As I see it, when religion becomes institutionalized then it crosses the line from the realm of personal spirituality into the dogmatic social value system. At that point religion and ideology become interchangeable. From a moralistic (based on philosophic thought) standpoint, a religion ought not to be forced upon anyone, when it is forced and enforced then it is ideological. In that sense, institutional religions are complex machines whose engineers must use mythologies (old and new) to lubricate the machinery and work the people who innately desire spirituality.
I think human beings are spiritual beings, given our power of imagination and consciousness. But the minute we stop thinking–and I mean thinking critically without embedded biases manipulating our system of rationality–is the minute that “authorities” grab a hold of our consciousness and alter it. Once something (anything) is altered from its natural shape, it takes effort to transform it either back into its original state or when impossible (as in our consciousness, which has fluidity) into a new and more educated form!
People find spirituality and personal relationship with the unknown higher powers in different ways. Some find it in martial arts. Some find it is science. Some find it in philosophy. Some find it in music…or those who seek a balance find it everywhere and every way and embrace the fact that all things are subject to change.