The following is a quote from Rhichard Rhor's daily meditation blog. I find it impossible to say it better, so I'll cheat a little.
"Ken Wilbur says that he believes the function of religion is to grease the wheels of history so that we can move toward non-dual consciousness, or what I would call the contemplative mind. Quite simply, we are supposed to move toward love. Mature religion;s function is to make us capable of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, nonviolence and care for others. When religion is not creating people who can reconcile things, heal things, and absorb contradictions, - then religion isn't doing its job. "



It seems so often the rituals of religion become the religion. We exist to serve the forms, not the forms existing to serve us. How many honest souls in search of truth have been mislead into thinking they had found it, because they could recite every prayer or made every observance, but they had missed the most important words in the Gospels? Over and over, it says something to the effect, if you believe you are righteous and holy, but hold hate in your heart you are neither righteous or holy. You can not serve two masters. You will serve love or fear, but not both and not one at one moment and another at another moment. And being human, fear is the much more powerful, which is why constant, daily conversion is so needed.