Originally Posted by Lorelyen

Religion is about power and control. The creation of orthodox Christianity by Constantine in the 3rd century is a good example. It was seen as another arm of control over an increasingly sprawling and uncontrollable Roman empire.

Conflicts between religions occur because they're founded by people who come into power. It's the power that's in conflict.

Operationally religions must be imposed on populations to be effective, achieved by coming up with a doctrine - the scriptures, the Holy Book - and inculcating them from birth. The imposing is about taking away individuals' responsibility for their spirituality; telling them what they must believe in and how to go about it. In some Holy Books like the Koran a follower's behaviour is closely regulated.
So it comes down to obeying the priests. If you don't you're heretic/apostate usually inviting punishments which were spectacular. The hope was to deter.

Most of these religions were intolerant and at times hostile. For some priceless and rather horrific examples look at the wars between Christendom and Islam; or those between African religions and Christendom during the slave centuries.

None of this fitted in with gnosticism or individual spiritual development. Some sects managed to preserve their work in clandestine ways like the alchemists and Africans in Europe and the USA.

So to me, spirituality has almost nothing to do with religion.

You could be spiritual to be religious but you're unlikely to be religious if you're individually spiritual.