Blessings to All...my take is as follows...I am a very Spiritual person...I have experienced a number of different "man made" religious establishments...and have decided the following...and please note that this is just my opinion on them...
All man made religions seek to dominate...by frightening the parishoner...established religion didn't even come into play until after the 1600...and then it was done to control the people...I believe that there are Gods and Goddesses...not one God that is vindictive and a blackmailer...yes blackmailer...these religions want you to believe in their God, yet if you read their Bible it says, that God is venegeful, and that if you don't worship their God you will go to Hell...which is a place of damnation...why would anyone want to follow such a philosophy???  Its beyond me...I don't believe there is a hell...I believe we make our own hell right here on earth...I think we have to manifest our needs by staying in tune with the Universe and looking within ourselves to find solutions...I believe in a higher power that is withing us not around us...I worship the Goddess within myself, the Gods that help the Goddesses, the Angels, and Ascended Masters like Jesus...I don't believe that he was the "Son of Man" as stated in established religion societies, but that He like us had to look within and then he shared his wisdom and continues to share if you seek it from him; just as you ask the Angels for help he (Jesus) needs to be asked too...but he gives his knowledge of wisdom...the Devil to me is those obstacles that we all face in our day to day lives...
Angel Hugs
FrolickingMoonAngel

FINALLY SOMEONE SPEAKING  MY WORDS!
It infuriates me how people are coerced into a religious doctrine that frightens people to do their will. You shalt not kill -- well unless it's in my name of course!!!
I too believe in the ancient religions where gods and goddesses were appreciated, how very arrogant to believe that there is one god that will inflict the very worse punishment if you commit a sin. We are human this is what we do, unfortunately.
As a Pagan follower I have respect for all people that follow a religion as long as they respect my decisions for choosing my path in life, I totally agree that by seeking spiritual harmony and balance we gain higher knowledge and acceptance of each other. Unfortunatley it was Christian fanatics that turned the Pagan Horned God into a 'Devil' and thus declared all Pagans Satanists!!!

This is my opinion and I wish to cause no upset to anyone out there, I am very spiritual and try my hardest to live outside the confines of our human mind - to live by a better standard - what my beliefs are shouldn't affect peoples opinions of me, just like what others believe in does not alter how I feel about them.

I agree with what a Yogi that said anything organized would never have open mind and open heart, because they must be fixed with certain limit, rules, etc. I also believe that the founder of all religions--including the major world religions--were never meant to make organization for their teachings. Jesus said, "They who are in truth would listen to me", not the contrary. Mohammed did not appointed anyone to be his replacement. Krishna did not form any religious foundation. And Siddhartha Gautama was always emphasizing "buddha" or realization in his teachings, not to follow guidance of any authorization; and he also said that the real teachings of him would vanished 800 years after he died. They all did so because they knew how limitless human perception is. The first president in my country--Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno once said in his speech that about like this: If some blind people that never knew elephant were brought to the animal, one man who touched the ear would said,"Ah, an elephant just like a leaf". The other who touched the foot said,"An elephant just like a tree". Whilst another one who touched the tail suddenly fell back because he thought it just like a snake. And the last person who came to under the animal was confused and said:"Strange an elephant just like the wind".

I don't trust religion, all the rules are typically man-made. There are also some concepts of the law of attraction, by substituting the words can equal to prayer and wishing. Because a person is simply giving it thought and thus draws what they want into their experience. Also, everyone should have the right to do what they want, in an Abraham book by Esther and Jerry Hicks, you "allow" others by saying to yourself that what they do does not harm you, in which the government totally contradicts by having their defences set up etc. and religion also does the same by saying "No you canot do this, it is sin" and so on.