassion and an inclusive social (and even ecological) vision? 5. Is it about believing in a supernatural being "out there" or about being in a relationship with a sacred reality "right here"? We will discuss these questions and more like what did Jesus mean when He said, "Let the dead bury the dead..."? Did Jesus do funerals? Why is the word "Church" only mentioned two times in the Gospels and the word "Love" is mentioned over 50 times?