The Aztecs used to cut beating hearts out of sacrificial victims, and the priests would wear the skins of their victims, and they called it religion. The Aztecs were smart; how could they be so fooled?
Some people think medicine is no good unless it tastes bad, and maybe people think religion isn't effective unless it physically hurts something or someone. MaybeGod only asked for blood in the Hebrew Temple because that is the imagery people understood in that day and time. I guess it is possible He enjoyed all those animal sacrifices, but I don't see how taking the life of a helpness animal could make Him smile.
I have a cousin very involved in efforts to try and restore the Temple in Jerusalem. I told her once that it might take the form of a space station or something. Hopefully if a Temple is ever built again, God would ask us to put Hondas on the altar, or someother material sacrifice that doesn't bleed.
I really hope at the end of the lectures I understand why the crucifixion of Jesus was necessary because other than the fact that contemplating it can help people deal with their own pain, I don't see why God allowed didn't honor Jesus' hope that the cup would be removed from him.

Lastly, the Word Faith Movement sounds like Christian voodoo.